The Seniors Active Living Centre (SALC) provides programming in Bengali, Cantonese, English and Tamil to meet member needs. Although this year was difficult due to COVID-19, virtual programs helped clients stay active and connected. Yoga and gentle fitness classes are ongoing and conducted virtually. Mental health and physical health are important aspects, and exercising in groups may have greater mental health benefits than exercising alone.
The Bengali program has continued to provide support to seniors in need. Once lockdown began, the program moved to virtual programming, a challenge for those who valued an in-person connection. This program promotes social interaction among seniors by offering a variety of recreation, health and wellness activities (now virtually) such as meditation, sing alongs, Zumba and special events.
The Chinese program has provided virtual classes for seniors every Friday. It includes line dance (in both English & Cantonese) and iPad classes. So far, the iPad class has developed 73 videos and 55K views on YouTube!
The English program has successfully offered the following, virtually, to help maintain members’ wellbeing: client assistance, support group, technology classes, information sessions, gentle fitness and yoga. And outdoors, we have offered walk sessions, bingo and tai chi. We will continue using a virtual platform to offer the programs and services.
The Tamil program offered virtual support groups, yoga, singing, dance, drama classes & other workshops. Successful outdoor activities, including gentle fitness, support groups and client assistance, allowed us to remain safe and respect social distancing guidelines. These activities allowed our members to be active and enhance their mental health.
We invite you to join our ongoing virtual activities to stay active, and stay tuned for updates on exiting new events!