Press Release: President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Announces Agreement to Work with Stanford Center on Longevity to Improve the Fitness of People at All Ages

The following is an official press release from the U.S. President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

Washington, D.C. – The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition has reached agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Stanford Center on Longevity (SCL) to work together to “identify strategies to advance awareness and promotion of physical activity, fitness, and nutrition throughout the entire life span, but especially targeted to helping individuals of all abilities at age 50 and above.”

Cornell McClellan, a Member of the Council and Fitness Consultant and Personal Trainer to the First Family stared that, “Regardless of age or level of ability, I am a firm believer that being healthy and fit should be a goal toward which we all strive to achieve. For more than 30 years, I have coached and encouraged people of all backgrounds to take a holistic approach to personal wellness that enhances the mind, strengthens the body, and nurtures the spirit. It is so exciting that the Stanford Center on Longevity and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition have come together to work together to promote continued physical activity for all ages.”

The collaboration solidifies the Council’s expanding focus that recognizes the need for people of all ages to remain active, which can help improve quality of life and reduce the instance of chronic disease. The Center on Longevity will look for innovative ways help the Council reach their goals.

“Maintaining physical fitness is integral to aging well“said Professor Laura Carstensen, Founding Director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. “We are very excited to work with the President’s Council to look for innovative ways to improve the health of all Americans.”

One activity that is already underway is a worldwide university design challenge to “Enable Personal Mobility Across the Life Span.” In this challenge, the Center asks teams to propose solutions that will:

  • Reduce sedentary lifestyles
  • Encourage and enable physical movement and exercise
  • Reduce barriers to mobility in the home and in the community

Over $20,000 in prizes will be awarded and teams selected as finalists will be paired with industry mentors to validate their ideas. Finalists will travel to Stanford in the spring of 2015 to present their solutions to judges, industry experts, and investors. The Center’s first challenge on “Increasing Independence for those with Cognitive Impairment” drew 52 submissions from universities in 15 countries. For more details, visit the challenge website.

“We see the challenge as an opportunity to catalyze new ideas, as well as to educate a new generation of designers in topics around the aging of our population” said Ken Smith, the Center’s Director of Mobility.

The MOU also asks the Center to organize and host a conference to engage a diverse set of experts from academia, industry, non-profit organizations and government entities to identify research and program opportunities that support promotion of physical activity for those over 50. The results of this conference will determine future projects that will fall under the agreement.

About the President’s Council
The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition educates, engages and empowers all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition. Through its partnerships with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the President’s Council promotes programs and initiatives that motivate people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to lead active, healthy lifestyles. For more information about the President’s Council, visit www.fitness.govand follow the President’s Council on Twitter @FitnessGov.

About the Stanford Center on Longevity
The mission of the Stanford Center on Longevity is to redesign long life. The Center studies the nature and development of the human life span, looking for innovative ways to use science and technology to solve the problems of people over 50 and improve the well-being of people of all ages. For more information about the Center, visit www.longevity.stanford.edu.