Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Creating an accessible fitness or wellness facility by Blythe Hiss, MS, and Amy E. Rauworth, MS, RCEP
By 2030, about one of every five Americans and one of every four Canadians will be 65 years of age or older.11,26 As our population ages, the incidence of chronic disease and disability will increase, creating an emerging priority that must be addressed by wellness, fitness and health professionals.12,13,17,23
Numerous studies have reported the benefits of increased physical activity and fitness in reducing cardiovascular and other health risk factors associated with chronic disease and disability.3,4,7,9 According to the Healthy People 2010 report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, however, 56% of adults with disabilities do not engage in any leisure-time physical activity, compared to 36% of adults without disabilities.22 An estimated 52 million Americans with disabilities and/or activity limitations are not only at greater risk of developing serious health conditions linked to a sedentary lifestyle (such as diabetes,
Construction
The 'medicalization' of aging: what it is, how it harms, and what to do about it by Marilynn Larkin, MA
On November 17, 2010, the headline of a Washington Post health blog read: “Gwyneth dances great on ‘Glee,’ despite osteopenia.” The posting about actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s television appearance went on to explain that the 38-year-old star is “quite young for such a diagnosis” and imply that her dancing ability is somehow influenced by the condition, which normally affects older adults.
moreRebranding aging
Fitness and financing: joined at the hip by Galen Chuck Lemar
What is the common denominator between one-quarter of the American population and the active aging industry? The 77 million Baby Boomers with an estimated US$2.1 trillion in spending power, who value wellness as a way of life.1 In Canada, Boomers account for an even greater part of the population, with one-third of Canadians—nearly 10 million adults—belonging to the generation born 1946–64.2 This educated demographic is concerned about looking young, feeling good, and maintaining health and wellness.
moreConstruction
Innovative premarketing strategies: how to close sales before breaking ground by Marilynn Larkin, MA
It’s one thing to sell a community or facility when the property is up and running, and all the bells and whistles are in place. But generating excitement about something still in the development stage can be a challenge. That’s especially true if you’re marketing to Boomers, according to Diane Gaynor, an owner of San Diego, California-based Roni Hicks and Associates, a full-service marketing firm for master-planned communities.
“Marketing used to be based on set parameters that said, ‘If you’re this age, you’re supposed to act this way.’ That’s been blown out of the box,” Gaynor declares.
Marketing
The discovery period: how to plan and develop an age-friendly wellness center by Cornelia C. Hodgson, AIA
Planning is a process of discovery, with the final result unknown at the outset. This process focuses on the search for an architectural solution that evolves into a feasible project. You start with an idea that develops into a plan. You gather information, you revise the plan in light of this information, and you continue the process until all aspects of the plan are thoroughly vetted and validated, and a feasible project emerges.
So how do you begin? With a discovery period of defining “the What,” “the Who” and “the Where” of your wellness center.
Construction
Great expectations: the making of an age-friendly wellness center by Colin Milner
Five to 10 years ago, if you wished to serve the age 50-plus market, your main frame of reference was what was happening in the fitness club industry. Today’s frame of reference is much broader, with excellent best practice models in seniors housing, active adult communities, seniors centers, hospital fitness centers, YMCAs and JCCs, to name a few.
We have learned a lot about promoting active aging in these past 10 years. One thing we have discovered is that we spend too much money on trying to educate the older population about being fit and healthy. Among age 50-plus adults surveyed by AARP, 98% of respondents knew that getting enough exercise was important, and 64% agreed that physical activity was the best thing they could do for their health. This level of awareness means that marketers do not have to establish need with this market, but rather show how they provide a solution that will help potential clients overcome the barriers to entry.
