Organizations Will Collaborate at National Conference to Advocate Physical Activity for Older Americans

Source: Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko (217) 244-0823

A coalition of representatives from nearly 50 national organizations promoting physical activity among older adults for better health will reconvene Oct. 3-4 in Washington, D.C. to advance their mission of finding new tactics to overcome inactivity.

The organizations, including AARP, American College of Sports Medicine, and Centers for Disease Control, began the initiative in 2001 with the release of a national planning document, National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older. The publication outlines barriers to physical activity and various strategies that may be implemented in the areas of medical systems, public policy, home and community, media, and research.

During the upcoming conference, Blueprint representatives from national organizations will identify strategies that can feasibly be implemented in the next two years, according to Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, principal investigator of the Blueprint Project at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana.

“Blueprint partners will prioritize their involvement in Blueprint-related projects, taking leadership for specific action plans,” Chodzko-Zajko said. “The conference provides an opportunity for representatives to explore and plan partnerships with other organizations, utilizing delivery systems through state and local organization units and the expertise of professionals in a wide range of areas impacting physical activity, from medicine to community planning.”

A survey of Blueprint partner organizations completed earlier this year showed that organizations are most concerned about the lack of research-based information translated into practical interventions for home and community settings and a lack of information provided to physicians about community physical activity resources. These top concerns will be addressed during the two-day conference.

Young adults are nearly twice as likely to be physically active compared to older adults, according to a recently released U.S. government report. Physical inactivity contributes to an estimated 300,000 preventable deaths in the U.S. from diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

“Increasingly, scientific evidence indicates that physical activity offers one of the greatest opportunities to extend years of active, independent life, reduce disability and improve the quality of life for older people,” Chodzko-Zajko said. “Effective efforts to increase physical activity among older adults will require an integrated and collaborative approach.”

The National Blueprint Project is sponsored by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the University of Illinois and the American College of Sports Medicine.

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