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
Integrating power training into older-adult programs, part two: Progressing power training with Mini BIRST Band-Only Circuits by Mary E Sanders, PhD, ACSM-CEP & RCEP, CDCES, FACSM
Resistance training performed at faster speeds promotes long-term adaptations that enhance functional ability in older adults. In an article series aimed at supporting readers in integrating power training into programs, this second part builds on foundational principles, introducing periodization and focusing on program progression.
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Integrating power training into older-adult programs, part one: Foundations of power training and the Mini BIRST Bell/Band Program by Mary E Sanders, PhD, ACSM-CEP & RCEP, CDCES, FACSM
In the first part of this two-part series, the Journal on Active Aging’s Science Editor explores the foundations of power training and shares the Mini BIRST Bell/Band Program. Discover practical strategies to enhance functional capacity in older adults.
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Explore insights into ACSM's guidelines for exercise professionals, edited by Mary E Sanders, PhD, CDCES®, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM
Dr. Mary E Sanders, the Journal on Active Aging's science editor, shares a snapshot of new content and updated information from the 12th Edition of ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. The article focuses mainly on selected updates relevant to older adults.
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Maintaining bone health: Lifestyle strategies for optimizing strength and mobility by Jennifer Wagner, MD
Emerging therapies promise to advance osteoporosis treatment, but lifestyle factors remain "the mainstay of prevention and treatment for loss of bone mineral density," writes this Canyon Ranch physician.
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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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Health matters to older adults: Recommendations, considerations and advice by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, and James A. Peterson, PhD, FACSM
Human aging, the process of growing up and growing older, refers to the physiological changes that individuals experience over the course of their lifespan. Why these inevitable changes occur has seemingly been debated since time eternal. Currently, more than 300 theories attempt to identify why a person's cells, tissues and organs don't last forever. Each of these efforts tries to explain why the fundamental structures of a cell decline over time. Arguably, however, more important than ascertaining why human cells don't last forever are how they decline and what can be done to slow the process. With regard to "how" cells age, no consensus exists, even though a number of theories have attempted to address this matter. One area in which a noteworthy level of agreement can be found is the issue of whether something can be done to impede the pace of the physiological decline typically associated with aging. In fact, actions can be undertaken to obstruct this downturn. Many of these steps are lifestyle-related, plausibly none more consequential than exercise. ... Based on consensus guidelines developed by a working group of world-renowned experts on aging and exercise--the task force of the International Conference of Frailty and Sarcopenia Research (ICFSR), this article not only provides exercise recommendations for older adults, but also offers a review of the role of physical activity in addressing several health-related concerns that older adults often have.
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