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.
Topic- Exercise
Translational training: turning fitness gains into functional fitness by Joseph F. Signorile, Ph.D.
The active aging field emphasizes resistance training as an intervention to prevent falls, increase independence and improve mobility in older adults. A majority of studies examining resistance training supports its ability to increase strength, power and endurance in this population, but its impact on activities of daily living (ADL) performance, gait and fall prevention is not as convincing.
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Keeping the vital pelvic floor healthy by Nancy Muller
After age 40, men and women begin losing muscle at the rate of about half a pound per year, replacing it with fat. The rate of loss doubles for women after menopause.1 Unless an effort is made to prevent this loss of lean body mass through exercise, gradual declines take place in muscular strength and endurance throughout the body, including the internal muscles.
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Case study: exercise after hip replacement surgery by Lori Chaplin, M.A., C.S.C.S.
There are a variety of reasons why a person may need hip replacement surgery. The most common, according to the National Institute of Arthritis, is simply that the hip is worn out--osteoarthritis is the number-one reason for hip replacement. The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation warns us to expect a 60% increase in surgeries over the next 30 years.
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Power training and aging: a practical approach by Joseph F. Signorile, Ph.D.
What is power? Although often used synonymously, the terms strength and power describe different things. Strength refers to the capacity of a muscle or body segment to produce force, while power is a measure of the rate at which that force can be developed. Effectively, power means force times velocity.
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Maximizing range of motion in older adults by Lisa Jenkins
It’s no secret that people lose about 20–40% of their muscle mass as they age. Scientists have discovered that, in addition to the natural aging process, the muscle loss is largely due to older adults no longer participating in everyday activities that require muscle power. This lack of use produces a wasting effect on the muscles,1 decreasing the available range of motion (ROM). Collectively, these two areas of decline can lead to pain and mobility problems for aging adults.
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Promote function with stability ball training by Terry Eckmann, Ph.D.
The benefits of stability ball training for older adults are numerous. Activity using stability balls can:
- Enhance proprioception
- Improve neuromuscular functioning
- Improve balance and coordination
- Increase strength
- Heighten postural awareness
- Focus on functional movement
- Develop flexibility
- Promote muscle balance
- Add fun and variety
- Provide new business
