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- Program design
Minutes to motivate exercise by Patricia Ryan, MS
For people who are reluctant or casual exercisers, the messages surrounding physical activity can be confusing—and intimidating. Or, if they find they are still gaining weight despite walking around the block or to a nearby store, it may seem that physical activity isn’t living up to the promises.
As a professional, you know there are several ways of translating the familiar formula for planning an exercise program:
Program design
Happiness-enhancing activities for older adults by Annette Henricksen and Christine Stephens, PhD
People generally agree that happiness is desirable. In addition to being a popular goal, researchers have found that happiness is associated with other good things in life, like health, friendship, income, work performance and marriage.
Happiness usually comes along with desirable behaviors and attributes, such as sociability, likeability, pro-social behavior, positive views of self and others, coping and creativity (Lyubomirsky, King & Diener, 2005). Happiness has been suggested to cause many of these outcomes. Thus, happiness can be beneficial in numerous ways, which has positive implications for individuals and society and suggests that promoting happiness is a wise investment in social and public health (Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2007).
Program design
Plan programs for healthy eating
Nutrition is an important component of the physical dimension of wellness. After all, good nutrition in concert with physical activity helps older adults maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of chronic disease and enjoy overall health (Dietary Guidelines for American, 2010).
March is National Nutrition Month in Canada and the United States. Both the Dietitians of Canada and the American Dietetic Association promote this month by providing educational materials for consumers and health professionals to use. These materials provide a rich store of information for hosting healthy eating events during March.
Program design
Plan programs that reflect Baby Boomer values by Lynda J. Sperazza, PhD, CPRP
As of January 1, 2011, the first of 76 million Baby Boomers turned 65 years of age. Over the next 19 years, our facilities, programs and services will be flooded as Boomers mature into retirement. Keep in mind that at every life stage, Boomers have rewritten the rules. They are going to do it again.
The Baby Boomer cohort (born between 1946 and 1964) has a unique set of values and characteristics, vastly different from previous generations. Their values encompass all aspects of life, affecting their beliefs about self, career, home and leisure. Baby Boomers are an individualistic, self-focused generation that is economically optimistic (Gillon, 2004). They are highly educated, comfortable with technology, healthier and more affluent than any generation before them (Cochran, 2005).
Program design
Who's got rhythm? Drumming as a vehicle for wellness by Candy Davis
Eighty-seven-year-old Molly eagerly shoves her walker into the community room at Willamette Oaks Retirement Community in Eugene, Oregon. Eleven other residents, three great-grandchildren, and two staff members have arrived early, and are jamming on the array of instruments set out for the upcoming rhythm circle session, which I will facilitate. “This is the best hour of the week,” shares Molly, an avid Santana fan, who plays along with the musician’s CDs on the drum she keeps in her apartment.
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Dive into the deep for head-to-toe resistance training by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM, RCEP
Maintaining muscle strength and power is vital for functional independent living. Between ages 20 and 40 years, the human body reaches peak muscle mass and force. As the body ages into mid and later life, it undergoes a progressive, generalized loss of muscle mass, strength and power, known as sarcopenia. Aging also may lead to more rapid declines in muscle power compared to strength. Power—the rate of doing work or the time required to do work—affects the performance of activities such as stair climb, sit to stand, walking and agility. To be more “powerful,” muscles need to contract at various speeds.
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