What makes a healthy community? One answer is contained in the physical spaces and services that enable older adults to engage in healthy behaviors. Bike paths, walking trails, outdoor fitness spaces, meditation areas and labyrinths are just a few examples of infrastructure that can inspire and engage older populations. Another example can be found in upgraded senior centers providing spaces for community gardens and offering numerous educational campaigns and incentives to help lead their population towards a healthier life across the lifespan.

The second answer lies in the catchphrase of "personal responsibility." For a community to be healthy, the people living in that community need to take action. Here are 10 tips that can help you inform your older consumers about ways in which they can lead a healthier life, thus creating a healthy community. Here we go...

1. Expectations: If they have been following a healthy lifestyle up until now, simply tell them to keep going. If they need to make changes, help them to anticipate succeeding, not failing - and don't let age be a barrier. Research has shown that thinking positively about getting older can extend their life by as much as 7.5 years.

2. Enthusiasm: Few people are thrilled with every aspect of their lives, but many have at least one area - family, friends, work, avocation - that they feel good about. Identify an activity or connection that sparks their enthusiasm, and make it their lifeline; try to get them to extend that enthusiasm to other areas of their life.

3. Energy: Having the energy and motivation they need to age well are hallmarks of healthy living. If they are fatigued all the time, don't let apathy and lethargy drag them down; suggest they get a checkup to try to determine the cause and the solution.

4. Eating: Eating a balanced diet and attaining/maintaining a normal weight are keys to physical and mental health; if they need to lose weight or make changes in their diet, keep their expectations high - they can do it!

5. Exercise: Staying physically active fuels the body and mind. If they are already exercising regularly, encourage them to keep it up. It they are just getting started, help them to understand their skill level, get them to set goals and progress at their own pace, and get them to be consistent.

6. Engagement: Volunteers have higher levels of well-being and life satisfaction than those who don't volunteer; volunteering and other forms of civic and social engagement can play an important role in the maintenance of good health later in life. Get them involved in the community.

7. Emotions: Everyone feels down at times, but full-blown depression is a major cause of disability. If they are feeling out of sorts for two weeks or more, talk with their doctor or have them take an online screening test. In many instances, simply exercising and eating right can change their mood.

8. Education: Lifelong learning is important to living an independent and fulfilling life. Suggest your customers start now to learn a new area of knowledge or physical activity. It's good for the brain.

9. Effort: Changing expectations and embarking on new behaviors takes energy and effort, but the results for your customer will be well worth it.

10. Enjoyment: A healthy life generally is a joyous one. Suggest ways in which your customers can savor the process of being or becoming active, engaged, and truly alive.

How will you use this information to help build a healthier community in your town or city?

Summertime brings people outside to enjoy the sunshine and blue skies. Unfortunately, just because people are outdoors more does not mean that they are being active. Many people get in their car, drive to a pool or beach, set out their towel and lie or sit for hours - only to get back in their car, drive home and relax. This leads to a day full of inactivity!

For some people, it is second nature to be active all year round. Others may need a push. How can you help your community participate in healthier activities? Here are some ideas...

Participate in fit activities in your community

Some people just need a nudge to be more active. Ask your friends, neighbors, or co-workers to join you for a jog or walk. Be an active role model for your peers. Leading by example can be the best remedy for inactivity.

Invite your family and friends to the local park for a day of fun in the sun playing games and activities that get the heart racing. Think tag, capture the flag, volleyball, or even water balloon tosses. Parks departments also have great resources for getting involved in intramural sports, health fairs, charity walks or runs, and pet-friendly activities.

Join and help promote local fitness groups. Many communities already have fitness-themed groups or clubs, which entail biking, fun runners, ultimate Frisbee, yoga in the park, etc. If they don't have a group that suits your interests, create one!

Getting kids active and fit

Children are key to the success of our communities. Educating and teaching kids at an early age about the importance of health and fitness is a great investment in their continued health. The National Foundation for Governors' Fitness Councils is doing just this by installing brand new fitness centers in elementary and middle schools across the country.

