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.
Reaching the peak: NuStep award celebrates excellence in older-adult wellness
NuStep announced the results of its 2008 awards contest at an event held during the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) Conference in October. University Living, an independent/assisted living community in Ann Arbor, Michigan, won the award for the senior living division; while the City of Rogers Adult Wellness Center (AWC), located in Rogers, Arkansas, collected the award for the wellness division. Each organization received a NuStep TRS 4000 Recumbent Cross Trainer; travel and hotel for, and recognition at, the NuStep event; and an inscribed NuStep Pinnacle Award trophy. Presentations were later held at each recipient’s site as well.
moreProgram profiles
Online learning for the 50-plus adult by Cody Sipe, MS
If your email inbox isn’t inundated with ads for products to improve your sexual performance or opportunities to refinance your home mortgage, then it may well be filled with solicitations to take an online course or get an online degree. Internet-based education programs (also called e-learning, e-education or online learning) are revolutionizing learning as we know it. Never before have organizations had so many opportunities to reach potential participants with continued education—from studying for formal academic degrees to learning a new language, to simply pursuing hobbies and interests. This learning medium is growing exponentially today. It is also proving to be useful in engaging and educating middle-aged and older constituents.
moreIntellectual wellness
Kinesis: training movement with resistance
Sleek, versatile and nonintimidating, Kinesis offers active-aging organizations a new option for building functional fitness in clients. The Kinesis system trains muscular strength and endurance, while helping to improve balance and flexibility. Users can perform movements that mimic everyday activities, moving freely through all planes of motion without compromising the resistance load or natural path of motion. This modular system also serves multiple levels of function. All four Kinesis stations are wheelchair accessible, and each offers a different starting position and facilitates a breadth of movements. In addition, Technogym has hidden the weight stacks and inner works of Kinesis behind elegant wood panels, minimizing the intimidation older adults typically feel with resistance training equipment.
moreInnovator awards
ICAA chooses strategic directions to address industry needs
In fall 2007, around our sixth anniversary, the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA) conducted a membership survey to suggest strategic directions for the next five years. Our association, during its first years, had emphasized reaching the professionals who made up the active-aging industry and generating information to support their roles. Looking forward, we sought the opinions of our members and colleagues to determine where to focus our efforts.
moreICAA initiatives
Muscular conditioning for active-aging athletes by Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, CSCS
Do you remember when you were in elementary school, sitting for hours in the classroom and then running outside for recess? You didn’t warm up; you just ran as fast as you could playing tag and other stop-and-go games. If you’re reading this article, however, those days are long gone. And a warm-up period may be the most important aspect of your activity sessions today.
moreSports and athletics
Fears: how they affect older-adult wellness and how to overcome them by Marilynn Larkin, MA
What do older adults fear most? “Loss of independence” tops the list in a recent survey of Boomers and adults ages 65 and up.1 Commissioned by technology company Clarity and The EAR Foundation, which formed an alliance to educate the public about the needs of the growing older-adult population, Aging in Place in America is the third in a series of surveys aimed at better understanding the health and lifestyle needs of this group. Among its findings, the Aging in Place in America survey shows that 89% of respondents want to age in place—that is, grow older without having to move from their homes. Yet 53% of those surveyed are concerned about their ability to do so.
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