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.
Navigating change and adversity
“Embrace change” is a useless platitude mouthed by managers or motivational speakers who have not thought through its full implications—or they are masochists who enjoy suffering. Changes that bring new opportunities or propel us forward are easy to embrace. But many changes look quite negative and are tough—if not impossible—to welcome. This list might include loss of a relationship, a loved one, health, job, money, and such.
We often don’t choose the difficulties or negative changes that spring upon us. But we always choose how we respond.
Industry development
Hiking for their lives
Gudrun and Peter Seifert are avid hikers on a mission. Originally from Germany, the Seiferts spent two years in Switzerland before coming to the United States in 1964. After taking early semi-retirement, Gudrun, an English teacher, and Peter, a mechanical engineer, traveled to Europe in 1998 for a hiking holiday in the French Alps. While on this trek, the Seiferts hit on a bold plan. They would hike the Alpine mountains from Nice, on the French Riviera, to Vienna, the capital of Austria. This journey would eventually extend over eight summers, becoming one of the greatest experiences of their lives—and helping them overcome adversity.
moreGerontology
Develop your marketing plan for Active Aging Week by Patricia Ryan, MS
Why would an older person want to attend an Active Aging Week event? And why your event? Now that you’ve started planning activities for the week, it’s time to sit back and think about how you will let people know about them.
Since the goal of any special event that promotes a healthy lifestyle—walk, class or presentation—is to encourage people to try the activity, your marketing plan is an important step. If people do not attend, they can’t try the activity!
Social marketing
Adventure travel: an overview by Ward Luthi
Ever walked in the rainforests of Costa Rica, rafted the Colorado River or bicycled through the hill towns of Tuscany? If so, you’re an adventure traveler. By broad definition, you’re also an adventure traveler if you’ve gone skiing, skydiving or ballooning; driven cattle; ridden horses or engaged in any of a long list of active pursuits.
Adventure travel, however it’s defined, is one of the hottest segments in the world of travel. The Adventure Travel Report, 1997, found that more than 98 million Americans had taken an adventure travel trip in the previous five years.1 That’s an impressive statistic.
Physical wellness
Spa power: power-full moves designed for the spa by Mary Sanders, PhD, FACSM
Getting up from a chair, walking briskly, stopping abruptly, grabbing a handrail, recovering from a stumble or even braking quickly in a car are important functional skills. Muscle power is partially responsible for the speed at which a person can respond to such events. Power ability also contributes to maintaining balance and preventing falls.
Waneen Spirduso, EdD, professor of movement science at the University of Texas at Austin, and colleagues describe power as the speed at which a weight is lifted or force exerted—a concept expressed as force times velocity. As people age, they lose about 6–8% in relative power based on body mass or size. Clients can minimize these losses if they continue to train for power as they age, with an estimated 7.6% relative power loss for competitive athletes. Power declines greater than strength over time, with power loss accelerating between ages 60 and 89 years. The good news is, activity can help.
Aquatics
Should your facility have an AED? by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Interest in installing an automated external defibrillator (AED) has escalated in recent years among managers of health clubs, community centers, club houses within active adult communities, and in congregate living facilities such as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and assisted living. The reasons are two-fold:
• Evidence is growing that, when used properly, AEDs save lives; and
• States increasingly are mandating that fitness centers have AEDs on site.
