"Move and live longer,” doctors and health officials have long preached. So, to keep its residents healthy and happy, Cadence, a 2,200-acre master planned community in Henderson, was designed with an active lifestyle in mind.
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People look for homes in communities that fit their lifestyle, whether that means having room for children to play or a place to jog or simply take a walk.
Sometimes drivers speed, even through residential areas. This puts residents at risk when doing activities.
Cadence, located adjacent to Lake Las Vegas, took a different approach. This means streets are designed for pedestrians and cyclists first and then for cars. Most streets in the community are designed for two-way traffic, meaning there are two lanes — one in each direction. Roads are also narrower by design to further slow traffic. Bicycle lanes are available on each side of the road and street parking is offered.
“We wanted to make sure residents in Cadence felt safe moving about the community,” said Mark Paris, LandWell Company CEO. LandWell is the developer of Cadence. “The idea with the complete streets concept is to provide a safe haven for pedestrians while slowing traffic.”
There are roads designed for heavier traffic such Galleria Drive, Burkholder Drive, and Warm Springs Road. The other roads will feed into these, which will handle the bulk of the traffic. This frees up the other streets making them safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Bike Share Program
This is particularly important for Cadence as the innovative community offers a free residential bike share program. The Cadence bike share program features 20 bicycles located around the community. The bike share program employs wireless-technology-equipped “smart bikes” with integrated GPS-enabled locks that work on regular bicycle racks for convenience and security.
“Cadence was designed to be bicycle friendly,” said Paris. “The idea is for people to visit the community, rent a bike, and see Cadence from that perspective.”A bike can be rented at the Home Finding Center and ridden to the various model homes. Soon, residents will be able to rent a bike and go to the grocery store or coffee shop.
Not only does this provide a more relaxed atmosphere for residents, it provides health benefits. Cycling is low-impact exercise and can lead to better heart health and muscle strength.
Walking
In addition to cycling, there are many walking and hiking trails throughout Cadence with some trailheads starting at the Cadence boundaries. The Lake Mead Trail is located at the main entry to Cadence and the River Mountain Loop Trail is nearby as is the Las Vegas Wash Trail.
Cadence features 450 acres of open space and 30 acres of linear trails. This includes the 50-acre Central Park and a 100-acre sports park.
“Walking is an activity that promotes a healthy lifestyle and doesn’t require special equipment or skill,” Paris said.
“Cadence was designed with sidewalks set back from the streets, we have trails throughout the community as well as trailheads nearby for more strenuous activity such as hiking.”
The American Hiking Society said hiking strengthens muscles and can reverse osteoporosis’s negative effects. It increases bone density and slows calcium loss; better calcium retention means stronger bones and less susceptibility to breaking.
The society cited University of Washington research that showed women with osteoporosis who walked for one hour three days per week boosted bone density by 6 percent over nine months.
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Southern Nevada’s summers with their 100-plus-degree days might discourage hikers and bikers. If so, Cadence’s pool, with panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip, is a summer activity option.
Swimming is one of the most popular forms of exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The four-lane lap pool opens in summer 2016 and will give Cadence residents an option for low impact exercise that improves core strength, stability and aerobic fitness.
A Calming Effect
Besides strengthening muscles and bones, Cadence residents who exercise can cut their stress, a study by University of Georgia researcher Tim Puetz and professor Patrick O’Connor suggests.
A February 2008 statement on the university’s UGA Today website described Puetz and O’Connor’s study, which divided volunteers who felt persistent fatigue into three groups. One group did 20 minutes of moderate-intensity thrice weekly for six weeks; one group did low-intensity aerobic exercise for the same period; and a control group that didn’t exercise.
The research found the low- and moderate-intensity groups’ energy levels increased 20 percent compared with the control group, the website said. The low-intensity exercise group’s fatigue levels dropped more sharply (65 percent) than those in the moderate-intensity exercise group (49 percent).
People of any age, even retirement age, can start exercising and see gains, research from Germany’s Saarland University suggests. On Aug. 31, the website of the United Kingdom’s Express newspaper cited the study, which showed that people who start exercising at age 70 reduce their chances of developing atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disturbance affecting about 10 percent of people 80 and older. The website further cited research suggesting that exercise extends life by three to seven years.
And, with so many active lifestyle options at Cadence, residing in the community can equate to so much more than simply owning a home. A new home can truly lead to a new and healthier you.
Cadence, a 2,200-acre planned community in Henderson, has 450 acres of open space, which includes a 50-acre central park and 100-acre sports park. The community offers a bike share program, free Wi-Fi in public parks, and interconnects with the many Henderson bicycle and walking trails such as the Las Vegas Wash Trail and River Mountains Loop Trail.
Six school sites, retail centers including a grocery store and other services, and nearby business parks are also part of Cadence. Cadence is being developed by The LandWell Company, the real estate development division of Basic Management, Inc., which has a distinguished history in Southern Nevada. The 13,250-home community offers a variety of residential neighborhoods with a broad cross-section of homes starting from the low $200,000s. For more information about Cadence, visit www.cadencenv.com, or call 702-558-9366. Find Cadence on social media at facebook.com/CadenceNV, Twitter @CadenceNV and on Instagram @Cadence_NV.