It’s been an annual tradition at Tapestry for more than a decade. Each February, residents and employees at all locations participate in a variety of challenges, mostly physical, as part of our “Fit February” competition.

What’s at stake? Bragging rights of course. Not only does each location recognize their top points earning residents and employees, but for the last few years there has also been a friendly rivalry between our two Vancouver locations –  Tapestry at Arbutus Walk and Tapestry at Wesbrook Village. The location with the most points earned overall wins the Fit February title and a trophy.

“The residents and our employees get really excited about Fit February,” says Amanda Davis, Wellness Supervisor at Tapestry at Arbutus Walk. “January can be a bit of a quieter month, and this really helps people shake off the January blues. For some residents, it really brings out their competitive side,” she says.

Fit February begins with Olympics-style opening ceremonies to kick off the month of activities. This year, the chefs at Tapestry at Arbutus Walk prepared three different kinds of energy balls with homemade nut butter and a “health shot” of fresh squeezed orange juice, turmeric and ginger so the participants could toast to good health before starting the competition.

Residents are then given tally sheets which they hand in weekly, recording points for the activities they participate in. There are multiple opportunities to earn points, including for the number of minutes of any type of exercise lasting 10 minutes or more, walking up and down a flight of stairs, or participating in one of the many outings and events offered each day at Tapestry. A group at Tapestry at Arbutus Walk even meets every Friday morning to climb the building’s eight flights of stairs.

Amanda says that not only is Fit February fun, it’s a wonderful way to build community because both residents and employees participate. And, she says, the month-long competition tends to have spill-over benefits for the rest of the year. “Fit February helps grow participation in our regular fitness offerings,” Amanda says. “During the challenge, residents might try out something they haven’t done before or even encourage a friend to participate. If they end up not liking the activity, they still earn points for it.”

Over the years Tapestry has continued to add more ways for residents to earn points, many based on suggestions from residents. Busola Adeyinka, an on-site kinesiologist at Tapestry at Arbutus Walk, designed a new set of daily challenges for this year including seated stretches, marching on the spot, or going from sit to stand. “There’s a range of activities so that anyone can participate regardless of their fitness level,” Busola says. “We are even partnering with Tapestry at Wesbrook Village for some activities,” she adds.

Residents and employees can also earn extra points by participating in “challenge a friend”, where both individuals must complete the task to earn the points. For example, this year one resident challenged Busola to a 30-second daily balance exercise because that’s something the resident has been working to improve.

“Those one-on-one challenges can have ongoing benefits”, says Amanda. Last year, another resident had challenged one of Tapestry’s restaurant servers to play pool for 20 minutes once a week on her break, and the two have kept up their weekly meetings both for the activity and for the social bond they’ve built.

A way to earn “bonus” Fit February points is by participating in an event tied to one of Tapestry’s 7Dimensions of Wellness, for example a meditation class under the spiritual dimension or a board games event under the occupational dimension. Here at Tapestry, we recognize that wellness is about living your best life possible by embracing an active and healthy lifestyle that improves physical, intellectual, social and spiritual well-being.

The final event of the month is a relay race, which in 2024 takes place on February 29^th. Once the competition is over, each individual’s points are tallied, and the top points earners among both residents and Tapestry employees are recognized with medals and prizes at a closing ceremony held on March 1^st. The community with the most points overall gets to claim their trophy!

If you’ve been considering a move to a retirement community, February is a great month to move to Tapestry. The fun and social aspects of Fit February make it easy to get to know the community and your fellow residents, while also improving your overall wellness.

If you are looking for a vibrant and active retirement living community, please contact us and we would be pleased to host you for lunch and a tour.