Event Resources

Welcome to the resources section for National Senior Health & Fitness Day, set for Wednesday, May 31st. Here you’ll find a selection of online tools that will help you plan and execute a Senior Day celebration with your participants. We have handpicked a group of outstanding websites and tools for you to choose from.

What to choose:

Feel free to pick and choose the things that work best for your participants, as you know them better than we do! Below you’ll see fitness and activity resources, nutrition resources, and more, along with a group of video conferencing services you can sample to see which one best meets your needs.

How to organize:

You can organize your virtual Senior Day any way you would like! We have provided you with a blank template here on our site that you can open and save that will serve as a guide for the resources you select. Simply cut and paste them from this page and you have a road map for your event. You can make things simple and basic, or go all out—your choice!

Fitness and Physical Activity Resources

Sit and Be Fit — a great resource for easy-to-follow exercises designed specifically for older adults. The Sit and Be Fit program was founded by Mary Ann Wilson, RN, and is recognized by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) as a "best practices" program in health promotion and aging. Try this Sit and Be Fit feet exercise with a towel. There are many other great videos available to share on their YouTube channel.

National Institute on Aging — looking for some good resources to share with older adults? These hand picked resources from the NIA are ones you may want to consider for your population. They are easy to follow and appropriate for many older adults.

5 Tips to Help You Stay Motivated to Exercise — simple tips for older adults.

Questions to Ask Yourself About Exercise and Physical Activity Barriers — quick worksheet to help older adults identify and address issues that may be preventing them from exercising.

Get Fit So You Can Do More! — describes the 4 types of exercise and some real life benefits they provide.

Goal Setting Worksheet — place to write down both short and long-term exercise goals.

Get Fit For Life — detailed resource about physical activity and exercise for older adults (ENGLISH).

Get Fit For Life — detailed resource about physical activity and exercise for older adults (SPANISH).

American Heart Association — a couple of interesting links from the AHA.

Make Every Move Count — infographic about how activity adds up.

Keep Them Happy/Keep You Happy — PDF about how to keep your feet healthy and happy.

Workout Videos for Older Adults

Feel free to use these workout videos for your older adult population if you think they are appropriate for their level of activity.

National Institute on Aging:

15 Minute Workout for Older Adults

10 Minute Workout for Older Adults

Stand On One Foot Balance Exercise for Older Adults

6 Flexibility Exercises for Older Adults

6 Upper Body Strength Exercises for Older Adults

4 Lower Body Strength Exercises for Older Adults

Hand Grip Strength Exercise for Older Adults

Overhead Arm Raise Strength Exercise for Older Adults

Back Leg Raise Strength Exercise for Older Adults

Toe Stand Strength Exercise for Older Adults

Wall Pushups

American Heart Association:

Chair Workout

CDC / STEADI / Other:

Chair Rise Exercise — recommended exercise for strengthening legs.

How to Get Started With Chair Yoga – from the University of Arkansas

How to Practice Chair Yoga – exercise video from Michigan State University

Tai Chi Warm Ups – exercise video from Michigan State University

Informational Exercise Videos:

The Emotional Benefits of Exercise

Stay Independent With Regular Exercise

Exercising Safely Outdoors

Nutrition Resources

Here are some nutrition and recipe videos/resources to share with your participants for your event.

The MyPlate App — older adults that want to try using their smartphone to meet healthy eating goals can download the MyPlate App from the U.S.D.A.

Tips to Reduce Salt and Sodium — smart tips from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on how to lower salt and sodium intake. (PDF)

How Too Much Sodium Affects Your Health — great informational PDF from the American Heart Association.

Cut Down on Added Sugars — PDF with strategies for limiting sugar in the diet.

Spice it Up! — help with choosing spices for cooking.

How to Eat Better — creating a healthy eating pattern. (ENGLISH)

How to Eat Better — creating a healthy eating pattern. (SPANISH)

ChooseMyPlate/USDA – quizzes and a word scramble online, as well as great educational resources for older adults. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Food quiz

Be Salt Smart Tip Sheet — easy ways to cut down on salt intake.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' award-winning eatright.org brings consumers the latest science-based nutrition information. Visit eatright.org for more information, and share these links with older adults for your virtual event.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili Recipe — easy recipe for making a batch of this healthy chili version.

