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Christa Dickey
American College of Sports Medicine
Communications and Public Information
(317) 637-9200 ext. 127

INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE ACTIVE AND HEALTHY AGING
EXAMINED RECENTLY DURING NATIONAL MEETING
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
American College of Sports Medicine and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign promoting policy and public health initiatives for activity among older adults

INDIANAPOLIS - One year after The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded a landmark grant to examine how physical activity can extend years of active, independent life, reduce disability and improve the quality of life for older adults, the American College of Sports Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosted the second in a series of national meetings in October in Washington, D.C. to build coalitions and implement initiatives to inspire older adults to become more physically active.

Recognizing that scientific and clinical evidence has increasingly demonstrated that regular physical activity is essential to health and can prevent and help with the management of many diseases, the RWJF grant supports The National Blueprint Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 50 and Older, created by a national panel of aging experts and associations. The panel included experts from AARP, ACSM, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and RWJF. The principal investigator and co-principal investigator of the grant are Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Ph.D., FACSM and Jane G. Senior, ACSM research director.

Among potential solutions that must be developed to increase physical activity in older adults, the Blueprint advises organizing activity-friendly communities, workplace opportunities and related physical activity initiatives, and healthcare systems to provide access to physical activity information, resources and counseling to older consumers. Outcomes from the meeting emphasize plans to build sustainability for the Blueprint project by committing to partnerships among mission-related organizations, developing strategies in medical systems, research institutions, home and community settings, as well as public policy and marketing to increase physical activity patterns in adults ages 50-plus.

According to Chodzko-Zajko, a leading aging expert, this meeting is part of a major national campaign to bring awareness of the benefits of physical activity in the older adult community.

Physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle can help improve quality of life and reduce healthcare costs. Aging individuals stand to gain significant health benefits through exercise, as substantial scientific studies have shown that physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol, type II diabetes and obesity, all leading causes of death. Strength training is important for the older adult, as increasing muscle strength leads to better balance, reducing the risk of falling and fracturing bones. The good news for older adults who do not regularly exercise is that it's never too late to start. (See the ACSM Position Stand "Exercise and the Older Adult," online at http://www.acsm-msse.org.)

Aging experts attending the national meeting included Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Ph.D., FACSM, Robin Mockenhaupt, Ph.D., Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and David Buchner, M.D., Ph.D., FACSM Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information on the Blueprint, please see http://www.agingblueprint.org

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 18,000 International, National and Regional members are dedicated to promoting and integrating scientific research, education and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life.

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