Healthy Aging Never Gets Old

In 1996 Seven Oaks General Hospital recognized the growing need to address the health challenges of an aging population by opening the Wellness Institute. The Wellness Institute has since grown to over 6500 members and is internationally recognized as a world leader in medical fitness.


For the 1400 members who have been attending faithfully for over 10 consecutive years, healthy aging has become part of their active lifestyle commitment. This group has made massive reductions in their risk of chronic illness. In fact, over the past 20 years, a total of 43,000 members have gotten active and reduced risks of:

  • stroke by 27-45%.
  • diabetes by 25-58%
  • heart disease by 33-50%.
  • high blood pressure by 33-60%.
  • mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by 25-50%.
  • colon cancer by 30-60%.
  • developing of Alzheimer’s disease by 40%.
  • premature death by 31-50%

There is plenty of advice for self-directed active, healthy aging.  More than ever Canadians are researching and investing their time and money in programs, equipment and devices to support a healthy lifestyle on their own.

However, the majority of Canadians, including older adults, are not active enough to ensure good health. 60% of Canadians older than 65 years of age are inactive and 69% of their waking hours are spent on sedentary activities such as watching TV and using the computer. Too few are making healthy food choices, getting the right amount and kind of exercise, and committing to an active lifestyle to be physically and emotionally well.

This is why the Wellness Institute is starting the conversation on healthy aging based on our years of expertise in the prevention and management of chronic illness.

As a non-profit organization, we are committed to improving the health of our community and believe that improving the way we age is vital to reaching that goal. Each year, Wellness reaches out with health promotion events such as the Commit to Get Fit Run, which has mobilized more than 5300 participants to run and walk a total of 35,000 kilometers, and the free Active Aging Day, which has introduced more than 3500 older adults to hands-on demonstrations promoting active aging, healthy eating and social connectedness. The Wellness Institute has worked with 100 community-based health organizations to provide health education classes for more than 48,000 participants.

Find out more about current programs and support services at our Healthy Aging page and look for more articles and information to come in our news section.