Physical Activity & Aging Information

Active Aging Tips From the Blueprint Partners

Exercise for the Elderly
A handout from the American Academy of Family Physicians for elderly patients on starting to exercise and selecting different types of physical activities.

Diabetes and Exercise Information sheet from the American Academy of Family Physicians with exercise checklist.

Exercise Tips for Older Americans
Suggestions for starting an exercise program by the American Heart Association.

Older Americans and Physical Activity
Physical fitness provides many benefits. Information from the American Heart Association.

Physical Activity in Your Daily Life
Exercise at home, at work, and at play: tips from the American Heart Association.

Tips for Exercise Success
Source: American Heart Association

Just Move
The American Heart Association offers an online fitness center that includes an exercise diary to help you track your workouts.

Choose to Move
A self-paced 12-week physical activity program created specifically for women by the American Heart Association. Participants can receive a free program handbook with tips and tools to help you meet your fitness goals.

Heart Disease and Women: Be Physically Active
Information from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute on activities that promote heart health and how to start an exercise program.

Staying Active: Articles and Web Tools
Ideas and web-based calculators from the American Cancer Society to help you improve your lifestyle.

Physical Activity and Health
A Surgeon General report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Physical Activity Fundamental to Preventing Disease
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report includes statistics on incidences of chronic illness, economic consequences of inactivity, and the associated health risks of not maintaining a healthy weight.

HHS Promotes Health Through Physical Activity
A fact sheet and website links from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about HHS programs, research and resources on health promotion.

Promoting Active Lifestyles Among Older Adults
Paper describes efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in pursuing National Blueprint strategies.

Canada's Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults
The Guide serves as a roadmap explaining why physical activity is important and offering tips to increase physical activity.

The Vitality Approach: Active Living
Health Canada's Vitality Program Leader's Guide for healthy living. The guide is targeted to leaders working in the health promotion field.

Safe Living Guide: Home Safety for Seniors
A Guide from Health Canada includes a section on Physical Activity:Investing in Yourself.

Exercise: Feeling Fit for Life
National Institute on Aging health information on exercise and steps to better fitness.

Fitness Facts for Older Americans
Administration on Aging information on keeping up with the latest fitness recommendations.

For the Young at Heart: Exercise Tips for Seniors
Stay fit by walking, gardening, playing golf, jogging, or other activities you enjoy. Information from the American Physical Therapy Association

Fitness: A Way of Life
American Physical Therapy Association brochure describes what it means to be "fit."

What You Need to Know About Balance and Falls
This article discusses how your body maintains its balance; common problems with balance seen in older adults; and advice and exercises for improving balance and preventing falls. Source: American Physical Therapy Association

A Patient's Guide to Preventing Falls
This ready-to-use pamphlet from the American Geriatrics Society provides suggetions on what you can do to prevent falls and what your doctor can do to assess your risk. Recommendations may include an exercise program with balance training.

Resistance Training for Persons with Physical Disabilities
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability paper includes resistance exercise guidelines for specific disability groups, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis.

Fitness for Persons with Disabilities
A Research Digest newsletter article from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Alzheimer's Disease and Exercise
Barriers to increasing physical activity among persons with Alzheimer's Disease and recommendations, including an exercise session routine. Source: National Center on Physical Activity and Disability

Parkinson's Disease and Exercise
Paper includes a literature review and exercise guidelines. Source: National Center on Physical Activity and Disability

How to Care for Yourself (Living with Arthritis)
Ways to make living with arthritis easier from the Arthritis Foundation.

PACE (People With Arthritis Can Exercise)
This program from the Arthritis Foundation uses gentle activities to help increase joint flexibility and maintain muscle strength.

Connect and Control
The Arthritis Foundation provides an 18-week on-line program to help you increase physical activity in your life starting at a level that is comfortable for you.

Think you Can't Exercise? You can!
Article from Arthritis Today addresses concerns and excuses about exercise.

What You Need to Know about Water Exercise (Arthritis)
Water is a safe, ideal environment for relieving arthritis pain. Information from the Arthritis Foundation.

Walking and Arthritis
A fact sheet from the Arthritis Foundation.

Gardening and Arthritis
This fact sheet discusses simple modifications that can be used to make gardening easier.

Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure: Sample Walking Program
A resource from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Pick Your Path to Health
A campaign from the Office on Women's Health to help women take simple steps to improve their health. Also provides tools for local communities to promote practical action steps to wellness.

For Your Heart
A personalized website from the Office on Women's Health that provides articles on exercise, nutrition, stress, diabetes, and other risk factors for heart disease.

Walking Tips for Women
Answers questions, such as "How do I start a walking program?" and "How do I warm up?" Source: Office on Women's Health

Physical Activity and Weight Control
A weight control information network, offered by the Office on Women's Health.

Stay Physically Active. Exercise!
Links to publications on physical activity.

The President's Challenge: You're It, Get Fit
The new web site is a motivational tool to help all Americans become active and fit.

Exercise Questions
Frequently asked questions about exercise from the Office on Women's Health.

Walking for Exercise and Pleasure
Article from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports discusses the benefits of walking, what to wear, how to warm up and how fast to walk for fitness.

Pep Up Your Life
A fitness guide for mid-life and older adults from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Contains 35 exercises to increase flexibility, strength and endurance.

Fitness Fundamentals
Learn the basics about fitness and plan a personal workout session. Information from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Link Between Physical Activity and Morbidity and Mortality
A Surgeon General fact sheet report on health benefits of physical activity and the health burdens that could be reduced through exercise.

Cost and Consequences of Sedentary Living
An article in the newsletter Research Digest on fighting the war against sedentary lifestyles. Source: President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Physical Activity Fundamental to Preventing Disease
A report on why physical activity should be a priority for Americans of all ages. Also provides information on the economic impact of inactivity. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Higher Direct Medical Costs Associated with Physical Inactivity
The Physician and Sportsmedicine Journal article on the health care cost savings of physical activity.

Changes in Physical Activity and Short-Term Changes in Health Care Charges: A Prospective Cohort Study of Older Adults
An article in Preventive Medicine that discusses cost savings of physical activity interventions.

Preventing Obesity and Chronic Disease Through Good Nutrition and Physical Activity
A fact sheet on the economic cost of obesity and chronic diseases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity Among Older Americans
A new Center on an Aging Society data profile on obesity rates and the link between obesity and chronic conditions.

Checklist Helps Older Adults to Select Age-Friendly Fitness Facilities
Checklist from the International Council on Active Aging.

Focus on Your Health: Physical Activity
Tips for an active life, and how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is focusing on health prevention.

Keep Active, Safe At Any Age U.S. Product Safety Commission brochure includes an activity log and seven steps to prevent injury.

Exercising for Healthy Aging
Regular physical activity keeps you young. Information from Mayo Clinic.

Balance Exercises: Staying Steady on Your Feet
Information from Mayo Clinic on how physical activity can help prevent falls.

A Healthy Solution to Aging
Magazine article from the International Council on Active Aging on the advancement of knowledge about health benefits of physical activity for older adults.

What Can Be Done to Slow the Loss of Muscle Mass Associated with Aging?
Current research indicates that elderly muscle can adapt positively, just like young muscle, to resistance exercise. Source: American College of Sports Medicine

Resistance Training in the Older Adult
Current Comment from ACSM on the benefits of resistance training.

Aging Well With Strength Training
Assisted Living Today Magazine article on the benefits of special programs in assisted living residences aimed at increasing physical fitness and overall well-being. Information from the Assisted Living Federation of America.

Livable Communities: An Evaluation Guide
A guide to evaluate whether your community has the physical features, programs and services that will enable older persons to remain independent. Information provided by the AARP Public Policy Institute.

Creating Communities for Active Aging
A guide from Partnership for Prevention for developing a strategic plan to increase walking and biking by older adults in local communities.

From the Field: Four Communities Implement Active Aging Programs
Partnership for Prevention report provides examples of community programs and guidance on how communities can evaluate these efforts.

Program Evaluation: Impact of Active Aging
Partnership for Prevention publication offers a step-by-step approach to evaluation that communities can apply to their own programs.

Safe Communities Service Center
Website features news, best practises and success stories, coalition websites and a safe communities data toolkit. Information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

National Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety
This call for action document includes goals and strategies that can be taken to reduce injury and mortality associated with bicycle-related incidents.

Preventing Falls in Older Californians
This White Paper provides background information on best practices for fall prevention.