Articles

Vitality in action: It's time for Active Aging Week by Julie King, MS Vim, vigor and variety are on full display during Active Aging Week, a yearly celebration that highlights aging today and the ability of adults 50+ to lead full, active lives. In 2021, the 19th annual observance takes place October 4-10. As Official Host Sites gear up for the week, others can still join the campaign by registering online and inviting individuals to their offerings. ... As the world continues to deal with pandemic challenges, now is a particularly important time to embrace the goals of Active Aging Week: to introduce healthier, active lifestyles to as many adults as possible and to encourage individuals to live as fully as possible in all of life's dimensions. View detail

Energize participants and revitalize staff with Active Aging Week 2021 Active Aging Week felt especially poignant in 2020. Led by the International Council on Active Aging and presented by Humana, this observance has brought people together in North America and beyond every fall to celebrate aging, older-adult health and wellness and the ability to live as fully as possible at any age. Local host organizers have challenged themselves to come up with creative and customized low-to-no-cost wellness activities and events. And they have delivered experiences that energized participants, volunteers and staff alike with their positivity, fun and camaraderie. Fast forward to a global pandemic. Given concerns about the effects of social isolation and loneliness on the physical and mental health of older adults, Active Aging Week seemed particularly needed in 2020. Yet was it still possible to offer programming in such uncertain times given the changing public health guidance and COVID waves? Local host organizations in North America and beyond stepped up with a resounding yes. Programs offered virtually or safely in person gave participants opportunities to connect, to engage in wellness activities and to celebrate aging well even in the most challenging of times. In 2021, as ICAA marks its 20th anniversary, Active Aging Week reminds us how far we have come together. With October on the horizon, now is the time to ramp up planning for the week and, for those who have yet to do so, to register as an Official Active Aging Week Host Site. View detail

Portraying wellness: An invitation to participate in a virtual exhibit by Lisa Kiely, BFA, CPT, CAD, CEHA There's an African saying, "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." In Atlanta, Georgia, active living fans are excited about a new project connecting people of all ages and stages of life. Now, in time for Active Aging Week 2019, we invite International Council on Active Aging members and others hosting this campaign to join us in a virtual portrait project. ... Our new nationwide project, "Wellness In One Word," challenges everyone to define wellness in the moment by connecting it to self-portrait photography. We are inviting people to take portraits and "selfies" while answering the question, "What's on your mind right now--in one word?" and to submit their photos for virtual display. Trying to capture individual ideas about wellness in one word and one picture is a fun way to bring us together and see what gives us well-being. View detail

Active Aging Week: "Redefine active" with engaging life experiences If your organization has yet to register as a host site for this year's Active Aging Week, why not get involved? Active Aging Week is the annual celebration of aging and active living that we all look forward to each year. It's the activities you provide that promote wellness, fun and friendship in your neighborhood or community. And it's the spotlight you shine on how to live well at any age by staying positively engaged in all aspects of life. Started by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) in 2003, Active Aging Week has grown with your help from a grassroots initiative into a global movement. ... The experiences of Active Aging Week remind us that every generation contributes to a vibrant, strong society (see the sidebar for an overview of what some hosts did last year). In 2019, Active Aging Week will take place October 1-7. This year's theme, "Redefining Active," highlights the fact that aging actively is about so much more than physical activity. View detail

Maple Leaf Quest: How Kerby Centre used Active Aging Week to bookend a yearlong walking initiative Every year local hosts develop customized schedules of Active Aging Week activities that show remarkable creativity and produce positive life experiences. One hope expressed for the annual celebration of aging and living well is that older adults will try something that engages them meaningfully and encourages them ultimately to adopt a wellness practice or lifestyle. For hosts, the challenge can lie in translating interest in demonstrations and free activities into ongoing participation. One agency in Calgary, Canada, found an answer to this challenge in a wellness initiative bookended by consecutive Active Aging Weeks. View detail

"Ignite your passion": Hosts share what they did for Active Aging Week 2017 Whether through host reports or emails, websites or blogs, traditional or social media, Active Aging Week hosts reported on what they did for Active Aging Week 2017 and shared stories of meaningful events. To review all these offerings is to be impressed anew at the array of fun, engaging and educational opportunities available to participants. Featured are 10 mini-profiles and a sampling of news to give a flavor of the week. View detail

Inspiring wellness through Active Aging Week A life well lived: It's a hope we all cherish. Every September, Active Aging Week illuminates that hope by highlighting our ability to live well throughout the life span and celebrating aging. Organizations, professionals, older adults and supporters of all ages come together in the last week of September to share--and be inspired by--a week of positive life experiences and can do spirit. View detail

Active Aging Week: Share your experiences for recognition and promotion What would it take to ignite passion among your staff, residents and/or members? What about their families and friends? How about your management team or ownership? And your neighborhood or community at large? The answer may be staring you in the mirror. By igniting your passion, you may spark the desire in others to embrace their own, inspiring them to "do" more and enhance quality of life through active aging-for themselves and for others. Active aging is all about "being engaged in life." As a host site for Active Aging Week, the annual ICAA-led campaign highlighting people's ability to live fully at any age, you can inspire your community to come together and celebrate what it means to engage in life. View detail

Ignite your passion with Active Aging Week People may live fully-with verve, vigor and vitality-at any age and regardless of health conditions. That's the message and the reality that Active Aging Week highlights each year during the last full week of September. Led by the International Council on Active Aging with support from national sponsors, Active Aging Week celebrates the positivity of aging today and promotes healthy, active living in communities and neighborhoods across North America and beyond. The campaign reaches adults ages 50 and older where it especially counts-at the local level. All kinds of organizations serve as local hosts for the weeklong festival, offering activities and events that encourage people to try something new and perhaps embrace a wellness lifestyle. Why not plan to participate and host events in your area? View detail

Exploring the possibilities at Active Aging Week 2016 The surprise of a man riding a camel. The fun of a basketball game with preschool children and older adults. The exuberance of the winners in a cycling team competition. These are only a few of the stories of Active Aging Week, the annual festival held in the last full week of September to celebrate aging and living well. Promoted by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), the event is brought to life by organizers in many communities and countries. View detail