WELCOME TO MODULE 5: Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults on NIHSeniorHealth

Previous Page

Helping Older Adults Search for Health Information Online

A Toolkit for Trainers from the National Institute on Aging

In this module, you will find

To teach the module, you will need

To get started, you should

Questions or comments about the Toolkit? Contact the National Institute on Aging at (301) 496-1752 or e-mail daileys@nia.nih.gov

Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults on NIHSeniorHealth: Introduction

LESSON OVERVIEW

Lesson Goals

In this lesson, students will:

  1. Recall how to use the Home Page of the NIHSeniorHealth website.
  2. Recall how to use the All Topics A-Z page to find health topics on the NIHSeniorHealth website.
  3. Recall how to use the special features (optional).
  4. Recall how to use the Table of Contents of a health topic.
  5. Read about the health benefits of exercise for older adults.
  6. Read about exercise safety for older adults.
  7. Recall how to take an online quiz.
  8. Read about suitable exercises for older adults and see how to do them.
  9. Read stories by older adults who enjoy a variety of exercise activities.

Lesson Materials

In this lesson, students will need:

* This glossary only includes Internet terms relevant to this lesson. An alphabetical list of all glossary terms introduced in the nine Toolkit lessons is available online at www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit.

Lesson Length

This lesson should last: Approximately 2½ hours, with an optional stopping point at 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Lesson Preparation

Before the lesson, you should:

When you arrive in the classroom, you should:

You should also

LESSON STRUCTURE – Senior Friendly, Trainer Friendly

The senior-friendly lesson structure includes:

The trainer-friendly lesson plan features:

About the Scripted Transition Boxes

[IMAGE: page with Scripted Transition box circled]

This lesson plan uses a combination of scripted and descriptive sections. The colored, scripted transition boxes which appear at the top of each page of the lesson plan are designed as “anchor points,” marking the end of one part of the lesson and the start of another. It is important to convey the content in these transition boxes, although you may use your own wording as you become more familiar with the material. The steps that follow each scripted box are descriptive. Move through them according to your personal training style.

This approach is useful in maintaining lesson focus and keeping trainers and students on track. It also makes the lesson plan easy to use.

Important Note

In the discussions of health issues that may occur during class, refrain from offering medical advice or advocating specific treatments, physicians, hospitals, insurance plans, etc. Also, discourage this type of activity among students. Always emphasize that students should consult their health care providers about any medical information they may hear about in class or find on the Internet.

Icons Used in the Lesson Plan

REACHING THE OLDER STUDENT

To help your students grasp, apply, and retain the skills and information they are taught, be sure to:

These training techniques from the lesson can also help you be successful:

Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults on NIHSeniorHealth: LESSON PLAN

OPENING COMMENTS (5 Minutes)

“Welcome to Lesson 5: Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults on NIHSeniorHealth. (Pronounced N-I-H Senior Health.) My name is _________. (This is our classroom assistant_________.) Before we start the class, I’d like to review a few general points.”

Tell students the following:

  1. This Lesson…
    • Is intended for beginning students.
    • Is the fifth in a series of nine lessons developed by the National Institute on Aging to help older adults learn to find accurate online health information on their own.
  2. The NIHSeniorHealth website they will visit…
    • Is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, both part of the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.
    • NIH is part of the U.S. Government’s Department of Health and Human Services.
  3. Please be aware that…
    • Online health information is in no way meant to substitute for medical advice from a doctor.
    • In class discussions, students should not attempt to provide medical advice to classmates, however well-intentioned it may be.
  4. Housekeeping Issues…
    • Class will last about __minutes with stretch break(s) lasting ___minutes.
    • Bathroom breaks can be taken anytime. Restrooms are located______.
  5. Ask students if they have any questions.

INTRODUCTIONS (3 Minutes)

“Before we get started, let’s introduce ourselves.”

