NEW Guide: Delivering physical activity to older disabled people

The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) were recently commissioned to write a resource for Age UK - ‘Delivering Physical Activity to Older Disabled People’. The guide has been written to support health and fitness practitioners who deliver in this field. The Guide is being launched at Fit as a Fiddle's Sport Engagement Seminar on 5th December 2012 - book a place.

The resource presents information, recommendations, expertise and examples of good practice from EFDS’s programme, the Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI), and Age UK’s Fit as a Fiddle (FAAF) project. These national projects already support and encourage more disabled and older people to access and participate in physical activity for better health and well-being within their local communities.

Both organisations share the important need to promote and provide more physical activity opportunities for older disabled populations. Physical activity has considerable benefits for everyone - including better health, improved quality of life, independence and sense of well-being as well as wider social benefits. As well as lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke and most cancers, it can prevent and treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, depression and improves cognitive function and memory. [1]

Further research suggests that physical inactivity is now thought to be the leading cause of preventable deaths and doing as little as 15 minutes of physical activity a day can add three years to your life. By advocating physical activity to older disabled people we hope to improve the quality of life and sustainable independent living.  

[1] Parr, Brian B., Exercise is medicine | Aiken Standard Updated: 30/5/2012 12:48 PM http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/050712-excercise-is-medicine-parr--3979057#ixzz1v7UueEQV (last accessed 07.06.2012)