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.
Topic- Motivation
Innovative programs encourage participation
Each year, ICAA recognizes unique wellness programs with an Innovator Award. At the ICAA Active Aging Conference, the 2009 Innovators shared their award-winning program during a lively panel session.
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Small changes encourage walking by Dori Rosenberg, MPH, MS and Jacqueline Kerr, PhD
Increasing physical activity among older adults is one step that can help prevent and treat many health concerns, including high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight and depression. Walking is an excellent activity to promote to older adults because it is easy for many to do, inexpensive, can be done alone or with others, builds strength and balance, and is gentle on the body.
Older adults living in retirement communities have much to gain from increasing their physical activity as they may be older, more frail and less active than those living in the community.
Motivation
Link motivation and the stages of change to encourage exercise by Marie Dacey, EdD
Recent research that blended two models of health behavior change has contributed to our understanding of physical activity motivation (Dacey, Baltzell & Zaichkowsky, 2008). Both the transtheoretical model (Nigg & Riebe, 2002) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002) describe various kinds of motivation along continuums
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Innovative ideas increase participation: Report from ICAA Active Aging Conference
Each professional attending the ICAA Active Aging Conference brings knowledge and experience to the sessions. This isn’t surprising since 60% of 2008’s delegates stated they have worked with older adults for eight years or longer, according to the post-conference survey.
That knowledge—and the enthusiasm of the professionals serving older adults—was plentiful during the Innovation Exchange. This session is designed to encourage delegates to share their successful ideas.
Motivation
Increase program participation with pickleball by Barbara Wintroub
Active-aging professionals are always looking for ways to increase both the physical activity levels of their members or residents and the amount of people who participate in their programs. Pickleball, “the fastest-growing sport in North America,”1 is an activity that can help attract and retain participants. In fact, this sport for all ages is increasingly popular with older adults. It is played now in senior living communities, YMCAs, community and seniors centers, fitness clubs, parks, schools and other settings, such as the Senior Games.
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Incentives reward participation during Active Aging Week
The goal of Active Aging Week, ICAA’s annual health promotion event, is to encourage people to take action. Its tenets are simple and appealing. Whether a single activity or a daily parade of programming, Active Aging Week events are:
• educational
• fun
• free
These events are planned and hosted by professionals and older adults in retirement communities, community services such as seniors centers and area agencies on aging, wellness centers and health clubs. The activities include walks, demonstrations, many varieties of exercise classes, lectures, health fairs, music performances, spelling bees, and friendly competitions.
