Although Tapestry residents focus on Wellness throughout the year, every February, Tapestry turns up the volume on wellness by celebrating Fit February or “FitFeb”, a fun and festive competition that reinforces our commitment to wellness not as a single event or series of programs, but as a way of life. To get an inside look at a typical day during FitFeb, we tried to keep up with Natalie, our enthusiastic and talented Wellness Supervisor at Tapestry at Wesbrook Village.

 

Natalie starts her day bright and early travelling to Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, a  neighbourhood very close to where she grew up, near the University of British Columba. Having studied kinesiology at the University of Calgary, Natalie is thrilled to be home in her favourite neighbourhood, sharing her knowledge with Tapestry residents who are enthusiastic about wellness. Stopping for a coffee, Natalie says hello to some familiar faces.

Stepping into the office, Natalie greets her team just before kicking off their morning meeting with a guided yoga class to get the blood flowing. After all, it’s important the team not just demonstrate wellness, but also live it.  “The wellness team is  very active. If we aren’t working in the community we are most likely enjoing a hike or getting outdoors on our own time,” says Natalie.  FitFeb is always an exciting time as two teams, the Red Team and Blue Team, get quite competitive. Resident Lynne stops by to share how much she enjoyed the urban poling workout and to ask when they will be exploring the Pacific Spirt Park again.

As the day starts to fly by, the clock strikes 10:00 a.m.  During FitFeb, this marks the time for the “Morning Glory Dance Party”. Every morning, residents and employees of the Red and Blue teams come together for an opportunity to twist and shout! From golden-oldie grooves to funky new beats, this morning ritual has proven a great way to get people up and moving all for the sake of some points and friendly competition.

Leaving the group bopping away, Natalie has a few minutes to check email, and is happy to hear from a few residents enjoying their own Morning Glory Dance Party in their suites. Though their schedules didn’t allow them to join in – they’ve found their own way to stay active and competitive!  Back downstairs, the club room is being readied for an art class hosted by resident Teresa.  An accomplished artist, Teresa has been helping residents find their artistic passions, and yes, this social wellness activity earns our residents FitFeb points as well.

Moving upstairs to Tapestry’s fitness centre,  It’s time for Balance, Stretch, and Abs Class, a personal favourite for many residents! Natalie joins the class run by another Tapestry employee to take pictures, which we proudly share on our Community Portal.  Natalie is one of the many employees behind Tapestry’s social media accounts and she enjoys capturing memorable moments around the community, knowing how much it means to highlight life at Tapestry.

 

With a busy and active morning done and dusted, it is time for a quick lunch. Natalie enjoys a salad and then heads to the nearby DoughGirls bakeshop , a personal favourite of hers, to reward herself with a treat for all her activity.

 

After lunch and catching up on emails, the fresh air beckons. With “urban poles” in hand (walking poles designed for use in urban settings offering many fitness benefits), residents are ready for a new type of full-body workout while socializing and enjoying the local rainforest.

 

After a day of wellness-based activities, residents look forward to sitting back and relaxing with a themed evening of dinner and drinks. This month, diners are virtually transported to New Orleans for Mardi Gras to enjoy a taste of the Cajun Bayou. This is one of many themed tasting trips created by the wellness and culinary teams. Though travel has not been possible due to the pandemic, Tapestry residents have been able to fill their culinary passports with a variety of tasty stamped favourites.

Note from Natalie:

FitFeb has been a fun month of seeing residents try new things, challenge themselves to take the stairs for extra points, and appreciate the things they do on a regular basis that contribute to their wellness. Personally, I have found myself choosing to take the stairs over the elevator while at work, and enjoying walks and going skiing on the weekend, reflecting about the extra points I’d be earning! My favourite part of FitFeb is always the Morning Glory Dance Party as everyone has fun shaking it out and laughing together. It has been so popular we are going to continue dancing Friday mornings!