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- Health promotion
Promoting healthy eating: a behavioral approach by Rachel Coolman
Disease and disability are not inevitable consequences of aging, although many people believe them to be. Numerous factors contribute to how we age. Individual choices and behaviors made over a lifetime, i.e. physical activity and diet, significantly determine a person’s health in the second half of life, conclude Drs. John W. Rowe and Robert L. Kahn, authors of the 1998 bestseller Successful Aging.
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Cultural approaches to promoting physical activity for older adults by Chaya Gordon
Which groups of people in the United States get enough physical activity to reap the benefits of exercise? Statistics tell us part of the story: European Americans exercise the most (38% are sedentary), and African Americans and Latinos the least (52% and 54% are sedentary, respectively). American Indian/Alaska Natives and Asian Pacific Americans fall in the middle, with 46% and 42%, respectively. Older women of color and people with low levels of education and income are the least physically active.
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In motion: a community approach to healthy living
Five years ago, a small team of people proposed a strategy to promote physical activity in Saskatoon, the second largest city in the province of Saskatchewan. One team member was Linda Martin of Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), which delivers integrated health services to individuals in more than 100 cities, towns and rural municipalities. The in motion health promotion initiative began as an idea to offset healthcare costs, recalls Martin.
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Are your written materials missing the mark? by Brigid McHugh Sanner
Health and wellness professionals and educators spend a good deal of time and effort developing written materials. Brochures, pamphlets, booklets and other print materials on starting or maintaining a fitness program are readily available in most facilities. Reception areas, kiosks and waiting rooms often stock literature on health topics such as arthritis, osteoporosis, sports injuries, heart health and nutrition. Trainers, physical therapists, counselors and coaches routinely use public education print materials to supplement and reinforce their presentations. Unfortunately, materials that have been painstakingly researched, written and reviewed all too often fail as communications tools for older adults.
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Motivating the 50-plus adult
Committed to helping its 35 million members make the most of life after 50, AARP decided in 2000 that it needed to address—and try to change—statistics showing that people with sedentary lifestyles run a greater risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity and a host of other diseases and conditions. The association was particularly concerned about data showing that a third (34%) of people age 50 and older are sedentary. But it was also encouraged by research indicating that people who become more active will improve their physical and mental health, suffer fewer chronic illnesses and disabilities, enjoy improved cardiovascular fitness and build healthier bones and muscles.
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