The National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 50 and Older was developed to serve as a guide for multiple organizations, associations and agencies, to inform and support their planning work related to increasing physical activity among America's aging population. This Blueprint is intended to outline broad strategies that will lead to increasing physical activity among older Americans.

As a result of the Blueprint, The Active Aging Toolkit: Promoting Physical Activity in the Older Adult for Healthcare Providers was developed by a working group of researchers, healthcare providers, professional organizations, and private industry to help healthcare providers prescribe physical activity programs for their patients. The following professional organizations and private industry comprised the working group and now serve as the Active Aging Toolkit's Educational Partners: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Geriatrics Society, American Physical Therapy Association, National Center for Physical Activity and Disability, The President's Challenge, and Thera-Band Products. This toolkit is an evidence-based and an easy-to-instruct program for healthcare providers to educate their patients on increasing physical activity.

The First Step to ACTIVE HEALTH patient education kit was subsequently developed, in support of the Active Aging Toolkit, by THERA-BAND products as a turn-key, evidence-based physical activity program for older adults, with input and review from the Active Aging Toolkit's Educational Partners. The First Step to ACTIVE HEALTH provides an evidence-based, progressive activity program. The goal of the program is to improve health and functional ability, to promote independence, and to help prevent chronic disease and disability in adults over age 50.

You can view answers to common questions about the First Step to Active Heath program here. (PDF 58KB)