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California Agencies Promote Strength-Training Programs for Older Adults
Developing physical activity programs for older adults
Staff of the California Center for Physical Activity a joint program of the University of California, San Francisco, Institute for Health & Aging and the California Department of Health Services awarded grants to 19 community agencies to establish Active Aging Community Task Forces.
These task forces promoted and provided strength-training, balance and mobility classes to older adults in the 28 California counties with the highest levels of nonfatal injuries from falls among individuals age 50 and older.
Key Results
The grant accomplished the following, according to staff of the California Center for Physical Activity and a program evaluation published in Evaluation and Program Planning:
- Drew more than 12,500 older adults from diverse community settings into strength-training, balance and mobility classes.
- Created 315 new strength-training, balance and mobility classes and incorporated strength training, balance and mobility into 157 existing exercise classes.
- Conducted 36 workshops to train 416 senior fitness class instructors.
- Documented participant gains in functional fitness, especially in low back/hip range of motion, aerobic endurance, agility/dynamic balance and lower and upper arm strength.
- Promoted institutional changes to foster a stronger focus on physical activity among older populations.
Funding
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided $346,908 to the University of California, San Francisco, for this unsolicited project from April 1, 2001, to August 31, 2005.