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- Functional training
Enhancing functional activities of daily living in a stroke survivor by Lourdes Escobar Torres, MD; Mary E Sanders, PhD, FACSM, CDCES, ACSM-CEP; Charo Belenguer Benitez; and Agustin Melendez Ortega, P
A stroke at age 40 left Celia severely disabled. With physical therapy delayed in the optimal recovery period, the likelihood of her regaining independence seemed poor. Her responses to an aquatic exercise intervention show that, even after this period, it's possible for individuals to improve their function significantly over time with community-based exercise. Celia's results offer hope for stroke survivors and encouragement for those who support their health and wellness.
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Going strong: Keiser continues to transform active aging by Julie King, MS
After 45 years, a pioneering company and its leader still have a passion for improving the lives of older adults and finding new ways to make a difference.
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SOLE-ful awareness: Incorporating barefoot training into active-aging protocols by Lawrence Biscontini, MA
Lifestyles today include more time spent sitting, and people often ignore the very muscles intended to carry them through their lives--their foot muscles. The feet are the body's foundation. Healthy feet are important to proper gait and mobility, while foot problems have been linked to falls. In fact, fear of falling is consistently reported by older adults. This fear results in many individuals limiting their activities. Active-aging fitness professionals combine current research with popular activities to provide participants with the most functional approaches. Barefoot training is one such approach. Classes that regularly encourage barefoot training are offered for active older adults with the goal of improving foot stability and mobility. Some simple skills and drills that incorporate these training activities might be the right step for those who are ready to challenge themselves. By teaching and guiding participants on how to exercise their feet, professionals can help individuals take care of their feet--preserving "foot fitness" and function--so their feet can take care of them as they age.
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Exploring virtual environments for cognitive and physical rehabilitation by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The word is out: Virtual reality is emerging as a key technology for helping older adults. In a 2017 Consumer Technology Association blog post ("Seniors: the next frontier of virtual reality"), Coordinator of Partnerships Marketing Michael Williams states, "Because seniors are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States--and this population will continue to grow significantly in the future--technology must cater to this demographic for both entertainment and healthcare." Kiplinger's Retirement Report featured the article "Tech revolution benefits aging" in its June 2017 issue. Author Sally Abrahms notes, "While still in its infancy, VR for seniors is gaining fans among physicians, long-term care staff, researchers, physical therapists and family members."
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Senior PUMP: a high-level fitness program incorporates functional movements by Michael McCann, MS, Jeff Rose, BS, MBA, Jessica N. Enriquez, BS, ACSM, PT, and Jenna Belt, BS, ACSM, PT, RYT
At Friendship Village of Schaumburg, Illinois, the Lifestyles team has developed a new level of a higher-engagement fitness program and introduced it to the independent-living area of our continuing care retirement community. This program, called Senior PUMP (Physical-Uplifting-Motivational-Power), takes elements of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and adapts them for older adults.
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A prescription for success: performing negative exercise in water to achieve positive results by , Mary E. Sanders, PhD, CDE, RCEP, FACSM, and James A. Peterson, PhD, FACSM
Given a choice, almost every health/fitness professional who trains older participants would be receptive to learning a better way to exercise-one that is more productive (results-wise) and more efficient (time-wise), as well as being just as (if not more) safe. In reality, such an option exists, although some professionals may not be aware of eccentric, or negative, training. While more challenging to do in the water than on land, eccentric exercise is safe, effective and efficient for older adults.
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