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- Construction
Fitness and financing: joined at the hip by Galen Chuck Lemar
What is the common denominator between one-quarter of the American population and the active aging industry? The 77 million Baby Boomers with an estimated US$2.1 trillion in spending power, who value wellness as a way of life.1 In Canada, Boomers account for an even greater part of the population, with one-third of Canadians—nearly 10 million adults—belonging to the generation born 1946–64.2 This educated demographic is concerned about looking young, feeling good, and maintaining health and wellness.
moreConstruction
The discovery period: how to plan and develop an age-friendly wellness center by Cornelia C. Hodgson, AIA
Planning is a process of discovery, with the final result unknown at the outset. This process focuses on the search for an architectural solution that evolves into a feasible project. You start with an idea that develops into a plan. You gather information, you revise the plan in light of this information, and you continue the process until all aspects of the plan are thoroughly vetted and validated, and a feasible project emerges.
So how do you begin? With a discovery period of defining “the What,” “the Who” and “the Where” of your wellness center.
Construction
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.
Construction
Getting buy-in for wellness by John Rude, MS
I often find myself seated in a boardroom, wondering what these dedicated trustees are thinking as I load them up with information about the intrinsic values of wellness. Are they personally committed to better health? Do they manage or work in an organizational setting that supports health and well-being? Like most North Americans, are they dependent on the disease model? How flexible are their thinking patterns as they contemplate a wellness initiative for the organization they serve? Are they willing to make a wellness investment, knowing it’s much more difficult to finance prevention programs as opposed to disease programs? These and many other questions arise, spoken or unspoken, as organizational leaders attempt to make intelligent decisions about embracing a new business venture of any kind—including wellness.
moreConstruction
Defining your wellness center concept by Gary Henkin, BS
The conceptual planning of your clubhouse, spa, wellness center or community amenities is among the most critical phases of the project development process. Many decisions made in this stage ultimately influence the project’s success as a whole, yet conceptual planning is commonly underemphasized and misunderstood.
In designing a fitness center or recreation complex for a setting such as a retirement community, many developers simply allocate a designated amount of space to the master plan; however, they often fail to tie the intended scope and function of this facility to the community’s overall concept. This is a significant missed opportunity. A well-planned wellness center or leisure complex can entice the consumer, while producing lasting memories that deliver a community’s lifestyle promise.
Construction
Lessons learned: ensuring your wellness center concept endures the test of time by Marilynn Larkin, MA
You’ve invested time and energy, you’ve done your planning, and you’ve succeeded in creating a compelling concept for your wellness center. That’s terrific! However, you might want to revisit the concept a few more times before forging ahead, advises Dottie Drake, founder of the Miracles Fitness health clubs. “If you think you have it all or know it all, you better revisit, or somebody else will come out and offer something better,” she cautions.
Whether you are contemplating building your first age-friendly fitness/wellness center, expanding to a new location, or tweaking an existing facility, you are likely to profit in every sense of the word from the lessons learned by Drake and other developers who have been there. Here are some examples.