  1. Introduce yourself, giving your name and your experience teaching computers and the Internet. If you have a classroom assistant or peer coach, introduce that person.
  2. Ask students to give their names and tell whether they are at a beginning, intermediate, or advanced level with regard to their Internet experience.
  3. If time permits, ask each student to tell something about his or her background (family, work, travels, education…), why they decided to take this class, and what they hope to learn.

Purpose of Activity

Class Procedures (3 Minutes)

“Let’s talk for a moment about how the class will proceed. You will be learning new ways to use technology, and in order for everyone to be successful, here are some things we need to do.”

Tell students the following:

  1. To make sure everyone grasps the information and learns the skills…
    • We will proceed in a step-by-step manner and at a slow-to-moderate pace.
    • I (or my assistant) will circulate frequently during class to make sure everyone is keeping up with the lesson.
    • There will be plenty of hands-on practice activities to let you apply the skills that you learn.
    • There will be plenty of handouts to help you learn the skills while in class and to use as a reference once you leave class.
  2. As students, you should…
    • Feel free to raise your hand and ask a question if you do not understand something.
    • Feel free to ask me to repeat anything I’ve said.
    • Not worry about hurting the equipment because it is very sturdy.
    • Not worry about making mistakes because that is to be expected when learning a new technology.
    • Have a binder or folder to store the handouts you will receive.
  3. Ask students if they have any questions about class procedures.

Purpose of Activity

To communicate expectations, put students at ease, and facilitate learning.

Take-home Assignment (5 Minutes)

“Before we get started with the new material, let’s go over the take-home assignment from the last class.”

  1. Restate the take-home assignment from Module 4.
    • Searching the FAQs of a health topic on NIHSeniorHealth and finding two new pieces of information about the topic.
  2. Ask students to share their results with the class.
  3. Ask students to share any problems they had navigating

Note

Purpose of Activity

LESSON GOALS (2 Minutes)

“In this lesson we will learn about exercise and older adults. Let’s take a look at the specific goals for today’s lesson.”

Pass out Handout 5A: Lesson Goals.

  1. Go over the handout with students.

Purpose of Activity

INTERNET TERMS (5 Minutes)

“Before we actually get into the heart of the lesson, let’s review a few basic Internet terms.”

Pass out Handout 5B: Glossary

  1. Knowing the meaning of these Internet terms will help students understand the lesson. All of these terms have been introduced in previous lessons, but going over them again may help students recall their meaning.
  2. You may want to demonstrate the terms for students from your computer projector.

Tips for Glossary Review

INTERNET TERMS

  1. back arrow
  2. button
  3. FAQs
  4. link (or hyperlink)
  5. menu
  6. scroll
  7. scroll bar
  8. site index

REVIEW: THE HOME PAGE (5 Minutes)

“Let’s start with Goal 1 – reviewing parts of the website we learned about last time, beginning with the Home Page.”

  1. Students' screens should be set on the Home Page of NIHSeniorHealth at www.nihseniorhealth.gov.
  2. Familiarize students with the main features of the page:
    • The purpose of the site (for adults 60 and older)
    • The Health Topics which can be found using the alphabet or the health categories
    • The Exercise Stories
    • The Health Videos
  3. Point out the Home, Site Index and Contact Us buttons, located at the top of every page
  4. At the bottom, point out the Read more about NIHSeniorHealth link.
  5. Under the Category section, ask students to clink on All Topics A-Z

REVIEW: THE All Topics A-Z PAGE (5 Minutes)

"This is the All Topics A-Z page, with a list of the health topics on the website."

  1. Point out the alphabet as a way to go directly to a topic on the page.
  2. Ask students to scroll down the page to see the available health topics.
  3. Point out the Home and Site Index buttons available at the top of the page.

REVIEW: SPECIAL FEATURES (optional) (5 Minutes)

“Now, for Goal 3. You will recall that NIHSeniorHealth has special features to make the information on the website easier for older adults to grasp. These features let you change the size of the text, change the color of the page, and hear the text read aloud. The buttons for these features are found at the top of each page.”

