Physical activity and sports participation are of particular importance in older adults to maintain functional capacity and prevent falls, as well as to maintain social networks that may also have positive effects on health. Older adults (65+ years of age) are also the population group in which most health benefits of physical activity become visible, i.e. lifelong activity can prevent or delay the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and dementia. Therefore, promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior among older adults is of high public health importance. .

This working group, led by Kirsi Keskinen, University of Jyväskylä and Tjasa Knific, National Public Health Institute, Slovenia; Dr Liesbeth Preller (secretariat), Knowledge Centre for Sport Netherlands, aims to identify the main barriers (social, physical, spatial, financial) to sport participation and physical activity for older adults. It focuses on identifying specific needs in research, evidence and practice with regard to the whole range of interventions, including, for example, home and community programmes, spatial planning, policy and advocacy. The working group also contributed to the development of a joint declaration to promote active ageing through falls prevention, which was launched in 2015.

The working group provides a platform for exchanging experience, effective interventions, training and education, and ways to disseminate scientific knowledge to policy-makers and practitioners.

Active ageing through preventing falls: “Falls prevention is everyone’s business”