Courtyard Village At Raleigh Hills.

My Life First I was a baby, Then I was a kid. Next I was a student Then I became a teacher. Next I was a wife Then a mother of two Now I am a widow And the mother of one When I was a wife And when I was a mother I used to think of things I wanted to do and places to go My husband and I would plan And travel to places We wanted to go To see what we wanted to see. Now there are no places I want to go Or things I want to see. I’m trying to reinvent myself And wondering what to be. Alyda Gilkey

Monitoring Your Exercise Intensity: Exertion Scale and Talk Test When exercising it may be difficult to know how hard your body is working. Using the following tools will help you monitor your effort; the talk test and rate of perceived exertion are the best and easiest to use. The best part is that no equipment is needed! Talk Test—What Is It? The talk test is an easy way to measure your exercise intensity and is based on conversation effort during that period of active work. There are three intensity exercise levels: easy, moderate, and vigorous. Levels: * Easy exercise intensity allows you to have a conversation easily without being out of breath. * Moderate exercise intensity allows you to have a steady conversation. * Vigorous exercise intensity makes conversation difficult, but you may still be able to say a few words. When you are moving and your breathing increases, you get a little warm, and break into a sweat, but can still carry on a conversation, then it is just about where you want to be for moderate exercise! It should be somewhat difficult but not too hard.

There were some old folks at Courtyard Who wanted to avoid getting Covid So they stayed in their room, Wore masks when they left. Now, they want to return to normal. Alyda Gilkey I got pulled over in the HOV lane for driving alone. I said that due to social distancing, my passenger was in the car behind me! What is the difference between an in-law and an outlaw? An out-law is wanted!

Well wishes to all, Carolyn & Bill Owens We’re down at the beach, for now it’s home. I couldn’t sleep, so I wrote a “pome”. We watch the waves, and follow the tide. We water the plants, when it’s warm outside. We try to walk a block or two, Physical therapy we have to do. We feel we need to take a nap, To rest our bones and aching back. We pick up our books, but it’s time to eat, There’s lunch to fix, and dinner to heat. I’m trying to do some watercolor painting, Tho’ my hand is numb and arm is shaking. But what we like most about our long day, Is feeding and watching the birds at play. The day goes by fast, what’s now left to do, But to sit and snack, and have some wine, too. So when the coast is clear (pun fully intended), With hugs and cheer, we’re anxious to see you! by Carolyn Owens

Courtyard Haikus Soaking Rains in fall Drenching both our courtyard sites Cancelling concerts. Spencer Snow Courtyard in the rain Keeps our residents smiling. We all love the rain. Spencer Snow Wind moves the branches As if they might be dancing Is that possible? Marilyn Tuffs Most blossoms are gone Leaving lovely memories Enough 'til Springtime? Marilyn Tuffs The fall rains are here. Both courtyards irrigated, Flora will flourish. Spencer Snow Grey clouds overhead Shower us with welcome rain Answering prayers. Marilyn Tuffs

Do You Experience Restless Nights? Or are you not getting enough sleep? You are not the only one! According to the National Sleep Foundation about 62% of adults experience sleep problems. How to know if you are getting a good nights rest? Think about how you feel throughout the day. Dr. Diwakar Balachandran, Medical Director at MD Anderson Sleep Center describes that you should feel rested and prepared for the day, you should not feel tired or groggy. Why is it important to get enough sleep? According to health.gov, getting enough sleep can help you: • Become sick less often • Stay at a healthy weight • Reduce stress and improve mood You should aim to sleep an average of seven to eight hours per night. HEALTH.GOV Home of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion - health.gov

Heart Healthy Challenge February is American Heart Month! Having a healthy heart is central to overall health. Embracing a healthy lifestyle at any age can prevent heart disease and lower your risk for a heart attack or stroke. You can never be too old or young to begin taking care of your heart! Take care of your heart by participating in our Wellness Bingo Challenge starting Feb. 1st and running through Feb. 28th. This WELLNESS CHALLENGE is a friendly competition amongst 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors. At the end of the month the floor that turns in the MOST wellness bingo cards will win a prize! You can find your bingo card in your newsletter. If you do not receive one come down to the activities office or your copy. How to play Wellness BINGO: Choose the activity to complete and mark it off with an X. Continue doing this until you have gotten a BINGO! A Bingo is 5 activities crossed off in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line. Once you have a bingo, please bring it down to the Activities Office and get a new card if you would like. * You are allowed to complete up to four bingo cards during this challenge

Why Cleaning Fitness Equipment is Important Gyms and fitness areas are a perfect place for germs and bacteria to grow, not cleaning fit-ness equipment properly can affect the health of individuals who use fitness rooms and gyms. There are many reasons for keeping exercise equipment and machines clean, but the most important are to help prevent the spread of bacteria like staphylococcus (staph infec-tions) and now COVID-19. Staph bacteria is one of the most common germs hiding in gyms. Some strains of the bacteria can be harmful; however most of the time staph goes unnoticed. In fact, around one—third of individuals carry some type of staph on their skin, gym user or not. The best way to avoid getting a staph infection is to wash your hands and wipe down equipment before use and after so that others have access to clean equip-ment too. We recommend to wipe down the machines before and after each use. There are new signs on cardio machines and around the Summit Room that remind you to do just that.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting January 1st is four weeks out and you may be looking to embrace the “New Year, New Me” with a new years resolution or goal. When brainstorming what you would like to achieve for the new year, think of setting realistic goals. You want goals and resolutions that are doable and achievable for you. Having an achievable goal/ resolution increases motivation, leading to a greater chance at success! To set successful goals, try using the acronym SMART. SMART goals are specific, measurable, action—oriented, realistic, and time—oriented. Avoid making vague goals like: “Get into shape by exercising more.” A SMART goal would be: Specific— Start weight training Measurable—Increase the amount of weight that I can safely lift Action—oriented— Go to the gym 3x per week Realistic— Increase the weight that I can safely lift by 10 % per week Time—oriented — Try the program for 8 weeks, then reassess Goal: Get in shape by weight training 3 times a week. Every week I will increase the weight that I lift by 10% for the next 8 weeks.