FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Carr, (206) 727-6298 or (360) 671-0738

September 29, 2003

Lifetime Fitness Program Receives Top National Standing

Seattle, Wa. – Seattle-based Lifetime Fitness Program is among the top 10 physical activity programs in the U.S., according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Lifetime Fitness, part of Senior Wellness Project, is a group fitness program promoting physical activity in seniors. Lifetime Fitness participants show improved physical and social functioning and lower levels of pain and depression.

Lifetime Fitness was selected from among 1,100 organizations nationally after completing a competition to identify best practices in physical activity programming for older adults. The top 10 programs will receive a cash award of $1,000 and a certificate of achievement from NCOA.

The Lifetime Fitness Program is managed by a partnership between Senior Services of Seattle/King County and Group Health Cooperative. The University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center conducts ongoing evaluation and analysis of Lifetime Fitness in its partnership role.

“This award affirms the work of a strong partnership in providing a high quality, effective fitness program for seniors,” said Susan Snyder, Senior Wellness Project Director. “Since the program study nine years ago, the number of locations around the country that have implemented Lifetime Fitness has grown steadily. We currently have 59 sites in six states and we expect the number to increase now that the award has been announced.”

Lifetime Fitness helps seniors maintain good health and independence. It meets three times a week, and includes strength training, aerobics, stretching, and balancing exercises, led by a certified fitness instructor. Lifetime Fitness settings include senior centers, community centers, nonprofit hospitals, churches, YMCAs, public housing, nonprofit retirement communities and a university center for senior fitness. There are currently 48 sites in Washington State.

“We are delighted to still be working with Senior Services and Group Health on continued refinement and broader application of the Lifetime Fitness Program,” said James P. LoGerfo, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Health Services Director, University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC).

-more-

Lifetime Fitness Top Ten Award, page 2

The top 10 programs were chosen following a thorough review process, which included assessment of the program’s ability to attract and retain hundreds of participants and the way in which an agency provides resources and long-term support. Participating in the review were advisors from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Aging Studies Branch and Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration on Aging, the Healthy Aging Network: Prevention Research Centers, as well as members of the Aging Network and NCOA.

The pilot study that launched the Lifetime Fitness Program took place at the Northshore Senior Center in Bothell in 1993. It was developed by former University of Washington HPRC doctors David Buchner, who is now head of the Centers for Disease Control Physical Activity programs and Elaine Cress, who is now at the University of Georgia.

Lack of physical activity and poor diets contribute to chronic diseases and are the major causes of the obesity epidemic in this country. Despite overwhelming evidence demonstrating the now well-known benefits of physical activity, older adults have the lowest rates of activity among all adults. Nearly 75 percent of older Americans do not participate in any routine physical activities. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, few older Americans achieve the minimum recommended 30 or more minutes of physical activity on five or more days a week.

To help change this dynamic, NCOA has launched a three-year, multi-pronged effort to assist community service organizations in offering higher quality, accessible programs that will reduce the rates of physical inactivity among seniors in communities across the nation.

The NCOA project, which began last fall, addresses a number of strategies identified by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older. The project is funded by the foundation.

Lifetime Fitness is part of the Senior Wellness Project, a core program of Senior Services, a nonprofit organization. Senior Services provides information and services to 70,000 seniors, their family members, and their caregivers. Through twelve countywide programs, nine senior centers, and five adult day health centers, Senior Services fulfills its mission, “to support the independence of seniors.” Our programs include: Meals on Wheels, Hot Lunch Program, Mobile Market, Ethnic Dietitian Services, African American Outreach, Caregiver Outreach & Support, Senior Information & Assistance, Senior Rights Assistance & Elder Law Clinic, Homesharing, Senior Wellness Project, Minor Home Repair and Volunteer Transportation.

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