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- Aquatics
Short-circuit power plays target function by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP, CDE
Active living “performance” requires a functional, or task specific, training approach to meet the demands of the “sport” of living well. Using short-burst exercise intervals in the water, this training approach helps individuals improve their power and skills to perform activities of daily living.
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Splash! Flip power on with water exercise by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP, CDE.
Power is a measure of the speed at which a muscle or body segment can develop force. Forces applied at specific speeds are important for maintaining independence, performing activities of daily living (ADL) and preventing falls. Aquatic exercise is a viable training mode for improving power performance.
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Global waves across the ages by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP
About a decade ago in Castellón, Spain, splashing around for health started at 10 p.m., just as most people were winding down their day. Thirty-four hardy individuals would slip on swimsuits and jump into the community swimming pool to participate in a WaterFit® study under the leadership of Lourdes Escobar Torres, MD, and Charo Belenguer Benitez. What made this research so unusual was the diversity of participants, all of whom shared the same workout. ... The average age of these individuals was about 40 years old. But families also participated, with 17- to 70-year-olds working out together. How? The buoyancy of water neutralized differences among participants, and the program design allowed every person to tailor exercise intensity to their own needs, thereby allowing teens through grandparents to enjoy a multigenerational fitness experience.
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Higher-intensity interval training moves to the pool by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP
Are your participants short on time? Recommend a quick, low-impact run in the pool to squeeze out the health benefits of higher-intensity interval training (HIIT). Interval training alternates bursts of high energy with low-energy recovery cycles. Research suggests this kind of approach offers a viable, shorter alternative to higher volume, continuous aerobic exercise. Depending on a person’s fitness level and objective, the intermittent work and recovery bouts in HIIT may last seconds to minutes. Pool training provides opportunities to gear up, or down, intensity on demand by capturing water’s natural resistance. And a simple walk, jog or run can be performed with vigor in cool liquid comfort.
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Hip osteoarthritis: aquatic exercise for healthy living on land by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP, and Cathy Maloney-Hills, RPT
Evelyne Janz lives in Lonay, Switzerland, and at age 54, she’s an avid swimmer, mountain biker, hiker and skier. For many years she has trained daily and worked as a professional water-fitness trainer, and swimming coach. In April 2012, Evelyne and her family skied the Chamonix-Zermat Haute Route (High Route) in the Swiss Alps, traversing glaciers for 6 days. But her family history of hip arthritis had taken its toll, and her physically active lifestyle had become progressively difficult due to hip pain and stiffness. To reclaim her lifestyle, Evelyne decided to undergo hip replacement surgery, an effective and now common1 treatment for disabling osteoarthritis.
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Strong shoulders: water exercise for rotator cuff health by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP
Joan Stoltz is an active 77-year-old with a long history of exercise and active living. In 1997, as a member of the Golden Waves® functional water fitness study at the University of Nevada, Reno, Joan became an enthusiastic water exerciser. Since that time a series of rotator-cuff shoulder injuries have left Joan with pain that limits her ability to reach overhead, forward and backwards. She has completed a land-based physical therapy program and receives periodic corticosteroid injections to relieve pain. But her physician and physical therapist say there is nothing more they can do to help her. Joan is now back at the pool, wondering what she should do.
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