Siempre Activo/Always Active

 

Community: The Mission district of San Francisco, CA

Agency: The program was originally provided by staff at On Lok’s 30th Street Senior Center https://onlok.org/senior-center. Since that time, 30th Street Senior Center has become the lead agency for health promotion programs for older adults throughout San Francisco. 

Original Program Features

For a diagram of the original Always Active program, click here.  The original program features were:

  • Program meetings and materials offered in Spanish and English.
  • Topics of workshops and talks including exercising safely, flexibility, endurance, muscle strength, balance and fall prevention, and stress management.
  • Handouts on exercising safely, goal setting, and a calendar of events.
  • The program was integrated with other center activities (tai-chi, yoga, dance).​​​​​​

The original Always Active program is described in the following publication as part of the CHAMPS III project to diffuse physical activity programs into community settings.

  • Stewart AL, Gillis D, Grossman M, Castrillo M, Pruitt L, McLellan B, and Sperber N.  Diffusing a research-based physical activity promotion program for seniors into diverse communities: CHAMPS III.  Preventing Chronic Disease 2006;3(2) A51. PMCID: PMC1563966

 

Current Always ActiveSM Program

The original program was expanded considerably through new funding obtained by 30th Street Senior Center.  The Always ActiveSM wellness program is now offered citywide, providing seniors the opportunity to participate in exercise classes and receive a wellness plan designed by participants, their doctors and a wellness coordinator.  It offers a variety of physical activities for seniors that help them maintain or improve their current health and wellness.  The program is tailored to participant readiness and/or mobility, allowing them to work at their own pace. 

The Always Active website http://alwaysactive.org/ describes the broader program.  Its mission is “Helping seniors in San Francisco enhance their well-being through exercise and health education”

The history of Always Active, starting with the collaboration with the CHAMPS III project at the University of California San Francisco, is described on their website (click here for the history http://alwaysactive.org/about-us/.