Great expectations: the making of an age-friendly wellness center by Colin Milner

Five to 10 years ago, if you wished to serve the age 50-plus market, your main frame of reference was what was happening in the fitness club industry. Today’s frame of reference is much broader, with excellent best practice models in seniors housing, active adult communities, seniors centers, hospital fitness centers, YMCAs and JCCs, to name a few.

We have learned a lot about promoting active aging in these past 10 years. One thing we have discovered is that we spend too much money on trying to educate the older population about being fit and healthy. Among age 50-plus adults surveyed by AARP, 98% of respondents knew that getting enough exercise was important, and 64% agreed that physical activity was the best thing they could do for their health. This level of awareness means that marketers do not have to establish need with this market, but rather show how they provide a solution that will help potential clients overcome the barriers to entry.