We provide links to a variety of resources regarding the promotion of physical activity and exercise in older adults. Resources for individuals include information on guidelines and self-help programs to follow. For communities and program planners, resources include guides for developing community-based programs and working in community settings to promote environments conducive to physical activity. For everyone, the resources include efforts to understand the importance of physical activity to the health of older adults, and ideas for increasing physical activity of individuals and entire communities.
National Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults
- Current National Physical Activity Guidelines: can download the complete Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition, an overview of the Guidelines, and the top 10 things to know from the guidelines, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2018)
- 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Healthy People 2020: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP)
- National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 50 and Older (2001)
- Chodzko-Zajko W, Sheppard L, Senior J, Park C, Mockenhaupt R, and Bazarre T. The National Blueprint for Promoting Physical Activity in the Mid-Life and Older Adult Population. Quest 2005;57(1):2-11. Link to article
- Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (1996), from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a seminal report with the first guidelines for adults. The executive summary is available as a pdf.
Materials and Information: Promoting Physical Activity
- Disability and Health Promotion: Increasing physical activity among persons with disabilities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Institute on Aging: Exercise and physical activity practical and informational resources for older adults
- Exercise and Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging
- AARP Active for Life Campaign: Promoting physical activity among those 50+
- Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE)
- The American Council on Exercise (ACE)
- Black Women’s Health Imperative: the first organization created by Black women to help protect and advance the health and wellness of Black women and girls.
- American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): Resources on physical activity
- The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Medline Plus: Exercise for Seniors: A source of information on physical activity, from the National Library of Medicine
- Baylor University: Resources on Mobility Loss. How to prevent mobility loss with examples of exercises for strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.
Professional Organizations Including Focus on Physical Activity
- American College of Sports Medicine: A scientific organization of professionals interested in exercise science and fitness.
- American Diabetes Association
- American Heart Association
- Arthritis Foundation
- National Osteoporosis Foundation
National Institutes of Health with Interest in Physical Activity
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- National Cancer Institute
- National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Disease
Other Organizations Dedicated to Physical Activity in Older Adults
- American Senior Fitness Association (SFA)
- National Senior Games Association
- American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Interventions to Increase Physical Activity
- Sit and Be Fit: Exercise classes on TV and the web
- First Step to Active Health: An evidence-based progressive physical activity program for patients and healthcare providers. Includes The Active Aging Toolkit.
- RTIPS Research Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPS): a searchable database of evidence-based cancer control interventions and program materials, to provide program planners and public health practitioners access to research-tested materials.
Physical Activity and the Environment
- America Walks: 20 years of making America a great place to walk
- Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT):-Strategies for Liveable Communities