  1. Text Size
    • Demonstrate as students navigate with you.
    • Enlarge the text using the text size button. Let students set the text at the size they prefer. They can switch back to the normal (default) text size if they like.
  2. Contrast
    • Demonstrate as students navigate with you.
    • Change the contrast using the contrast button. Students can switch back to the normal (default) colors if they like.
  3. Speech
    • Demonstrate as students navigate with you.
    • Click on the speech button to hear the text read aloud. After hearing some text read aloud, ask students to switch back to the silent mode to keep the sound from disrupting the class.

REVIEW: The Table of Contents Page (2 Minutes)

“Let’s look at Goal 4 – recalling how to use the Table of Contents page which is available for each topic. Let’s go to the Table of Contents for the Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults topic.”

  1. From the All Topics A-Z page, click on Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults. Ask students to navigate with you from their computers.
  2. Point out these links on the Table of Contents page.
    • Benefits of Exercise
    • How to Get Started
    • Exercises to Try
    • How to Stay Active
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • See the Exercise Stories
    • MedlinePlus for more information

SUMMARIZING (2 Minutes)

“Now let’s take a look at the Lesson Goals to see what we have accomplished so far.”

Refer to Handout 5A: Lesson Goals.

  1. Demonstrate and summarize the following learning objectives from Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4:
    • Using the Home Page
    • Using the All Topics A-Z page
    • Using the special features (if presented)
    • Using the Table of Contents
  2. Ask students if they have any questions.
  3. Ask students to check off Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4 on their handout.

TIME CHECK: 40 minutes elapsed; 1 hour, 50 minutes left.

Purpose of Activity

Benefits of Exercise (15 Minutes)

“Let’s move on to Goal 5 – reading about the health benefits of exercise for older adults.

First, we’ll take a look at one older man’s view of exercise.”

Pass out Handout 5C: Fred.

  1. Read the opening paragraphs of Act I: Fred’s Golden Years to the class. Select two students to read the parts of Fred and his daughter, Janet.
  2. When the students have finished reading the dialogue, ask the class what reasons Fred gave for not exercising. Write their responses on the blackboard or on a flip chart.
    Fred’s reasons for not exercising:
    • He needs to relax.
    • Exercise will not make a difference.
    • You have to work too hard.
    • Exercise is for younger people.
  3. Demonstrate while students navigate with you. Click on Benefits of Exercise and then click on Health Benefits. Ask students to read through the Health Benefits section silently by clicking on Next Page.
  4. Ask students to find and write down two facts that might encourage Fred to think differently about exercise. Tell them to STOP when they come to the page with the quiz.
  5. Ask students to share the two facts they found with the class.

SUMMARIZING (2 Minutes)

“Now let’s take a look at the Lesson Goals to see what we have accomplished so far.”

Refer to Handout 5A: Lesson Goals.

  1. Demonstrate and summarize the following learning objectives from Goals 5:
    • Reading through the information on health benefits of exercise by clicking on Next Page.
  2. Ask students if they have any questions.
  3. Ask students to check off Goals 5 on their handout.

Purpose of Activity

Exercise and you (10 Minutes)

“Take a moment to reflect on your own experience with exercise.”

Pass out Handout 5D: Are You a “Fred”?

  1. Have students complete the handout. Then, put students in groups of 2 or 3 and have them discuss their responses and whether Fred’s reasons for not exercising apply to them.
  2. Ask students to share with the class the two questions they have about exercise.
  3. Ask students to put the handout aside. They will return to it later.

SAFETY FIRST (15 Minutes)

“Let’s move on to Goals 6 and 7 – reading about exercise safety for older adults and recalling how to take an online quiz.

First, let’s see what’s happening with Fred.”

Refer students to Handout 5C: Fred.

