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- Mindful exercise
Mindfulness and meditation: research to practice by Terry Eckmann, PhD
Think of mindfulness and meditation as an exercise of the mind that can support physical and cognitive wellness throughout the lifespan. By regularly incorporating these practices into daily life, individuals can improve their sleep and nurture a positive attitude, which along with regular exercise, nutritious and well-balanced diets, social interaction, and learning and doing new things, is an important component of brain and body health. Mindfulness and meditation can be done by anyone, anytime, anywhere, and for as long as the practitioner feels comfortable. Delve into the benefits in this article, and gain easy-to-implement approaches to use with your residents or members.
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Spirituality drives performance by Adam Smith, MA, and Dustin Nabhan, DC, PhD
Whether it involves a race, a dance or a presentation, human performance benefits when people's lives include a sense of purpose and incorporate spiritual practices such as mindfulness.
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Healing practices: The evidence for Chinese medicine and healthy aging by Kelly Clady-Giramma, MS, LAc, Dipl OM
In China, long life and older adults are revered and aging embraced. Prior to the rising popularity of Western culture there over the past few decades, birthday celebrations were reserved for the very old. While everyone is young once, the thinking goes, it takes a lot of luck and talent to grow old-talent that deserves to be celebrated. Unsurprisingly, the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy of longevity is not synonymous with the contemporary Western obsession with "anti-aging." Taoism, an ancient spiritual system that promotes living in harmony with nature and gave rise to TCM, encourages functionality and feeling young on the inside rather than simply looking young on the outside. TCM offers many tools and advice around longevity. It advocates balanced life in all its aspects. It promotes connection to nature and its cycles as well as respect for our circadian (daily) rhythms. TCM also encourages us to take personal responsibility for our health and be proactive. Many more people and physicians are turning to personalized integrative medicine today, focusing on healthy lifestyles and the best of various healing traditions. Integrative medicine combines treatments from conventional allopathic, or "Western", medicine with other evidence-based healing modalities from around the world, including TCM. For active-aging organizations, TCM's complementary approaches may open additional avenues to support clients in living longer, healthier lives.
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Nature walking and health: An update on benefits to mind, body and spirit of time in nature by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Have you felt awe at nature's beauty after watching a glowing, multicolored sunset? Or invigorated while inhaling the scent of the ocean, as you hear waves crash, feel cool mist against your skin and dig bare toes into sand? Or serene from listening to a stream gurgle and leaves rustle in a summer breeze? These are all examples of nature's power to capture attention, transform mood and offer peaceful perspective on our place in nature's vast scheme. Today, compelling and growing scientific evidence offers proof that we reap health benefits from time spent in nature.
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Spiritual health and active aging: A perspective by Stephanie Ludwig, MDiv, MA, PhD
Each morning 67-year-old John gets on his road bike and cycles through the northern foothills of Tucson, Arizona. Each year he gets slower, he says, but he always returns home from riding with a sweaty, relaxed, smiling face that radiates joy. John has ridden solo and with other cyclists for decades, and continues to do so because it brings him peace in body, mind and spirit as well as a sense of community. It also inspires him to be of service to others. Over the years he has found creative and meaningful ways to share his passion for cycling and bike-friendly communities through volunteerism and philanthropy. The physical, emotional and mental benefits of an active lifestyle are documented by researchers, and well known through direct experience by people like John. Far less considered are the benefits of an active lifestyle for spiritual health--especially approaching exercise and movement as spiritual practice.
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Making the mind matter by Lawrence Biscontini, MA
As we continue to unlock the power of the mind, the concept of mindfulness grows as a hot topic of research in the active-aging industry. Our mental outlook truly sets our tone about, and attitude towards, what we can achieve in our lives, because a positive outlook includes making positive choices. Since the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that our very choices are more important than pharmacology and exercise combined, the right mindful approach to each day proves key to aging positively.
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