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.
Exercises for healthy feet By Patricia Ryan, MS with Ben Pearl, DPM
There are more than 300 different foot ailments, points out the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), and those affecting older adults can be due to wear and tear or neglect.
moreExercise
Build a loyal following for 50+ programming By Laura Warf
There are numerous ways to schedule fun and beneficial programs into your facility that will attract and retain the older adult. Due to all the media attention health and wellness are receiving, adults are shopping around for activities that will keep them healthy and mobile well into their later years. Try the following approaches to grow a successful 50+ program and build a loyal following of members.
moreMotivation
Gardening With the Elderly By Jack Kerrigan, PhD
Many changes occur as a person ages. These changes impact a person’s physical, emotional and cognitive abilities as well as social roles. Gardening can be used in a therapeutic way to address these issues and improve the elderly person’s physical and emotional conditions, cognitive ability and social interactions. However, many of the changes involved in aging must be addressed by modifications in gardening practices, situations and tools.
moreProgram design
Fit For the Flowers by Lori Pine, MA
Now is the time of year when older adults have exchanged their snow shovels for gardening spades. It’s also a good time to help them prepare their bodies for the activity demands of gardening chores. Though I use the word “chore,” it is most likely that gardening is not considered “work” or even “exercise” to them. Gardening is a mentally healing hobby that produces brilliant results.
moreExercise
Strengthen your business by selecting the right resistance equipment by Colin Milner
For years demographers and economists have trumpeted the impact of the aging population, while Baby Boomers and older adults have moved closer to midlife and old age. The challenge has long been clear. But it’s how you decide to respond to this market today that could determine whether or not your business will thrive in the future.
To address the older adult market, you need to know its core needs. For instance, those of us in the health and wellness fields know the value of the old saying, “Only the strong survive.” Resistance exercise can help older adults stay strong.
Spirituality in the real world: challenges and opportunities by Marilynn Larkin
The holiday season, perhaps more than any other time of the year, brings the concept of spirituality to the fore. Yet, among the 6 dimensions of wellness that many active aging professionals strive to foster in their environments, the spiritual dimension seems to present the most challenges.
There is little consensus about what spirituality means in the context of older adult settings, how to make the vision a reality, or who should spearhead these efforts. But as managers and staff grapple with these issues, they share at least one thing in common: recognition that integrating the spiritual dimension of wellness is important.
