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Promoting
Healthy Lifestyles
Physical Activity and Nutrition
Proper nutrition as part of an active, healthy lifestyle is a
key to successful aging. An active lifestyle includes some kind
of regular physical activity. We feel that when providing information
about physical activity or nutrition, it is important to mention
both eating better and exercising regularly. Remember that how
well you eat and how much or little you exercise now affects not
only your present state of health but also later life.
Many factors contribute to a lack of nutritional health in older
people. Eating too much or too little, eating alone, taking medications,
suffering from chronic diseases or conditions, financial difficulties,
and needing assistance with care are just a few examples of what
can affect your eating habits. Whether you are a caregiver or
an older American it is important to eat foods rich in nutrients
and reduce your intake of empty calories.
For more information on eating healthy as well as our nutrition
programs, visit the Nutrition
section of our website.
Inactivity often increases with age. Surveys show that by age
75, one-in-three men and one-in-two women are not physically active.
Physical activity can help older adults prolong their independence
and improve their quality of life. It can also improve mood and
relieve depression, too. Staying physically active on a regular,
permanent basis can help prevent or delay certain diseases (such
as some types of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes) and disabilities
as people grow older. Regular exercise can even improve management
of some diseases and disabilities in older people who already
have them.
Check with local churches or synagogues, senior and civic centers,
parks, recreation associations, or even local shopping malls for
exercise, wellness, or walking programs to help you find an exercise
program. You can also call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116,
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., EST, or visit http://www.eldercare.gov/
to find aging services in your community.
To find out about the benefits of nutrition, physical activity,
how to increase your physical activity, or for specific types
of exercises, use the resource links below.
You Can! Steps to Healthier Aging
One way that we demonstrate this commitment to nutrition and
physical activity is our support of the President’s HealthierUS
initiative http://healthierus.gov/.
and http://healthierus.gov/steps/ As
a part of these initiatives, AoA is supporting the Steps
to Healthy Aging initiative. Eating better and moving more,
the two steps in Steps to Healthier Aging, are designed
to
improve nutrition and physical activity in older adults. For
more information on about the You Can! campaign go to:http://www.aoa.gov/youcan/
General Resource Links:
- American
Dietetic Association – Providing nutrition education
and information.(Off Site)
- American
Senior Fitness Association – Fitness information,
education, and training programs. (Off Site)
- Be
Active for Life – AARP – A campaign to get Americans
age 50 and older physically active. (Off Site)
- Center
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition – FDA –
Consumer advice, programs, news, and more. (Off Site)
- Center
for Nutrition Policy and Promotion – USDA –
Includes healthy eating index, dietary guidelines, tips for
healthy meals, and more. (Off Site)
- Exercise:
Feeling Fit for Life – National Institute on Aging
– Information, tips, and resources for keeping active.
(Off Site)
- Exercise
for Older Adults - NIH Senior Health – Exercise benefits,
safety tips, and more. (Off Site)
- Exercise
Video – NIA – A program that includes stretching,
balance, and strength-training exercises. (Off Site)
- National
Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50
and Over - Active Aging Partnership – A guide written
to support organizations and agencies’ work related to
increasing physical activity among older Americans. (Off Site)
- National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine –
NIH – Health information, research, training, clinical
trials, and more. (Off Site)
- National
Policy and Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging –
Providing information for nutrition, the aging network, and
long-term care professionals. (Off Site)
- Division
of Nutrition and Physical Activity – CDC – Provides
science-based activities for children and adults that address
the role of nutrition and physical activity in health promotion
and the prevention and control of chronic diseases. (Off Site)
- Pep
Up Your Life – President's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports – Nutrition and exercise recommendations. (Off
Site)
- Surgeon
General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (Off
Site)
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Disclaimer:
References from this web page or from any of the information services
sponsored by AoA to any non-governmental entity, product, service
or information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation
by the Administration on Aging or any of its employees. AoA is
not responsible for the contents of any "off-site" web
pages referenced from this server. Although our page includes
links to sites including or referencing good collections of information,
AoA does not endorse ANY specific products or services provided
by public or private organizations. By using this site, the user
takes full responsibility for any use of these links.
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