Resources
Selected reports, articles, links and videos on on the topic of healthy aging.
Fit for Life’s mission is grounded in sound empirical research, carried out by leading foundations, international organisations and universities.
Please note that these links are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement.
Selected reports & data
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Fit for Life Outlook Report
A comprehensive overview of the worldwide landscape of healthy aging. This report delves into the remarkable challenges and opportunities that arise in this field. Furthermore, it highlights success stories from impactful and scalable non-profit organizations from around the world recognized by the Fit for Life Foundation through its Awards program.
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The State of Healthy Ageing 2020 – Centre for Aging Better, UK
A concise presentation of the available data on aging in England, addressing a range of topics, from health to housing to the impact of Covid-19, as well as the growing social gap in healthy life expectancy.
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EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diet Summary Report, 2020
This groundbreaking report is the first attempt to set global, science based targets for both healthy diets – a key factor in preventing NCDs – and environmentally sustainable food production.
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WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, 2020
Evidence-based public health recommendations on physical activity at different life stages from childhood to old age, defined by the amount of physical activity (frequency, intensity and duration) required to offer significant health benefits.
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Global Report on Ageism - WHO 2021
This report summarizes the best evidence about the scale, the impact and the determinants of ageism and the most effective strategies to reduce it. It concludes with three recommendations for action, informed by the evidence, to create a world for all ages.
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Aging Europe: Looking at the Lives of Older People in the EU - Eurostat 2020
This statistical yearbook provides a wealth of data and analysis describing the everyday lives of older people in the European Union. Of particular interest are the sections on health and disability, physical activity, and support networks.
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AGE Barometer Europe 2019 - AGE Platform Europe
This report on the living conditions of older people in 11 EU member states details national priorities and policies on gender equality, employment, age-friendly workplaces, work-life balance, the fight against poverty & social exclusion, and adequate income. Health and mobility are addressed as cross-cutting issues.
Selected initiatives & networks
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WHO Decade of Healthy Aging
Launched in 2021, the Decade of Healthy Aging aims to bring together governments, civil society, international agencies, academia, the media, and the private sector to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live.
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Age Friendly World Network
Age friendly world is the WHO platform for age-friendly cities and communities. A great resource for ideas about how to foster healthy, active aging and support the inclusion and mobility of older people in diverse social and cultural contexts.
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AGE Platform Europe
AGE Platform Europe is a European network of non-profit organisations for people aged 50+. It aims to voice and promote the interests of the 200 million citizens aged 50+ in the European Union and to raise awareness on issues of concern to them.
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Healthy Longevity Global Competition - US National Academy of Medicine
A prize program that supports innovative, impactful ideas that contribute to extending health and function later in the lifespan. Competitors may submit ideas related to basic science, medical treatments, commercial products, technologies, social sciences, architectural and community design, or any other field.
Selected videos and podcasts
National Institute On Aging - Go4Life campaign
The National Institute on Aging channel offers a collection of 12 workout videos designed for older adults, as well as information on diseases of age such as Alzeimer’s and sarcopenia.
The Healthspan Imperative
This short film from the Alliance for Aging Research (USA) sums up the causes and challenges of increased longevity, and argues for investment in research to better understand the aging process and to extend healthy lifespan.
Age is Relative
“What do you want to be doing when you’re 70, 80 or 100? Living independently and enjoying life? Then make exercise part of your daily routine – starting right now!” Jack Lowe, Champion of the Fit for Life Foundation philosophy and author of the book “Get Fit for Life”.
Walking the Talk on NCDs - NDC Alliance
A concise overview of the causes and challenges of reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) globally. NCDs are currently the #1 cause of death and disability in the world, and the burden is disproportionately severe in low- and middle-income countries.
The brain-changing benefits of exercise
What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory, and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Embracing elderhood as a stage of life with Louise Aronson
Dr Aronson is a practicing geriatrician and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the founding director of the AGE SELF CARE program and the Integrative Aging clinical practice at UCSF, and the author of the non-fiction bestseller and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life.
Selected articles
Get Fit for Life by Jack Lowe
A lifelong runner, cyclist, mountaineer, and champion of the Fit for Life philosophy, Jack suffered a back injury in his early 70s which threatened to severely limit his mobility. Thanks to a combination of surgery and daily exercise, he made a full recovery. But the experience got him thinking. What are the main factors influencing health as we grow older? What can we do to prevent the disease and disability that severely limit the independence of many older people?