The Wohnen+ Basel “walk and talk” outings take place a few times in the year and they are an excellent way to come together in a relaxed atmosphere for conversation and a bit of exercise.
On Friday 18 September, 14 resident members, 2 friends and 1 resident dog walked together in the Landschaftspark Wiese. The group met at the Niederholzboden stop near Riehen and walked together along flat paths, meadows and woodland, crossing the border into the disused “Hupfergrube” gravel pit, which has been a nature reserve since 2003. Nestled between the cities of Basel, Weil am Rhein, Lörrach and the municipality of Riehen, the Wiese landscape forms the largest undeveloped natural area at the heart of the trinational Basel conurbation. The area provides vital habitat for flora and fauna, serves as a key source of drinking water and is used for both agriculture and forestry.
The walk was approximately 7 kilometers and near the end of it, the group could cool off and enjoy a drink and ice cream in the Lange Erlen Wildlife Park. The outing ended at the Musical Theater tram stop.
The next “walk and talk” will take place in November, and it will be posted on our website.
Wohnen+ Basel recently hosted Dr. Natalie Mengis, an orthopedic surgeon, who is involved with a public health initiative called “Walk with a Doc” (walkwithadoc.org). Dr. Mengis offers free walking programs in Basel allowing participants to safely walk (or roll), learn about current health topics and meet new people.
Dr. Mengis spoke to us specifically about healthy aging and she helped raise our awareness of what can be achieved through staying active, staying connected and addressing issues early.
Her presentation, which is available at the end of this article, focuses on maintaining muscle, bone, joint, and social health through exercise, nutrition, and community engagement.
Of course, we can’t turn back the hands of time, but regular exercise, social engagement, and small healthy choices will help us to age well. The phrase which sticks in our mind is: Motion is Lotion.
This year’s event will take place in the Markthalle on 19 September 10:00 – 16:00. This year’s theme is: Mobility and Physical Activity in Later Life
A key component to an independent, healthy and safe life at our age is physical activity. Easier said than done, as exercise becomes more difficult as the years go by. But, as the challenges around maintaining mobility and vitality become greater, so do the benefits of staying active to strengthen body and mind – as well as preventing social isolation. At Marktplatz 55+, you’ll find a wealth of valuable resources on the topics of exercise and mobility designed for people in our stage of life.
We look forward to chatting with you at our booth on the 19th!
A neurologist wrote a piece in SSM Health www.ssmhealth.com (January 2025) emphasising that the brain can form new pathways at any age, and that social puzzling, that is, doing jigsaw puzzles with family or friends, offers even greater benefit than solo puzzling.
Why is that? The answer seems to be quite clear in our association’s creative room, where we have a daily on-going puzzle, open to all of us, and not excluding random visitors, who just have to add “one more piece to the puzzle”.
Another study mentioned in http://www.RealityPathing.com (July 2025) talks about other benefits, on a more personal level. Focusing attention on a puzzle shifts attention away from worries and intrusive thoughts, and the “flow state” can lower cortisol levels and produce a sense of calm.
We love to puzzle together and in the creative room there is space for people to read, knit, write and above all meet and chat. Surely this helps promote a sense of well-being and maybe even slow cognitive decline. We like to think so.
