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- Physical wellness
Periodize training for the masters athlete by Joseph F. Signorile, PhD
Periodization is now a mainstay of athletic training. It is a method of cycling different training variables (volume, intensity, frequency and type of exercise) in a specific pattern designed to maximize performance and minimize fatigue. Put simply, periodization is a planning calendar to optimize the training responses.
morePhysical wellness
Muscular conditioning for active-aging athletes by Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, CSCS
Do you remember when you were in elementary school, sitting for hours in the classroom and then running outside for recess? You didn’t warm up; you just ran as fast as you could playing tag and other stop-and-go games. If you’re reading this article, however, those days are long gone. And a warm-up period may be the most important aspect of your activity sessions today.
morePhysical wellness
Get ready for summer! A fitness program to prepare for vacations by Michael E. Rogers, PhD, Nicole L. Rogers, PhD and Phillip Page, MS, PT
Summer is vacation time for many older adults. Whether they plan to carry a backpack on the Appalachian Trail, walk on the cobblestone streets in Prague, drive a recreational vehicle across the country to visit grandchildren or stand on a ferry sailing along Alaska’s Inside Passage, a good level of physical fitness will help them enjoy a vacation full of new and exciting activities.
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Why foot health is vital to physically active aging by Rick Mende, MBA, BA
Exercise. Work. Leisure activities. Or day-to-day routines. If people are mobile, most of the activities in which they participate require contact between the ground and their feet. As a result, the condition of their feet may largely determine whether or not they can be physically active and enjoy their activity—both when they are younger, and especially as they age. Yet it’s more difficult to maintain good foot health than health and wellness professionals might think.
morePhysical wellness
Creating effective tennis programs for adults over 50 by Anne Davis, MA
Remember the tennis boom of the 1970s and ’80s, when it seemed like everyone was playing the sport? Well, tennis appears to be experiencing a new surge in growth. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, tennis is the only traditional participation sport in which participation grew from 2000 to 2005—a 10.3% increase. All other traditional sports declined in participation.
Are today’s Baby Boomers, who were part of the first tennis boom, contributing to this growth? A 2006 participation survey by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) shows that one in four frequent players is over age 50.2 (Frequent players are those who play tennis 21 or more times a year.) Why do these individuals play so much? Because tennis is fun, beneficial to health, and thanks to new technology, both easier to play and less stressful on the body. For these reasons, effective tennis programs can promote active aging, helping wellness-focused facilities and communities to attract and serve the age 50-plus adult.
Physical wellness
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.
