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- Trends
Podcasting: An effective way to tell your story and share industry-related information by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Podcasting, a medium that has been around for more than 20 years, is enjoying a renaissance. ...In its coverage of the Hot Pod Summit, a gathering of key podcast industry decision-makers, Fast Company stated we are in the "golden age" of podcasting. In a recent report, "The Podcast Consumer 2018," Edison Research documented that among monthly podcast listeners, 34% are ages 18-34; 36%, 35-54; and 19%, 55 and older. These data suggest that podcasts have the potential to reach both industry staff and consumers. Further, in its summary, Edison Research notes, "There is tremendous opportunity to grow with persons 55+." Recognizing the potential, three industry organizations recently launched podcasts. The Journal on Active Aging interviewed the professionals involved to learn why and how they started their podcasts, and what the feedback has been so far.
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Dance fitness: Older adults give it a whirl by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, CDE, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM
We don't have to be on "Dancing with the Stars" or an elite athlete to have a great time getting in the groove. From simple to advanced choreography, social dance-type moves are being incorporated more and more into fitness programs for older adults, promoting popular and proven health benefits for mind, heart, body and soul. Dancing styles of all kinds-including waltz, tango, folk dance and salsa-along with physical fitness types of fun movement like Zumba are all providing opportunities for participants to reap the rewards of enjoyable activities that also promote balance, movement quality (like walking or stepping forward and backward) and better sensory and motor perceptions.
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The benefits of traveling later in life by Gwen Hyatt, MS
Your clients have worked for 40-50 years, raised a family, saved for retirement and now have the opportunity to savor la buena vida (the good life). Many have the time, resources and health to do what they want. For some, this is a daunting option, while others embrace the opportunity to stay active and engaged and to spend time perusing the world. Not only is traveling in later life exciting and full of adventure, it also provides multidimensional benefits for healthy, active aging. As they discover new horizons, older travelers enhance their intellectual/cognitive, social, emotional and physical wellness. By providing opportunities for travel or simply sharing this information with your clients, you can encourage them to "hit the road" for better health and well-being.
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Ken Dychtwald: How the Age Wave pathfinder inspired a new view of aging by Colin Milner
A singular figure in the aging sphere, Ken Dychtwald, PhD, has seemingly done it all. This leading-edge Boomer has spent more than four decades focused on older adults and their potential, emerging as an early visionary on an aging world. Dychtwald, a psychologist and gerontologist, is today widely viewed as North America's most original thinker about the social, economic, healthcare, marketing and workforce implications of the age wave-a term he coined in the 1980s. He is also a bestselling author of 16 books .... Only the fourth recipient of the ICAA INSPIRE Award, Dychtwald is being honored "for his exceptional and lasting contributions to the [active-aging] industry and for his efforts to make a difference in the lives of older adults globally." In this wide-ranging interview , he shares his remarkable journey and, among other things, how he came to focus on older adults and their potential to transform their lives-and society-early in his career.
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Jack York talks technology, aging and dementia
"There is a lot to be cynical about and perhaps even to fear with technology," states Jack York, BS, president and cofounder of It's Never 2 Late (iN2L), a Colorado-based company that helps older adults realize the full benefits of engagement technology. "If we slow down and take a deep breath, it is stunning how different our world has become in a few short years. But I've been involved in technology and aging for almost 20 years," York says, "and I believe the tech tools at our fingertips today are transforming this area in ways more positive than negative." Enriched with client feedback, iN2L works to ensure that technology to engage residents includes people living with dementia. "It's fascinating to see the outcomes, and the possibilities," York shares. "And it's often not that complicated."
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"Wearables 3.0": Exploring new tools for health and wellness by Colin Milner
The first pedometer, according to some accounts, was a windup watch created in 1780 to measure steps and distance. Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet based the device on his 1777 mechanism to power a self-winding (or automatic) watch with the wearer's movements while walking. Leap forward to 2018. We now have a vast array of tools to help us measure our steps-from digital apps to smartwatches to, yes, pedometers. Those pedometers are what Stanford University's Ken Smith, MS, calls "wearables 1.0," the start of wearable tools. From this beginning, we have moved on to "wearables 2.0," says Smith. We use the new form of wearable tools to track activities and behaviors such as nutrition and exercise. Yet, it is the emergence of what he calls "wearables 3.0" that is set to change how we manage our health and well-being, Smith believes.
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