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- Exercise
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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Rowing across the generations by Gary Gordon, PhD
In 1886, when the Duluth (Minnesota) Rowing Club was formed (1), Grover Cleveland was president, the Statue of Liberty was freshly cast, and Coca-Cola had just been invented. Then, rowing was a sport for young men. Today, rowing welcomes men and women, from ninth graders to centenarians. Some race on a 2,000-meter course (2,187 yards) and others prefer recreational rowing.
You’ve watched rowing as part of the Olympic Games, but perhaps haven’t given it much thought beyond that. To explain, boats with two oars per rower are known as “sculls” (which is also another name for the oars themselves). You row backward, so you can see where you’ve been. Sculls can be an individual or a team-building sport. For example, quads are racing shells that are 41 feet long and 2 feet wide; they hold four rowers. They can be used for competition or recreation. These boats are long and sleek, with seats that slide backward and forward on rails. Fixed sets of “shoes,” called stretchers, anchor the rowers’ feet.
Exercise
Use the stairs for physical activity by Kathie C. Garbe, PhD, MCHES
Participation in physical activity has the potential to positively change the way we live and age. An abundance of research shows that regular physical activity has been associated with a decreased risk of death and disability from a number of prevalent diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis (1, 2, 3). Regular physical activity helps maintain balance and prevent falls and fall-related injuries, prevent cognitive decline, manage chronic disease and pain and improve mental outlook, especially in depression (4, 5).
In addition, physical activity maintains and improves quality of life by reducing disease and preserving independence (6, 7). Also, we know that increasing physical activity may prove the most effective strategy for the prevention of heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women (8, 9).
Exercise
Merge function with fun using Life Skills Relays by Kim Eichinger
For older adults moving into a retirement community, many of the physical tasks they used to perform are no longer a part of their daily routines. If these individuals do not wish to participate in other forms of exercise, they may become sedentary and at greater risk for compromised mobility.
When challenged by the fact that some older adults do not come from a culture where recreational exercise (or going to a gym) is a part of their lifestyles, staff in the fitness department at Country Meadows retirement communities realized we had to find a less traditional way to engage them in movement.
Exercise
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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Catch a current for shallow wave cardio-resistance training by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP
When I first met Sandy, a 63-year-old retired woman, she weighed 285 lbs. and measured 50.7 % body fat. She also had a history of significant chronic knee pain. In fact, she was unable to perform any chair stands as a result of this pain. After Sandy completed all her physical therapy sessions, her healthcare providers told her there was nothing more they could do to help.
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