Blueprint Partners Progress Newsletter: June 2007
In This Issue
Recognition Program for Community Active Aging/Smart Growth Efforts Launched
HHS Advisory Committee on Physical Activity Guidelines Announced
WHO to Launch a Report on Falls Prevention this Summer
Physical Activity Interventions Can be Successfully Delivered by Various Means
Growing Evidence Highlights Health Benefits of Tai Chi
Obese Employees Benefit from Working Out While They Work
Upcoming Conferences and Events
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Recognition Program for Community Active Aging/Smart Growth Efforts Launched
A new awards program, Excellence in Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging, recognizes communities for their outstanding comprehensive approaches to implementing principles of smart growth, as well as strategies that support active aging. This award will be presented to communities with the best and most inclusive overall approach to implementing smart growth and active aging at the neighborhood, tribe, city, county, and/or regional level. Eligible candidates are invited to submit applications, which are due Oct. 17, 2007. The initiative is a collaborative effort with the President’s Council for Fitness and Sports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Council on Aging’s Centers for Healthy Aging, the National Blueprint Initiative, and Active for Life.
General information about Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging is available at: www.epa.gov
HHS Advisory Committee on Physical Activity Guidelines Announced
Thirteen experts in physical activity have been named to serve on a HHS advisory committee that will make recommendations on the development of the first federal guidelines on physical activity. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will be issued in late 2008 based on the committee’s recommendations. James Rimmer, Ph.D., professor and director of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability, University of Illinois at Chicago, is one of the advisory committee members.
WHO to Launch a Report on Falls Prevention this Summer
In August 2007, the World Health Organization will release a Global Report on Falls Prevention in Older Age, which will include international and regional perspectives and evidence-based recommendations. The report will be based on a variety of background papers written by experts in the area of falls prevention. These documents are available at: www.who.int
Physical Activity Interventions Can be Successfully Delivered by Various Means
Prior research has shown that physical activity interventions tailored to individuals and delivered via print materials have been more successful than non-tailored interventions in increasing physical activity levels. A study recently published in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicineexplored the effectiveness of delivering tailored interventions by Internet, thereby reducing costs and broadening the target population. After six months, participants who received tailored materials by mail reported a median of 112.5 minutes of physical activity per week, and those who received tailored information by Internet reported 120 minutes of weekly exercise. A control group receiving non-tailored information via Internet reported 90 minutes of physical activity. At 12 months, all three groups reported almost identical amounts of weekly physical activity, indicating that different types of delivery channels can be used successfully to increase physical activity.
archinte.ama-assn.org
A study published in Diabetes Care showed that overweight women with diabetes participating in an 18-month weight loss program who received motivational interviewing as part of the program lost double the amount of pounds compared with women who did not receive this intervention. Motivational interviewing is a technique in which a counselor asks open-ended questions to help clients deal with conflicts related to making a particular change.
Growing Evidence Highlights Health Benefits of Tai Chi
Although there is no way to validate the mysterious “chi” force that purportedly brings physiological balance to the body, researchers have studied the health benefits of Tai Chi by comparing the health and functioning of practitioners with sedentary adults. Recent studies have shown that Tai Chi boosts physical functioning, physical conditioning, metabolism, and mood. In addition, a study published in the April Journal of the American Geriatrics Society showed that Tai Chi may help older adults avoid getting painful shingles by increasing immunity to varicella-zoster virus and boosting immune response to the varicella vaccine. This is the first clinical trial to suggest that a behavioral intervention can help protect older adults from the varicella-zoster virus.
www.nih.gov
Obese Employees Benefit from Working Out while They Work
A vertical “walk and work” desk, designed by study authors at Mayo Clinic, may help obese workers lose as much as 66 pounds in one year by using the work station a few hours each work day. This desk design allows workers to walk on a treadmill while working at a computer. Study participants walked about one mile per hour.
Upcoming Conferences and Events
Summer National Senior Games: June 22-July 9, 2007; Louisville, KY
National Senior Games Association
American Diabetes Association 67th Scientific Sessions: June 22-26, 2007; Chicago, IL
American Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference: June 27-30, 2007; Denver, CO
N4A 32nd Annual Conference: July 29-Aug. 1, 2007; San Francisco, CA
ACE International Fitness Symposium: Sept. 4-7, 2007; Las Vegas, NV
American Academy of Family Physicians Scientific Assembly: Oct. 3-7, 2007; Chicago, IL
American Public Health Association 135th Annual Meeting: Nov. 3-7, 2007; Washington, D.C.
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The Blueprint Partners Project is an initiative of the Active Aging Partnership. For more information, contact the Blueprint Partnership Office at the University of Illinois Department of Kinesiology and Community Health.
Website: www.agingblueprint.org