Exercise for Aging Adults

Dr. Gail Sullivan is Professor of Medicine, Associate Director for Education, and Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program Director at the UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut. She teaches geriatrics to medical and other trainees and sees patients through the UConn Health Center’s Geriatrics Associates’ practice.  Dr. Sullivan has presented at regional, national and international meetings on various geriatric medicine topics, such as Geriatric Educational Strategies; Medical Education Research; The Approach to the Older Patient; Exercise in Older Persons;  and Pharmacology. Dr. Sullivan is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.  A fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Geriatrics Society, Dr. Sullivan is listed in “Best Doctors in America,” “Best Doctors for Women” (Connecticut Magazine), and “Top Doctors in the Greater Hartford Area” (Hartford Magazine). Dr. Alice Pomidor is a family practice geriatrician who has taught a variety of topics in geriatrics for over 25 years.  Her areas of expertise cover a myriad of older adult topics, including older adult driving, physical activity, health literacy, and falls prevention. Her research interests include innovated educational tools, such as educational video games and technology to teach geriatric concepts. She is a former fellowship director and served previously as a division chief of geriatrics, as well as a medical director at multiple retirement and long-term care communities. In addition to her work as a researcher and educator, Dr. Pomidor dedicates herself to numerous community activities and serves on the Board of the local Alzheimer's Project. She is a member of the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition in Florida and a former president of the Florida Geriatrics Society. She is also the chair of the Public Education Committee and a Fellow of the American Geriatrics Society, and offers her clinical services at the Wound Healing Center in Tallahassee.   

The Physiology of Aging and Exercise.- Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults.- Risks of Exercise for Older Adults.- Types of Exercise: Flexibility, Strengthening, Endurance, Balance.- Motivational Interviewing for Older Adults.- Writing an Exercise Prescription for Older Adults.- Cultural Considerations for Exercise in Older Adults.- Exercises for Older Adults in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities.- Exercise for Hospitalized Older Adults.- Frailty and Older Adults.- Community-Based Exercise Programs for Older Adults.- Implementing and Disseminating Exercise Programs for Older Adult Populations.

"The purpose is to provide professionals working with older adults, who may have various levels of function and disease conditions, with appropriate physical activity recommendations that can be implemented in a variety of settings. ... This is an excellent handbook for any healthcare or community-based practitioners interested in promoting exercise among older adults. ... This should be on the bookshelf of every practitioner caring for older adults." (Lorraine J. Phillips, Doody's Book Reviews, October, 2015)