An Exercise in Ageing

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Since it was established at The University of Queensland in 2001, the Australasian Centre on Ageing has worked with government, aged care providers and other stakeholders on the development of policy relevant research.

As one of the priority areas identified by the Federal Government's National Strategy for an Ageing Australia, the ACA is working towards promoting the health of older adults through active leisure, in particular physical activity.

It is well documented that people who are inactive are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, some cancers, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce or prevent these diseases and to reduce the functional decline associated with ageing.

In recent pilot studies, the ACA found some older people are put off exercising because they have no-one to exercise with, they lack the interest or they don't perceive it to be important.

Working with colleagues in the Schools of Human Movement Studies, Tourism and Leisure Management, and Public Health, ACA staff have developed a model for engaging older people in physical activity through locally available resources.

This new study, a partnership with Brisbane and Ipswich city councils, is focusing on identifying and training volunteer "physical activity motivators" in the community to successfully engage older adults in exercise programs suited to individual needs and preferences.

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