Building a healthier older adult community
At Elder Fitness Advocates, we fund programs that bring adults aged 50+ together through movement and community. By inspiring older adults to step outside their homes, we empower them to lead vibrant, independent lives while boosting their overall physical, mental, and social well-being.
Please help us provide senior movement opportunities to our community
Elder Fitness Advocates supports programs like “Strength Training” in Lompoc, CA.
Elder Fitness Advocates is committed to providing cost-free access to specialized programs for older adults.
Several financial resources exist to support older adults by enabling them to acquire qualified professional caregivers, nurses, or assistants with necessary credentials. These programs generally focus on Medicaid, veterans' benefits, and specialized grant programs designed to ensure safety and quality of care at home. In addition, older adults (60+) have access to several federal and state food subsidies designed to stretch limited incomes and improve nutrition.
Elder Fitness Advocates is adding MOVEMENT to this list of resources. Crucially, these programs are to be led by licensed and/or certified professionals who understand and are able to adapt to the unique, evolving needs of older adults.
Movement in Older Adults
As medicine and nutrition improves human longevity improves.
Retirement age is being pushed further and further back due to these factors. What used to be retirement at 55 years old is now averaging at 61-62 years of age, with several people planning retirement between 65 and 66 years of age.
As older adults, life continues with its basic necessities: the need for food, water and shelter; as long as the vital organs are functioning. Not normally included in the basic functions of life is MOVEMENT, also a necessity for life. If you are not moving, someone is moving for you. Simple movement, such as walking, is required for nearly everything. Bending, stretching, lifting are all necessary movements for living life.
As we age we tend to stop moving because we are more "comfortable" sitting or lying. When movement becomes "unnecessary" or "minimalized", as humans, we have a tendency to find movement more difficult- which results in less movement. Ultimately less movement becomes less access. Less access leads to less ability to participate in life.
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials article
With age, movement begins to go beyond concerns for gaining muscle mass or reducing weight. Movement can mean eliminating and/or minimizing pain. Movement activates the body's natural pain reduction responses.
Parkview Health- Routine Movement and Pain Management
Even brief exercise routines can show significant gains in older adults. Older adults (65+) had measurable gains within 12 weeks in abilities linked to: fall risk, longevity, independent living, and future care needs.
Penn State College of Medicine