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.
Increase program participation with pickleball by Barbara Wintroub
Active-aging professionals are always looking for ways to increase both the physical activity levels of their members or residents and the amount of people who participate in their programs. Pickleball, “the fastest-growing sport in North America,”1 is an activity that can help attract and retain participants. In fact, this sport for all ages is increasingly popular with older adults. It is played now in senior living communities, YMCAs, community and seniors centers, fitness clubs, parks, schools and other settings, such as the Senior Games.
moreMotivation
Becoming a Wellness Sherpa: the tools you need to guide age 50-plus adults on the path to health by Tom Mann
The term Sherpa is used to refer to local people, native to the Himalayas, who are employed by climbers as guides for adventures high in the mountains. These guides are elite mountaineers and experts in navigating their local terrain. Climbing Mount Everest without a Sherpa is a dangerous venture. Without the Sherpa’s knowledge and experience, most travelers would be lost at these high altitudes.
moreMarketing
Fundraising: creating revenue to 'rev up' new programs by Rita Lopienski, MA, CAC
Cutbacks, cutbacks, cutbacks! “Due to the economy.” We hear these words daily, and how we hate them. Unfortunately, for too many of us, this past year has included budgetary cutbacks in activity and fitness programming, and even marketing. Yet, isn’t it the activities and events that we create for our older adults that are used most successfully to market our businesses? Isn’t marketing critical to communicate our programs and services to the public? It’s a Catch-22 that is hard to resolve.
moreManagement
Countdown to Active Aging Week 2009
Active Aging Week fills the last full week of September with opportunities for older adults to get off the couch and into an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie. This welcoming environment encourages people to participate. By hosting events for them in your center or community, you can share new and proven ways to stay active and healthy with participants who are eager to learn.
moreSpecial events
International active aging: global agendas forge ahead by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The average age of the world’s population is increasing at an unprecedented rate, according to a recent report1 commissioned by the National Institute on Aging, one of the US National Institutes of Health. In mid-2008, there were an estimated 506 million people ages 65 and older worldwide. By 2040, that number will hit 1.3 billion, doubling the proportion of older people globally from 7% to 14%. The report also examines international population trends and their consequences (see page 69 for highlights). Greater longevity, lower fertility rates, and increased demands upon older adults to support their children (and often grandchildren) are among the forces driving multinational healthy/active-aging initiatives.
morePublic policy
Strength training for frail older adults by Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, CSCS
There are numerous health-related reasons why adults of all ages should perform regular resistance exercise. Research has demonstrated that strength training is an effective means for:
• increasing muscle mass
• raising resting metabolic rate
• reducing body fat
• increasing bone mineral density
• improving glucose metabolism
•increasing gastrointestinal transit speed (i.e., how quickly food travels through the digestive system)
