8 Ways Apartment Living Supports Healthy Lifestyles

Healthy, Happy & More fulfilled

Living in an apartment can be an amazing experience. From meeting new people to living beside an urban park, it provides plenty of advantages. In fact, many people would rather live in an apartment than a house due to those benefits.

The most important benefit for many people concerns health and well-being. If you live in an apartment, it can lead you to a healthier lifestyle. In this post, we will discuss 8 important reasons living in an apartment can lead you to a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life.

1. Connection with Nature

Thrive Living’s apartments are either immersed in a nature setting or a short walk away from one. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces stress and increases pleasant feelings.

Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but contributes to your physical wellbeing: reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.

Residents of apartment buildings that have ready access to nature parks and trails report being more active, which in turn leads to knowing more people, resulting in stronger feelings of unity with neighbours and a greater sense of community.

Research has shown that people with access to nearby natural settings have been found to be healthier, happier, and live longer than other individuals. So go for a walk, jog or bike ride and enjoy meeting your neighbours and the beautiful tranquility of nature—all just a few steps from your apartment doorstep.

2. Simply to De-Stress

There is a strong possibility that your mental health will improve when you downsize from owning a large and complicated home with a lot of unnecessary stuff and associated stress. With their open concept living and kitchen areas, high ceilings and thoughtful designs, modern apartments—though smaller than your old home—may actually have a more spacious and uncluttered feel to them.

Smaller living spaces are also easier to keep clean. It has been proven that a clean and tidy living space is good for your mental health. Apartment living is a simpler way of living, which translates to a happier, lower-stress life. A simpler lifestyle provides the time and space to figure out what matters most, spend time with loved ones, pursue your personal interests, and even get your daily exercise in.

3. Getting Social

Staying in shape is a big benefit, but social health and well-being can also be boosted by apartment life. With most apartments close to neighbours, parks, restaurants, and other popular areas, you’ll easily meet people and grow your social circle.

In addition to making residents’ lives easier, modern apartment amenities are designed to encourage socialization and create a sense of community, whether hosting a cooking class or gathering to watch a sporting event in a nicely-appointed common lounge. With shared common spaces and experiences, apartment living creates many opportunities for residents to make connections and build friendships.

4. Taking the Stairs

In an apartment building, the average unit is typically on a higher floor, so you can choose to take the stairs. While some may not view taking the stairs as a positive option, many others see it as a challenge, source of motivation, and chance to capture some beneficial exercise.

If you regularly choose to use the stairs to access your apartment, you’ll get a great workout without even going to the gym. Taking the stairs burns more calories than jogging, reduces risk of cardiovascular disease and strengthens your muscles. Show the elevator who’s the boss, and take the stairs!

5. On-Site Gym

Another great benefit of apartment living is that most apartment buildings have a gym on-site. That takes away all your excuses for not getting your daily exercise. Instead of driving over 20 minutes to the nearest workout facility, you have a gym within a short walk from your living room.

6. Air Quality

By design, modern apartments have to follow strict guidelines when it comes to air quality systems and must be constructed with materials that have zero-to-low volatile organic chemical (VOC) emissions. It is necessary for an apartment to have good ventilation and air quality, ensuring a comfortable and healthy environment.

7. Winter Safety

Each year, there are an average of 9,000 hospitalizations due to falls on ice in Canada, making it the number-one cause of winter injuries. Seniors have a higher risk of taking a fall and are vulnerable to suffering more serious injuries and long-term complications. One in three seniors in Canada falls each year, and up to 40 per cent that end up with a broken hip from the injury die within a year.

Most apartment buildings offer heated underground parking, so residents can come and go without ever having to face harsh winter conditions and slippery icy surfaces. In addition, apartment buildings have strict snow removal and salting policies to ensure sidewalks and entryways are kept as safe as possible in the winter.

8. Environmentally Friendly

Carbon emissions are caused by many things, but one of the biggest home offenders is heating. Regardless of the type of heating system you have, you’re putting carbon emissions into the surrounding community each time the heater comes on. Therefore, you can take steps to reduce your carbon footprint by moving out of an older or larger home that may not be energy efficient into a new energy efficient and smaller apartment space.

Apartments are more eco-friendly than houses not only because they use less land, but also because they reduce the amount of roads and traffic congestion. These factors combine to leave more land for parks, trails, and greenspace—all while reducing carbon emissions—letting everyone lead a healthier life.

A Healthy Move

If you’re looking for a way to simplify your life and focus on what matters the most—your time and health—why not give apartment living a try?

Thrive Living prides itself on building apartment buildings that are intimately connected with nature and health. Almost all of our buildings are located on a park and beside extensive nature trail systems. They also come with stunning views of nature!

Contact us today! We are always happy to answer any questions and help you find a location that works best for you.