“Improve your Health for a Better Self!” a free senior health and fitness fair, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at The Holmstad retirement community, 700 W. Fabyan Parkway in Batavia. It’s so important to get involved in as many events like this as possible when you retire, as they help you to stay healthy and socialize. You might be concerned about if you are ready to retire or not or if you are properly prepared for life after work; fear not, this is a worry for many but if you remain active and fill your time with meaningful things, there is no reason you cannot continue to have purpose in your life. If you’re worried about how you will be able to afford it, find out how investing will make your retirement better.

The public is invited. Admission and parking are free. Shuttle bus service to and from parking will be provided.

Ellyn K. Limbaugh, Holmstad fitness coordinator and health fair director, said the fourth annual event will feature health screenings, cooking demonstrations and 40-plus vendors.

Raffle prizes, giveaways and fresh produce from a local farmer’s market are planned.

According to Limbaugh, the fair is part of 23rd annual national Senior Health and Fitness Day.

Goal of the daylong celebration is to increase awareness of benefits of regular exercise for older adults, Limbaugh said.

Holmstad activities are:

• 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Health fair will feature more than 40 organizations, businesses and individuals focused on health and wellness opportunities for seniors. Free health screenings and hand and chair massages will be included.
• 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Healthy cooking demonstrations, with samples, will be conducted by Holmstad Executive Chef Warren DeWolfe and Sous Chef Lonnie Brady in The Gathering Place room. The demonstration schedule is Wheatberry Waldorf salad, 10:30 a.m.; Asian chicken lettuce wrap, 11 a.m.; artichoke and zucchini paella entree, 11:30 a.m.; and Ambrosia parfait dessert, noon.
• At 1 p.m., keynote speaker Dr. Phil Branshaw will discuss Delnor Northwestern Hospital’s congestive heart failure program and transitional care from hospital to home or skilled nursing facility. Dr. Branshaw is an internal medicine physician at Delnor in Geneva.

Fair attendees are invited to bring soap bars and personal hygiene items for donation to Wayside Cross Ministries in Aurora.

For more information, call (877) 226-7310 or visit TheHolmstad.org.

About National Senior Health & Fitness Day

Organized as a public/private good health partnership by Mature Market Resource Center, Senior Health & Fitness Day offers fitness activities for older adults at more than 1,000 locations. They include hospitals, park and recreation departments, senior centers, health clubs, retirement communities, houses of worship, health departments and other community locations. The event is always held on the last Wednesday in May as part of Older Americans Month activities.

About The Holmstad

The Holmstad is a faith-based, not-for- profit continuing care retirement community at 700 W. Fabyan Parkway in Batavia. It is administered by Covenant Retirement Communities, a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church and one of the nation’s largest not-for- profit senior services organizations. For more information, call 877-226-7310 or visit www.TheHolmstad.org.

SOURCE: The Holmstad news release