Healthier Shepherd’s Pie Recipe — a new take on an old favorite!

Build a Healthy Salad — ways to maximize healthy salad prep.

Go Bananas Parfait Recipe — this tasty recipe is perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Healthy Lifestyles for Healthy Older Adults — some great tips for healthy eating as you get older.

20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables — easy tips for incorporating more fruits and veggies in day-to-day meals and snacks.

Tips for Eating Vegetarian — from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nutrition and Aging — info from Colorado State University.

USDA (Nutrition.gov) also has a great selection of healthy recipes available.

Overnight Oatmeal — easy breakfast recipe.

Watermelon Feta Salad — tasty salad–great for variety!

Pita Pizzas — these are manageable size and a healthier option than regular pizza.

Fall Prevention Resources

Loyola Medicine 

Tips for Preventing a Fall — video about fall prevention awareness.

National Council on Aging (NCOA)

Making Your Home Falls-Free — Video — NCOA teams up with the American Occupational Therapy Association to demonstrate simple ways to prevent falls at home.

Navigating Outdoor Fall Hazards — falls prevention information for navigating outdoors, such as getting in and out of the car, and more. Kathy Cameron from the Center for Healthy Aging and Emily Nabors from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology lead this demonstration.

Falls Free Checkup — 12 Question Quiz

6 Steps to Prevent a Fall (VIDEO) — short video highlighting a variety of ways to prevent a fall.

CDC

●     Stay Independent: Learn more about fall prevention (with quiz)

CDC / STEADI

●     Stay Independent: Prevent Falls

●     Prevent Falls with the STEADI Toolkit (VIDEO)

Miscellaneous

CDC — My Mobility Plan(Tool)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — Sunscreen: Test Your Knowledge Quiz

Eldercare Locator — Transportation Independence Brochure for Older Adults

National Institute on Aging — Getting a Good Night’s Sleep (ENGLISH)

National Institute on Aging — Getting a Good Night’s Sleep (SPANISH)

National Institute on Aging — Five Myths About Aging

National Institute on Aging — Reducing Your risk of Dementia

American Heart Association — Blood Pressure Brochure

American Heart Association — What is Cholesterol? (VIDEO)

American Heart Association — Flu Myths Busted (ENGLISH)

American Heart Association — Flu Myths Busted (SPANISH)

COVID-19 Resources

Coronavirus.gov – news, information, and updates on the COVID-19 crisis from the CDC, White House, and FEMA.

The Federal Trade Commission — resources for how to avoid scams related to the coronavirus

Video Conferencing Services

Click here for a PDF copy of this list of video conferencing services.

Zoom
Cost: Varies, ranges from $15 to 155+
Max # of Participants: 500/webinar, 100 meetings
Format: Livestream/webinar, video conference
Pros: High quality, easy to use
Cons: Time limit, need account or app to use, possible security issues
Click here for helpful information.

YouTube Live
Cost: Free
Max # of Participants: Unlimited
Format: Livestream
Pros: Can be public or private
Cons: Must have YouTube channel to stream, requirements for mobile streaming
Click here for helpful information.

Facebook Live
Cost: Free
Max # of Participants: Unlimited
Format: Livestream
Pros: People can view livestream without having a Facebook account
Cons: Video quality can be slow or less high-res than other platforms, must have account to stream
Click here for helpful information.

Skype Video
Cost: Free
Max # of Participants: 50
Format: Video conference
Pros: Encrypted, offers subtitles
Cons: Must have account
Click here for helpful information.

FreeConferenceCall.com
Cost: Free
Max # of Participants: Up to 1,000
Format: Video conference
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: Audio quality can lag, must sign up for free account
Click here for helpful information.

Tutorials for Videoconferencing and Webinars
Thinking of using Zoom, but not sure your seniors will be able to navigate the platform? Florida State University's Institute for Successful Longevity launched some tools that can help! Feel free to share the following with your participants so they can fully participate in any activities you'll be sharing on that platform for virtual Senior Day:
• How to Create a Zoom Account
• How to Join a Zoom Meeting
• How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting

(Keep in mind that Zoom can also be a good tool for older adults to use to stay connected during periods of increased social distancing.)