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.
University-based retirement communities on the rise by Marilynn Larkin, MA
In the United States, university-based retirement communities (UBRCs) already exist at more than 60 campuses nationwide, and their number is predicted to increase significantly over the next two decades. “We have about 4,000 institutions of higher learning,” says Andrew Carle, MHSA, assistant professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. “It would not be unreasonable to think that within 20 years, one out of 10 will be associated with a retirement community.”
moreIntellectual wellness
Burnin' the fat in deep water by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM
Among water’s greatest benefits for exercisers is that its natural resistance can stimulate both cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance conditioning. Training studies conducted in shallow water indicate significant body fat loss, and significant muscular strength/endurance gains (D’Acquisto et al., 2001; Nagle et al., 2003; Sanders, 2006; Pöyhönen et al., 2002; Takeshima et al., 2002). Documented benefits of exercising in deep water for older adults are less clear. However, the practical benefits include zero impact, for a low-joint-stress, high-intensity cardio workout with some crossover muscular conditioning.
moreAquatics
Recreation and the age wave by Jenifer Milner
Just 46% of the cities and counties in the United States have plans in place to meet the needs of aging Baby Boomers, according to a recent report on aging readiness. Many communities have some programs to address the needs of older adults, reveals The Maturing of America, the MetLife-funded study led by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). But very few have truly assessed what it will take to make their community a good place to grow old. One area in which communities “clearly need to reassess their policies, programs and services” is parks and recreation, says n4a’s CEO, Sandy Markwood.
moreTrends
Launch your planning cycle for Active Aging Week 2007
Since spring has arrived and talk of vacations and gardening warms the air, autumn seems a long way away. Yet spring is the perfect time to think ahead and start planning for Active Aging Week, held in the last week of September. An annual celebration of healthy lifestyles for older adults, Active Aging Week is spearheaded by the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA), an association that supports professionals who develop wellness and fitness facilities and services for adults over 50. In 2007, Active Aging Week: Choose an active life will be Monday, September 24, through Monday, October 1, International Day of Older Persons.
moreICAA initiatives
Looking below the surface: keys to promoting physical activity by Geoffrey Godbey, PhD, and Sarah Burnett-Wolle, LRT/CTRS
Almost everyone now knows that physical activity is good for you. From the standpoint of healthcare policy, this is a vital issue since healthcare costs skyrocket in later life. Yet very few people get enough physical activity each day. Mechanization and an economy based on information have stripped physical movement from paid work, housework and personal care. Consequently, most physical activity among adults ages 50 and older takes place during leisure time.
moreMotivation
The Technogym approach
What must it be like to found a company Fortune Magazine rated one of the 10 best places in Europe to work? One considered a leading manufacturer of fitness and biomedical rehabilitation equipment worldwide? One that, in its owner’s words, strives “to personify, for a corporation, a wellness approach”?
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