  1. Read aloud (or have students read silently) Act II: Fred Tries Exercise.
  2. Ask the class for their thoughts on Fred’s attempt at exercise.
  3. Tell students to click on How to Get Started on the left menu and then on Safety First. Ask them to skim the 9 pages of safety information by clicking on Next Page. Students should STOP when they come to the quiz.
  4. Demonstrate for students how to take a quiz by doing the first question. Then have students navigate with you as everyone completes the three remaining questions together. Let students suggest the answers.
  5. Ask the class what they learned about safety and exercise and if they read any information that could help Fred.
    (Answer: Checking with his doctor before trying vigorous activity.)

Teaching Tip

Proceed slowly through the exercise. Make sure each student is keeping up.

SUMMARIZING (2 Minutes)

“Now let’s take a look at the Lesson Goals to see what we’ve accomplished so far.”

Refer to Handout 5A: Lesson Goals.

  1. Demonstrate and summarize the following learning objectives from Goals 6 and 7:
    • Reading through the information on Safety First
    • Taking an online quiz
  2. Ask students if they have any questions.
  3. Ask students to check off Goals 6 and 7 on their handout.

OPTIONAL STOPPING POINT: 1 hour, 25 minutes elapsed; 1 hour, 5 minutes left.

(If you choose to stop here, you may teach the remaining material in the next class.)

Purpose of Activity

Exercises To Try (20 Minutes)

“Let’s go to Goal 8 – learning about suitable exercises for older adults and how to do them.”

We’ll visit a place on the website where you can see how to do the exercises correctly.”

  1. Demonstrate while students navigate with you. Click on Exercises to Try on the left menu. Read, or have a student read, the content on that page describing the four types of
    exercises older adults should do.
  2. From the left menu, click on Flexibility Exercises and walk students through that information by clicking on Next Page. Pause to read a page here and there. STOP when you come to an image of a woman doing a neck stretch (on the 5th page).
  3. Let students read the instructions and then ask them to enlarge the image to see a larger version of the exercise.
  4. Tell students to select one of the three other types of exercises from the left menu. Ask them to read through that section and find and enlarge images of these exercises.
  5. Briefly discuss what students found out about the different types of exercises.

SUMMARIZING (5 Minutes)

“Now let’s take a look at the Lesson Goals to see what we’ve accomplished so far.”

  1. Demonstrate and summarize the following learning objectives from Goal 8:
    • Reading about suitable exercises for older adults and see how to do them
  2. Ask students if they have any questions.
  3. Ask students to check off Goal 8 on their handout.

TIME CHECK: 1 hour, 50 minutes elapsed; about 42 minutes left.

Purpose of Activity

Exercise Stories (15 Minutes)

“Finally, let’s take a look at Goal 9 – reading stories by older adults who enjoy a variety of exercise activities.”

  1. Have students click on Home at the top of the page to return to the Home Page.

Pass out Handout 5E: Exploring Exercise Stories.

  1. Go over the steps on the handout with students to familiarize them with the activity. Then, demonstrate the exercise while they watch you.
  2. Have students do the exercise on their own.
  3. Ask students what they thought of the stories, and whether they were motivated by them.

Teaching Tip

Walk around to students’ computers and assist them with the exercise if necessary.

SUMMARIZING (2 Minutes)

“Now let’s take a look at the Lesson Goals to see what we’ve accomplished so far.”

Refer to Handout 5A: Lesson Goals.

  1. Demonstrate and summarize the following learning objectives from Goal 9:
    • Navigating Exercise Stories.
    • Reading stories by older adults who enjoy a variety of exercise activities.
  2. Ask students if they have any questions.
  3. Ask students to check off Goal 9 on their handout.

Purpose of Activity

EXERCISE, FRED, AND YOU, REVISITED (10 Minutes)

“Now let’s re-visit Fred and see what has happened with him.”

Refer to Handout 5C: Fred.

  1. Read, or have selected students read, the opening paragraphs of Act III: Fred’s Exercise Program to the class. Select two other students to read the parts of Fred and his daughter, Janet.
  2. Ask the class for their thoughts on Fred’s exercise program.

Refer students to Handout 5D: Are You a “Fred”?