This year, the following schools have already been selected for the fitness center award:

• Capital City Public Charter School - Washington, DC
• South Allegheny Middle School - Pittsburgh, PA
• Troy Intermediate School - Troy, PA
• Owatin Creek Elementary School - Reading, PA
• Roberto Clemente Promise Academy - Philadelphia, PA
  

  

The National Foundation expects to gain five more fitness centers by the end of the year.

Another recent example of a community health-and-fitness activity brought NBA/WNBA FIT to YMCA in San Francisco during ACSM's Annual Meeting. NBA/WNBA FIT Lead Clinician Frank Lopez got children up and moving via fun basketball fitness stations. The children then learned from Felicia Stoler, D.C.N., M.S., R.D., FACSM about proper nutrition.

What fitness activities does your community offer? What can you do to improve access to healthy activities for everyone?

You can feel it all around you - in the office, at the store, in a restaurant, and at home; it's May, and it's time to get active! Warmer weather is upon us, and we feel rejuvenated with an abundance of energy. What better time than May for Exercise is Medicine (EIM) Month and National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? Let's use this gift of increased energy and warmer weather to be more physically active.

EIM Month was launched in 2008 to celebrate May as a time for health care providers, fitness professionals, the public, and supporting organizations and constituents to recognize, emphasize and celebrate the valuable health benefits of exercise on a national scale.

Over the past few years, almost all 50 states, many cities, organizations and even some military bases have celebrated health and fitness in May by hosting a variety of organized events requiring physical activity to get people moving. This year we hope to involve every state!

Exercise is Medicine Month Spotlight

Art Anderssen's Wet 'n' Dry Fitness 'n' Fun, located in Punta Gorda, Florida, kicked off their EIM Month activities early this year. Their Dragon Boat team, the Drippin' Dragons, supported Exercise is Medicine Month while the EIM Network logo was emblazoned on the front of their team shirts during the 2nd Annual Dragon Boat Festival held on April 14. Punta Gorda issued its EIM Month proclamation on May 2nd,following Charlotte County's proclamation on April 24th.

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Be Active in May

A lot of great information was shared at the Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition this year. Here's a glimpse of what participants learned from the many topics presented. You might want to consider trying some of these when planning physical activities this month and beyond.

• Eccentric exercise and "going negative" in fitness routines: Instead of just putting the emphasis on curling or contracting motions, focus on slowly straightening or lowering the muscle. This technique can help you push through a training plateau. Examples of "eccentric exercise" include some of the following: walking downhill, doing single leg squats on an incline leg press or tricep dip on a bench, or doing a back extension on a Roman chair. This style of training can be good for injury protection. If you're injured, it can still be used on the healthy limb.
• Trends in high performance training: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and conditioning is in demand. Two weeks of HIIT - that's alternate bursts of high- or low-intensity energy levels - improves your aerobic capacity the same amount as doing 6-8 weeks of endurance training. Incorporate HIIT to help build muscle and speed weight loss. During HIIT, a person consumes more oxygen than during slower, distance exercising. This can increase post-exercise metabolism, and research has actually shown that one session of HIIT can burn calories for 1.5 - 2.4 hours after exercise.
• Be More Active and Less Inactive: Adults in the US spend 60% of their waking time being sedentary, mainly sitting. Even adults who exercise do not meet the recommendations for daily physical activity. Throughout the day, find opportunities to reduce the time spent sitting. Stand up during phone calls or while sending emails, walk more, take the stairs, and park further away from places you're going. Increased interruptions in sedentary time have added benefits.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Building a Fit Nation

Capping May as the month of both Physical Fitness and Sports Month and Exercise is Medicine Month, Dr. Sanjay Gupta will speak May 30 at the 59th ACSM Annual Meeting and 3rd World Congress on Exercise is Medicine. Dr. Gupta, CNN's multiple Emmy award-winning chief medical correspondent, will speak on "Using the Power of the Media to Help Build a Fit Nation."

How are you celebrating Exercise is Medicine Month? Share your story with us!