Strategies in Improving and Encouraging Walking among Older Adults

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for early mortality and morbidity. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends every adult, including those aged 65 years and above, to perform 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. The health benefits are great. Higher levels of physical activity have been associated with lower risks of cognitive decline, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and some non-communicable diseases. Considering that some people are physically inactive, the WHO’s umbrella recommendation is that “every move counts towards better health”. Walking is the easiest type of physical activity and is particularly suitable for older adults who are less physically active. Evidence shows that walking an additional 1000 steps per day alone can help lower the risk of all-cause mortality. However, promoting physical activity among older adults has been a challenge. In addition to lack of motivation, aged-related degeneration often leads to foot discomfort, physical fatigue, fear of falling, and a mismatch between physical activity goals and individual walking ability, which can be the reasons for their low participation in physical activity.

Previous studies have tested a range of strategies attempting to increase the level of physical activity among older adults. Examples include using pedometers to encourage walking more steps, wearing better footwear to provide comfort, providing coaching to assess an individual’s performance and provide motivational strategies, and exercise programs to reduce risk and fear of falling, which can be a barrier to attempting higher levels of physical activities. However, the percentage of older adults who are physically inactive remains high in many countries, requiring further input from different academic disciplines. This Research Topic aims to explore how different strategies can be used to promote more physical activity among older adults.

Topics of interest could be:

- Smart devices that encourage/enable older adults to walk longer distances or perform more intense physical activity

- Footwear to improve walking and sports performance among older adults

- Programs to raise awareness of the health benefits of being physically active

- Technology to engage older adults in physical activity

- Community design (e.g., better access to public parks) to promote walking and physical activity

- Applied psychology to enhance older adults' interest in participating in physical activity

- Coaching/exercise programs to encourage participation in physical activity among older adults