ICAA announces recipient of its 2011 Innovative Solutions Award

[Back to releases]

Association selects wellness product that challenges balance during exercise

VANCOUVER--The International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA), an association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry, is pleased to name the Step360 Pro, by SPRI, as the winner of the 2011 ICAA Innovative Solutions Award, a category of its Innovators Awards program. ICAA’s annual awards honor those in the active-aging industry that are leading the way, setting new standards and making a difference in the lives of older adults. The Innovative Solutions Award specifically recognizes North America’s most creative wellness products and services for active older adults. Offerings honored with this award may target any or all of the seven dimensions of wellness promoted by ICAA (i.e., emotional, vocational, physical, spiritual, environmental, social and intellectual wellness).

The Step360 Pro is available from SPRI Products, Inc., a GAIM company based in Libertyville, Illinois. SPRI has distributed rubberized resistance exercise products, fitness accessories and exercise education programs for the health and fitness industry for 28 years. A recent addition to SPRI’s offerings, the Step360 Pro features a gentle, flat-platform training surface atop two circular, air-filled chambers. These independent, inflatable chambers allow the platform to move during exercise, challenging balance to enhance functional stability. Balance is a key concern for older adults given the serious consequences associated with falls. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are both the leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for adults ages 65 and over. In addition, age 75-plus individuals are significantly more likely than those ages 65–74 to require long-term care for a year or more following a fall.[1]

“Ten years ago, ICAA set out to change the way we age,” says Colin Milner, the association’s CEO and founder. “The all-important first step was to connect a community of professionals who share this goal, creating an industry dedicated to improving health, well-being and quality of life for people ages 50 and older—the active-aging industry. Many businesses have aligned themselves with these efforts over the years. As the industry grows and evolves, however, it continues to require creative wellness products and services to meet the needs of this diverse population. One way that ICAA encourages this innovation is through the ICAA Innovative Solutions Award,” Milner adds. “On behalf of ICAA, I congratulate SPRI on winning this year’s award. Thanks also to all the businesses that entered the 2011 awards competition.”

As the recipient of the ICAA Innovative Solutions Award, SPRI will receive a crystal award of recognition for the Step360 Pro. In addition, an in-depth profile of this product will appear in ICAA’s flagship publication, the Journal on Active Aging®, in 2012. In the meantime, a brief description is available on the ICAA website at www.icaa.cc/awards/pressreleases.htm.

Separately, ICAA will name the winners of the ICAA Innovators Awards for programs and concepts that advance active aging, and the ICAA Green Award, presented for organizational efforts that encourage environmental stewardship. Short profiles of these award-winners are also available on the above webpage.

- 30 -

About the ICAA Innovators Awards program
Established in 2003, the ICAA Innovators Awards program honors excellence and creativity in the active-aging industry. ICAA’s awards are presented in three categories: ICAA Innovators Award, for programs and concepts that advance active aging; ICAA Innovative Solutions Award, for products and services that improve older-adult wellness; and ICAA Green Award, for environmental stewardship efforts. By recognizing cutting-edge programs, products and environments as well as those who developed or nurtured them, ICAA highlights solutions for industry leaders and governmental organizations to learn from. Award-winners work on inspiring new directions in older-adult health and wellness. Not only do they give us a glimpse into the trends shaping the future of active aging, they also show us that with the right opportunities and environments, older adults can live as fully as possible throughout the life span.

About the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA)
ICAA, the professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry, supports professionals who develop wellness facilities, programs and services for adults over 50. The association is focused on active aging-an approach to aging that helps older adults live as fully as possible within all dimensions of wellness-and provides its members with education, information, resources and tools. As an active-aging educator and advocate, ICAA has advised numerous organizations and governmental bodies, including the US Administration on Aging, the National Institute on Aging (one of the US National Institutes of Health), the US Department of Health and Human Services, Canada's Special Senate Committee on Aging, and the British Columbia ministries of Health, and Healthy Living and Sport. On October 1, 2011-the International Day of Older Persons-ICAA celebrated its 10th Anniversary and a decade of Changing the Way We Age®.

###

For interviews please contact:

Contact: Colin Milner, CEO, ICAA
Toll-free: 1-866-335-9777 (North America)
Telephone: 604-734-4466; cell: 604-763-4595
colinmilner@icaa.cc

Contact: Marilynn Larkin
Communications Director, ICAA
212-315-3301
mlarkin@icaa.cc