Today marks the 24th Annual National Senior Health and Fitness Day! Every year on the last Wednesday in May, more than 100,000 older adults will participate in local health and wellness events at 1,000 locations across the country for the nation’s largest older adult health event. With the overall goal of the day to raise awareness about the importance of fitness for seniors, retirement communities, nursing homes, senior centers, hospitals and other local organizations host senior health related activities, such as exercise demonstrations, health information workshops and health screenings to educate seniors about health and fitness.
Below are some ways you can start planning for next year’s National Senior Health and Fitness Day, if you missed out this year or just want to get a head start.
- Mark Your Calendar
Next year’s National Senior Health and Fitness Day will be on May 30, 2018, so mark your calendar and save the date!
- Brainstorm Ideas
Start brainstorming ideas for what type of event you will host for next year. Since the premise is to educate seniors about the importance of health and fitness, the opportunities are endless. Some examples of activities and events you could host include: fitness walks/races, yoga and Zumba classes, health screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar or other health conditions, food demonstrations showing seniors how to prepare healthy meals and health seminars with doctors and/or nurses. A great activity that The Manny Cantor Center held, a physical fitness center, was helping seniors exercise and stay active. The Galter LifeCenter Gym also celebrated National Senior Health and Fitness Day by hosting lectures, classes and screenings on fitness and health.
- Don’t Forget to Register
Once you know what type of event you will host, make sure you register on time. In order to officially be a part of the National Senior Health and Fitness Day, you must register your senior living and care community or local organization.
- Participate in the Theme Contest
The 2017 National Senior Health and Fitness Day theme is “With Movement…There’s Improvement!” The event’s theme was submitted by Catherine Heggaton of Downers Grove, Illinois, from about 1,000 entries. Anyone age 50 or older is eligible to participate in the theme contest. The winning entrant receives a cash prize and their slogan printed on all of the National Senior Health and Fitness Day materials.