FITNESS AND AGING JENNA WARD IT 2010 GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY NOVEMBER 11, 2013

There are more older citizens than ever before! Because of the baby boomer generation senior citizens have become one of our largest population groups. While physical activity used to be view as inappropriate for older people, recent awareness of the importance of lifetime physical activity has begun to change people’s views 2 AWARENESS

The number of Americans age 65 and over will almost double between now and From 34.8million in 2000 to 70.3million in Currently 66,000 centenarians in the U.S. which is 20x that of 1960 There will be 214,000 centenarians by 2020 and 834,000 by STATISTICS

MYTHS! Aging health means declining heath and/or disability…FALSE! There are some diseases that become more common as we age but being old doesn’t automatically mean poor health! Just eat healthy, exercise regularly, and manage your stress! Memory loss is an inevitable part of aging…FALSE AGAIN! It may take a little longer to retrieve information but as long as you keep your mind active through exercise, games and even reading, there should be no significant difficulty You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…TRUE!...jk definitely FALSE Some people think that because their prime time has passed then they can’t change their way of life. This is ridiculous. With the right knowledge, assistance and positive attitude, we can be physically active no matter how old we are or what age we decide to make and change for the better 4

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN…. Along with appropriate diet, exercise appears to be a key factor in controlling the effects of aging. It now seems that many of the so-called signs of aging such as hearing loss, hair loss, and heart and lung function are not as much signs of aging as they are signs of inactivity and poor nutrition. One of the most common ailments of senior citizens is depression of various kinds and intensities however sedentary seniors who participate in regular physical activity programs experience long term psychological benefits. Activities such as walking, cycling, aerobics, and calisthenics are the most popular and doable by both men and women of all ages 5

PROOF!! Couple of Champs!!!!! 6

IN MY OPINION Education Education Education!!!! People are scared of what they don’t know so we should educate them! It starts with the youth Eventually we will not be the fattest country in the world! Older people should be encouraged to engage in physical activity especially if it involves a group or team. 7

Michelle Obama’s initiative to create a stronger healthier happier youth!! In conjunction with The Partnership for a Healthier America which 8 LET’S MOVE!

The obesity epidemic in America is so fixable! There is so much that can easily be done to resolve this growing problem. Education is the main point we need to use in solving this issue. It starts when we’re young and we need to be able to carry it throughout our entire lives!! 9 IN CONCLUSION

SOURCES Siedentop, D., & Mars, H. V. D. (2012). Introduction to physical education, fitness & sport. (8 th ed., pp ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Baby boomers: Stay fit and injury free with exercise tips from the american academy of orthopedic surgeons. (2013, October 29). The sacramento bee. Retrieved from injury.html injury.html Saisan, J., Smith, M., Segal, J., & White, M. (2013, May).Staying healthy over 50. Retrieved from