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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2002

Fitness Legend Jack LaLanne to Headline Active Aging Festival
Department of Aging Partners to Support First Arnold Fitness Expo Event of its Kind

COLUMBUS - The Ohio Department of Aging is partnering with the Arnold Fitness EXPO to present the event's first-ever Active Aging Festival. Jack LaLanne, TV fitness show pioneer and inventor of the "jumping jack" exercise, will headline the event held on Friday, March 2, 2007, from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in Columbus.

"We are proud to bring a legend and positive role model like Jack LaLanne to Ohio to show our residents - young and old - how getting and staying active contributes to a longer, happier and healthier life," said Barbara E. Riley, Director of the Ohio Department of Aging.

Jack and his wife, Elaine, are no strangers to Ohio. Jack headlined the 1997 Ohio Governor's Conference on Aging and received the Arnold Schwarzenegger Lifetime Achievement Award at the Arnold EXPO in 2005.

"At 92, Jack truly is a testament that we can - and do - get better with age," Riley added. "He embodies what research has shown: that regular physical activity and healthy diets can help our bodies maintain, repair and improve themselves to an amazing degree."

The Active Aging Festival will feature national and international experts who help adults start and continue an active, fun lifestyle that will improve strength and endurance, help them feel better, and reduce the risk of falling. In addition to the LaLannes, speakers will include Robert Goldman, M.D., D.O., Ph.D., founder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine; Steven T. Devor, Ph.D., FACSM, Graduate Program Director for Sport and Exercise Science at The Ohio State University; and Deborah Redder, National Programs Director of SilverSneakers.

For more information, visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.

The festival is part of the three-day Arnold Fitness EXPO, which features 32 other fitness events and more than 650 exhibitors. Admission to the EXPO is $10 per day and includes the Active Aging Festival. Tickets are available through TicketMaster at (614) 431-3600 or www.ticketmaster.com/arnold. For group ticket sales, call Libby Eckhardt at (614) 443-3529.

Festival sponsors include the Ohio Department of Aging, the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, Ohio Senior Olympics, World Gym, Raisin Rack, McConnell Heart Health and Mt. Carmel.

Facts About Fitness and Older Adults

• Most older people - even those with illnesses or disabilities - can take part in and benefit from moderate exercise programs.
• Regular exercise keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible and improves strength and balance, preventing falls and related fractures. It also strengthens bones and slows the progress of osteoporosis.
• Aerobic exercise increases the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, strengthening heart and lungs and lowering blood pressure.
• Regular exercise may speed wound-healing by as much as 25 percent.
• Physical exercise can slow the effects of aging and may also help people maintain cognitive abilities well into older age.
• Post menopausal women may be able to reduce their risk of breast and other cancers with higher levels of physical activity.
• Among older adults, walking is the first choice for fitness activities, followed by swimming, fishing, bicycle riding, camping, golf, bowling, exercise equipment, hiking, hunting, aerobics, calisthenics, jogging and tennis.
• More than 30 percent of Americans age 55 and older say they walk for exercise.

Fitness Tips for Older Adults

• Consult your physician before starting an exercise plan or increasing your physical activity to reduce the chance of injury.
• For best results, exercise briskly at least 15-30 minutes, three times a week.
• Always include time to stretch, warm up and cool down in every exercise session.
• Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and lungs. Aerobic exercises include brisk walking, swimming, jogging, cycling and dancing.
• Begin with short, simple workouts - especially if you have been inactive for a long time. Build up slowly, adding no more than a few minutes each week.
• Set weekly goals and reward yourself each time you succeed.
• Exercise with friends or family for added motivation.
• Pain is not a normal part of exercise. If you feel pain or discomfort when exercising, you may be trying to do too much.
• Exercise in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to permit freedom of movement and appropriate cooling.
• Don't exercise immediately after getting out of bed. Wait at least 30 minutes and make sure you warm up properly to work through stiffness and decrease the risk of injury.

About ODA

The Ohio Department of Aging serves and represents two million Ohioans age 60 and older. The Department advocates for the needs of all older citizens, with an emphasis on improving the quality of life for older Ohioans, helping them live active, healthy and independent lives, and promoting positive attitudes toward aging and older people. The Department provides services to older Ohioans through 12 area agencies on aging, home- and community-based Medicaid waiver programs such as PASSPORT, the long-term care ombudsman and the Golden Buckeye Card. For more information, visit www.goldenbuckeye.com.