At The Lafayette, we provide valuable and sometimes essential services to our residents when they can no longer fully take care of themselves. Our activities are designed to provide opportunities for our residents to remain social through events and programs put in place by our Activities 
Director—a trained professional in the field. Where appropriate, these activities go a step further and include exercise programs to help our residents stay physically fit and healthy. We offer exercise classes specifically geared toward the people in the age range of our residents; many of these exercises can be done while sitting, even from a wheelchair.
As the body ages, muscle tissue and bone naturally break down—which is what makes some of our long term care residents more fragile and increasingly likely to be injured during their exercise routines, something we guard against and strive to prevent. Regular strength-maintenance routines—even at a low level—as well as aerobic exercises can help preserve both muscle function and bone structure. This type of exercise can help against the onset of age-related diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
When developing a fitness program for our residents, we keep in mind equipment and programs that fit the unique circumstances of the resident, their likes and dislikes, and the specific activities they find enhance their quality of life. For our rehabilitation patients, our professionally trained rehab staff gauges the right amount of resistance to strengthen muscles while not placing too much weight or stress on the joints.
Exercise, even at a moderate level, remains one of the pillars of regular activity for our rehabilitation patients and long term care residents.