  1. Ask students to look at the two questions they had about exercise and see if their questions have been answered. Have them share their answers with each other.
  2. If time permits, allow students to research any questions they still have using the Frequently Asked Questions. Recall for them how to use the FAQs by clicking on the Frequently Asked Questions link on the left menu of the Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults topic and scrolling down to the questions they are interested in.
    If they do not recall how to use the FAQs, demonstrate for them.

WRAPPING UP (10 Minutes)

“In this lesson, you’ve done online research about exercise and older adults. You have

  1. Recalled how to use the Home Page of NIHSeniorHealth.
  2. Recalled how to use the All Topics A-Z page to find health topics.
  3. Recalled how to use the special features (optional).
  4. Recalled how to use the Table of Contents of a health topic.
  5. Read about the health benefits of exercise for older adults.
  6. Read about exercise safety and older adults.
  7. Learned about suitable exercises for older adults and saw them demonstrated.
  8. Read stories about older adults who enjoy a variety of exercise activities.

Here is a handout to help you recall what you learned.”

Pass out Handout 5F: Lesson Review with Screen Shots.

  1. Read the cover description, How to Use This Handout, to students.
  2. Go over each screen shot, reading the captions to remind students of the navigation steps they learned on each page. (You do not need to refer back to the computer screen at
    this point.)
  3. Encourage students to use this handout as a reference when practicing the skills they learned in this lesson.

Purpose of Activity

Take-home Assignment (5 Minutes)

“Remember, always check with your doctor or health care provider about health information you find on the Internet.
Also, check with your doctor or health care provider before beginning any exercise program.
Here’s your take-home assignment, which will give you more practice with the skills you’ve learned today.”

  1. Offer students one of two possible take-home assignments. Students can:
    • Look at images of other exercises and see instructions on how to do them by going to Exercises To Try and clicking on strength, balance, flexibility, or endurance exercises.
    • Write their own exercise story and submit it for posting on NIHSeniorHealth. (Instructions are in the first paragraph of the Exercise Stories page.) This is an advanced exercise, which only experienced students will be able to do without assistance.
  2. Ask students the address of the NIHSeniorHealth website.
    Answer: www.nihseniorhealth.gov
  3. Remind them that the address of the website can be found at the bottom of their handouts.

Teaching Tip

You may wish to write the take-home assignment and URL for NIHSeniorHealth on the board.

END OF LESSON 5

Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults on NIHSeniorHealth: HANDOUTS

HANDOUT 5A: Lesson goals

During this lesson, you will:

  1. ___ Recall how to use the Home Page of the NIHSeniorHealth website.
  2. ___ Recall how to use the All Topics A-Z page to find health topics on the NIHSeniorHealth website.
  3. ___ Recall how to use the special features (optional)
  4. ___ Recall how to use the Table of Contents of a health topic.
  5. ___ Read about the health benefits of exercise for older adults.
  6. ___ Read about exercise safety for older adults.
  7. ___ Recall how to take an online quiz.
  8. ___ Learn about suitable exercises for older adults and see how to do them.
  9. ___ Read stories by older adults who enjoy a variety of exercise activities.

