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.
Dance fitness: Older adults give it a whirl by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, CDE, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM
We don't have to be on "Dancing with the Stars" or an elite athlete to have a great time getting in the groove. From simple to advanced choreography, social dance-type moves are being incorporated more and more into fitness programs for older adults, promoting popular and proven health benefits for mind, heart, body and soul. Dancing styles of all kinds-including waltz, tango, folk dance and salsa-along with physical fitness types of fun movement like Zumba are all providing opportunities for participants to reap the rewards of enjoyable activities that also promote balance, movement quality (like walking or stepping forward and backward) and better sensory and motor perceptions.
morePhysical wellness
Disruption-proof your senior housing business by Chip Conley, MBA
At a time when the "silver tsunami" should be a huge boon for senior housing developers in the United States and beyond, occupancy rates have trended downward for the past 10 quarters. There are countless examples of industries, from railroads to retail real estate, that fell into a slump exactly when consumer demand was spiking. Why? Often, they were too product or process oriented, and not enough consumer oriented, while their core customers' needs evolved over time. How does this rationale apply to the senior housing industry? Beyond well-known operational challenges like labor expenses and construction costs, even some newer, more innovative models may not be addressing the critical larger question: What do today's older customers really want in a housing environment? ... Maybe it's time we reimagine the senior housing model by using the lens of a serial disruptor in the hospitality industry.
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MusicGlove: New robotics facilitate hand rehabilitation in stroke survivors by Marilynn Larkin, MA
As authors of a recent editorial ... report, the increase in older adult numbers will be accompanied by an anticipated 55% increase in the total number of annual stroke cases by 2030. In the United States alone, more than 700,000 people sustain a stroke each year; importantly, about two-thirds of these individuals survive and require rehabilitation, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Yet six months after stroke, about 65% of patients still cannot incorporate the affected hand into their usual activities. Authors of a recent review of hand rehabilitation robotics for stroke survivors note that "recovery of hand function is one of the most challenging topics in stroke rehabilitation," largely because of the flexibility and complexity of the hand and the brain's motor cortex. ... [S]ome researchers are turning to technology for solutions, developing devices that motivate people to do the required exercises while helping to ensure that those exercises are performed correctly. One such device is MusicGlove.
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Teaching for eyes, ears and hearts: The multidimensional languages of fitness by Lawrence Biscontini, MA
As active-aging movement coaches, we communicate on three levels. Although our volume, style, language, demographics, culture and tone can change our meaning by the minute among various classes and clients, we can divide all of our communication strategies into visual, auditory and kinesthetic camps. Even though current research reveals that some people prefer one of these three types, we may wish to consider aspects of teaching for each of these strategies in order to be effective communicators in active-aging environments. Including all three languages of fitness offers a rich, dimensionalized approach to cueing, thereby helping us connect with a larger active-aging market.
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Meigs Council on Aging: Embracing, expanding and encouraging wellness in rural Ohio by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Beth Shaver was 33 years old in 1987 when she took a temporary job at the Meigs Council on Aging in Pomeroy, Ohio. "I was offered full time employment when that job ended and the rest is history," she says. She worked as a home health aide and held a number of other positions before being named executive director in 2004. Under her stewardship, the council has grown its multigenerational services, programs and resources despite financial and cultural challenges. It operates in Meigs County, a mostly rural Appalachian county with 23,000+ residents and a high poverty rate. Adults 65 and older account for nearly 20% of the population.
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Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: Understand and apply the 2018 recommendations by Kathie C. Garbe, PhD, MCHES, and Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP, CDE
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG), initially launched in 2008, has served as the preferred source for policy, programming and funding for physical-activity programs throughout the United States for a decade. In 2018, based on the expertise of 17 nationally recognized leaders in health and physical activity, a second edition was published. These updated guidelines reflect more extensive, science-based guidance that further emphasizes how regular physical activity leads to improved overall health and reduces the risk of many chronic diseases. The PAG's second edition was motivated by new findings that regular physical activity over the long term can produce significant health benefits, especially in light of new data showing disturbingly low activity levels.
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