Senior Wellness Initiative Classes and Activities

Senior Wellness activities take place at
Zion Senior Center, 5151 E. 33rd Ave. and 
Montbello Recreation Center, 15555 E. 53rd Ave.

Exercise and Nutrition Classes:

Zion Senior Center
Monday and Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m.

Montbello Recreation Center (July 13-Sept. 2)
9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Dance class at Zion Senior Center
Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Fall Prevention Activities:

Workshops, home risk assessments, and home modifications
Call 303-355-3423 for more information

Upcoming Fall Prevention Workshops:

June 16, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. at Zion Senior Center

July 22, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Sable Ridge Residences, 15255 E. 40th Ave.

The Facts about Aging and African Americans

African Americans are living longer than ever before. Estimates are that the number of African-American elders will double between 1990 and 2020.

But African Americans still die younger than whites. According to national data, African-American life expectancy is 70.2 years, compared to an average of 76.5 years for all populations groups. The difference in life expectancy is even more striking among African-American men, who have a life expectancy of only 66.1 years, compared to the national average of 73.6 years for all men.

African Americans have the highest death rate from many of the leading causes of death: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancer.

The U.S. Surgeon General reports that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing many of these diseases. And exercise can improve mood and enhance a person's ability to perform every-day tasks, such as dressing, combing hair or fastening a seat belt. And it can help increase levels of "good" cholesterol, improve balance, alleviate the aches and pains of arthritis, and save health care dollars.

Also contributing to the disability of older adults, fewer than half receive the recommended preventive services, such as screenings for disease and for vision impairments, and vaccinations against the flu and pneumonia. Depression also goes undiagnosed and untreated.

Simple lifestyle choices - what you eat, how active you are, whether you smoke and if you get regular health care - have an enormous impact on longevity and quality of life.