HANDOUT 5B: Glossary

  1. Back arrow
    This arrow, often green, is found at the top of most browsers. When you click on the back arrow, it takes you back – in order – through all of the web pages you’ve seen. (Sometimes called the back button.)
    [IMAGE: Back button on browser]
  2. Button
    Small box that looks like it’s being depressed when you select it. Buttons can turn on (and turn off) many types of functions on the Internet.
    [IMAGE: "Click for answer" button]
  3. FAQs
    Stands for Frequently Asked Questions. These are commonly asked questions and answers that appear on many websites.
    [IMAGE: Screen shot of NIHSeniorHealth FAQ]
  4. Link (or hyperlink)
    A highlighted or underlined feature on a web page that, when clicked, will take you to another web page. A link most often appears as underlined words or an image.
    One sure way to tell if something is a link or not: Whenever your cursor turns into a pointing hand, the image or word you are pointing to is a link.
    [IMAGE: screenshots with links circled]
  5. Menu
    A list of options, or topics, on a website that users can choose from.
    [IMAGE: screenshot with left nav menu circled]
  6. Scroll
    To move text or other information on a computer screen up, down, or sideways, with new information appearing as the old disappears.
  7. Scroll bar
    A narrow, rectangular bar on the right edge and bottom edge of a web page that lets you move the page to see more of the information it contains. The scroll bar on the right moves the web page up and down, and the scroll bar on the bottom moves the web page right and left.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of scroll bars]
  8. Site index
    Often called a Site Map, it is a list of all of the contents on a website, similar to an index in a book. A link to the site map is usually found at the top or bottom of the home page
    [IMAGE: screenshot of Site Index]

HANDOUT 5C: Fred

ACT I

Fred’s Golden Years

Fred is 64 years old and just retired last year. He takes medication for high blood pressure and also weighs about 20 pounds more than he should. (It seems like those pounds just crept up overnight!)

As an adult, he has never been that physically active. When he was a boy, he played sports, but then let it all go when he got older. He earned his living as a salesman, often traveling for the job. Between work and family, there never seemed to be enough time for “extras” like exercise. Besides, no one ever told him he should exercise.

Recently, his daughter suggested that he look into getting more exercise…

Janet: Dad, I’ve heard lots of reports in the news recently about exercise being valuable for older people. Have you ever thought of trying it out?

Fred: Naw… That’s not for me.

Janet: Why not?

Fred: Hey, I’ve worked hard all my life. These are my “golden years”. Now’s the time to relax.

Janet: But they say that exercise can help keep you fit and in shape. It can help keep your “golden years” golden.

Fred: No, you have to work too hard. Plus what difference would it make at this point in life?

Janet: Well, it would help keep your muscles strong for lifting things, and you wouldn’t get out of breath so easily when you go up the stairs.

Fred: Hey, I can lift the things I need to lift just fine. Anyway, as you get older, it’s normal to be out of breath after taking the stairs.

Janet: But Dad –

Fred: No. That exercise stuff is really for younger people. They have the energy for it, and they’re healthy enough to do it.

ACT II

Fred Tries Exercise

After thinking over what his daughter said, Fred decided to try exercising. But he figured that if he was going to exercise, he should go all out. As a salesman, he never believed in doing things half way. Going for the gold was the only way to guarantee success. After all, if he didn’t work super hard,
how would he see any changes?

So, he signed up at the local community center and began by lifting very heavy weights and running on the treadmill. He also tried the circuit training – leg lifts, bench presses, etc. The next day, he was so sore that he swore he’d never go back. He spent the entire day in bed recuperating, telling himself that this exercise business was for the birds. He’d had enough!

ACT III
Fred’s Exercise Program

At his last physical, Fred’s doctor suggested that he get some regular exercise. Fred told his doctor what had happened when he had tried to exercise before. All that effort and energy left him feeling terrible afterwards!

His doctor suggested that he start out slowly, doing a little at a time, and gradually building up. He suggested walking and investing in some light hand weights that Fred could lift at home. He also suggested going online to the NIHSeniorHealth website at www.nihseniorhealth.gov and reading the information on exercise for older adults.

When he got home, Fred went online and visited NIHSeniorHealth. He came across the section on Exercise Stories, where older adults describe how they exercise, and he found them very inspiring.

Fred gave exercise another try, this time starting out slowly, but being consistent. After a few weeks, he started seeing results…

Janet: Hi Dad. I called you earlier but no one answered.

Fred: Oh yeah. I walked to the store.

Janet: You walked? Why didn’t you drive?

Fred: Oh, it’s a way to get more exercise. The doctor told me to try it, so I’m trying it.

Janet: How much walking are you doing?

Fred: Well, I take a 30-minute walk a couple of days a week and, like I said, I walk to the store. I also walk over to Bob and Mary’s house around the block.

