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.
A day in the mountains everyone could enjoy By Linda Schmidt
Planning an activity that includes people at different levels of function can be a challenge. However, you can do it by thinking ahead, enlisting the cooperation of other staff members, and clearly letting people know how they can participate.
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The EASY screening tool by Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP
The beneficial effects of physical activity for health promotion and disease prevention are well documented—including both physical and mental health benefits (1-3). Unfortunately, many older adults do not engage in regular exercise because they are fearful that they will exacerbate underlying disease and cause trauma (4-6).
moreAssessment
Get ready for summer! A fitness program to prepare for vacations by Michael E. Rogers, PhD, Nicole L. Rogers, PhD and Phillip Page, MS, PT
Summer is vacation time for many older adults. Whether they plan to carry a backpack on the Appalachian Trail, walk on the cobblestone streets in Prague, drive a recreational vehicle across the country to visit grandchildren or stand on a ferry sailing along Alaska’s Inside Passage, a good level of physical fitness will help them enjoy a vacation full of new and exciting activities.
moreExercise
Westminster Towers Summer School strengthens community wellness
In a dining room full of lively chatter, two people sit to the side talking about their interior design class and how much they are looking forward to next week’s class—one is a resident and the other, a server at Westminster Towers active living community in Orlando, Florida. Both are participants in Westminster Towers Summer School 2007 program.
Westminster Towers is part of Westminster Communities of Florida, a not-for-profit active living housing and healthcare-related organization in the Sunshine State. Founded in 1954 in Bradenton (just south of Tampa) and now headquartered in Orlando, Westminster Communities of Florida includes 21 active living and rental communities providing services to more than 5,000 people statewide. These communities promote wellness and encourage active and healthy lifestyle choices.
Intellectual wellness
To run or not to run after age 50?by Raena Dumas, BA
Have you ever crossed a finish line dripping with sweat, legs wobbling with fatigue, yet glowing with pride at what you have accomplished? Have you ever felt the euphoria of endorphins flooding your body after a race or run? If so, you’ve probably experienced the “runner’s high.” Millions of North Americans got their first taste of the runner’s high in the 1970s and realized running was a sport they could enjoy. Today, Boomers who started running in their youth are entering their 50s and 60s, and many are still part of the running wave—20% of the 2007 Boston Marathon finishers were age 50-plus, for example, and this figure rose to 55% with runners ages 40–49 included.
moreSports and athletics
To run or not to run after age 50? by Raena Dumas, BA
Have you ever crossed a finish line dripping with sweat, legs wobbling with fatigue, yet glowing with pride at what you have accomplished? Have you ever felt the euphoria of endorphins flooding your body after a race or run? If so, you’ve probably experienced the “runner’s high.” Millions of North Americans got their first taste of the runner’s high in the 1970s and realized running was a sport they could enjoy. Today, Boomers who started running in their youth are entering their 50s and 60s, and many are still part of the running wave—20% of the 2007 Boston Marathon finishers were age 50-plus, for example, and this figure rose to 55% with runners ages 40–49 included.
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