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Mature Fitness Awards USA® Program
Re-Launch During 22nd Annual
National Senior Health & Fitness Day®
Nation’s First Fitness Recognition Program for
Older Adults
(LIBERTYVILLE, IL -- December 2014) As part of the 22nd anniversary of National Senior Health & Fitness Day, the Mature Market Resource Center, event organizer, announces the re-introduction of the Mature Fitness Awards USA, the nation’s first fitness recognition program for older adults.
This unique awards program is a year-round component to National Senior Health & Fitness Day, the nation’s largest older adult health and wellness event, always held the last Wednesday in May as part of Older Americans Month and National Physical Fitness & Sports Month activities. More than 1,000 local groups are planning to host 2015 “Senior Day” events on Wednesday May 27th for more than 100,000 older adults across the country on the same day. This year’s event will be the largest in its 22-year history.
Professionals who work with local older adult fitness programs and local seniors themselves can find Mature Fitness Awards USA program details at fitnessday.com/mfa, part of the National Senior Health & Fitness Day website. All award program details, including activities recognized, a log for tracking activity progress, and award recognitions, can be found at the website. A revised Mature Fitness Awards USA brochure will be available this fall.
According to Patricia Henze, executive director of the Mature Market Resource Center, “National Senior Health & Fitness Day is celebrated one day each year. We introduced the Mature Fitness Awards USA program to help provide physical activity motivation for the other 364 days.”
The Mature Fitness Awards USA program is specifically designed to motivate
older adults to improve their health through regular physical activity.
The program's goal is consistent with the impressive amount of recent
research on the importance of exercise for older adults. The landmark
U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health concluded
that, "Older adults can obtain significant health benefits with a moderate
amount of physical activity..."
Open to adults age 50 and over, the Mature Fitness Awards USA program
provides recognition for a variety of physical activities popular with
older adults. Participants use the annual program brochure to record their
fitness activities, and those who meet the program requirements receive
special recognition — including a colorful lapel pin and certificate.
Older adults can earn Mature Fitness Awards annually.
The Mature Fitness Awards USA program standards were developed based on
research from the U.S. Surgeon General's Report and with advice from experts
in the fields of exercise physiology and older adult fitness. The President's
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the American College of Sports
Medicine also provided assistance in the development of the fitness activity
standards.
About the Mature Market Resource Center
The Mature Market Resource Center (MMRC), organizer of both the Mature Fitness Awards USA and National Senior Health & Fitness Day, is a national clearinghouse for professionals who work in senior markets. In addition to National Senior Health & Fitness Day and the Mature Fitness Awards, other well-known MMRC programs include the 24 year-old National Mature Media Awards (seniorawards.com), the New Product & Technology Awards (agingawards.com), together with professional publications and research services.