Janet: Wow!

Fred: I also picked up a couple of weights at the store, and I lift ‘em every other day.

Janet: Hmmm. Sounds good. Are you having fun?

Fred: Fun? I don’t know. But I do feel better, and I have more energy.

Janet: Sounds like exercise is paying off.

Fred:: Yeah, I guess it is. And it isn’t nearly as tough as I thought it would be. Doesn’t hurt either. Sometimes it’s hard to stick with it, though.

Janet: Yeah, I know. Well, at least you’ve gotten started. That’s the main thing.

Fred: Hey, maybe you’d like to come with me sometime.

Janet: That’s a great idea! That way, we could keep each other company and make sure we BOTH stick with it.

HANDOUT 5D: Are You a "Fred"?

Take this survey to find out.

  1. I never exercise: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)
  2. I tried exercise, but I gave up: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)
  3. I tried exercise, but I overdid it and had to stop: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)
  4. I want to exercise, but I don’t know how to begin: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)
  5. I want to exercise, but I’m afraid I’ll get hurt: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)
  6. I exercise now and then: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)
  7. I exercise regularly: (Strongly Agree) 1 2 3 4 5 (Strongly Disagree)

What are two important questions you have about exercise?

Question 1:
Question 2:

HANDOUT 5E: Exploring Exercise Stories

  1. On the Home Page, scroll down to Exercise Stories and click on the picture of the person exercising.
  2. You should now be on the Exercise Stories page.
  3. Read the introductory paragraph at the top of the page.
  4. Scroll down to an exerciser whose story you would like to read.
  5. Under the picture of the exerciser, click on The Full Story.
  6. Read the story.
  7. Click on the picture of the person to see an enlarged version.
  8. Click on the Back to the story button to return to the story.
  9. Click on Click Here for More Stories (located near the bottom of the screen) to return to the page with all of the exercisers.
  10. If there is time, repeat the steps with a different exerciser.

Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults on NIHSeniorHealth: LESSON REVIEW WITH SCREEN SHOTS -- Handout 5F

How to Use this Handout

LESSON REVIEW

  1. You went to the NIHSeniorHealth website at www.nihseniorhealth.gov. You learned how to to to the All Topics A-Z page to find health topics.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth home page with "All Topics A-Z" circled]
  2. You recalled how to find and select health topics from the All Topics A-Z page by clicking on the name of a disease or condition.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth with All Topics A-Z circled]
  3. Optional Activity – You recalled how to use the Special Features, located at the top of each page.
    [IMAGE: screenshots of NIHSeniorHealth with special features circled]
    • To make the text larger, click once or more on the plus sign. To make it smaller, click once or more on the minus sign.
    • To increase the color contrast, click “On”. To return to the normal color, click “Off”.
    • To hear the text read aloud, click “On”. To return to silent mode, click “Off”.
  4. You located the Table of Contents and clicked on the links to get to specific information about exercise and older adults.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with table of contents circled]
  5. When reading about the health benefits of exercise for older adults, you recalled how to read through, or navigate, the information by clicking on Next Page at the bottom of each page.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with "Next Page" button circled]
  6. You learned how to use the left menu in the Exercises to Try chapter to read about strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance exercises for older adults.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with left menu circled]
  7. You learned how to see enlarged images of exercises suitable for older adults by clicking on the image.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with link to enlarged image circled]
  8. On the Home Page, you learned to click on Exercise Stories to find stories about older adults who enjoy a variety of exercise activities.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with "Go to Exercise Stories" link circled]
  9. On the Exercise Stories page, you learned that you needed to click on The Full Story link under each person’s picture to read their stories. You learned that you could also scroll down to find more stories.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with "The Full Story" link circled]
  10. Once you finished reading the story, you learned that you could find more stories by clicking on Click here for More Stories.
    [IMAGE: screenshot of NIHSeniorHealth page with "Click Here for More Stories" link circled]
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Last reviewed: October 2010