Aging Successfully in the 21st Century: Does Kinesiology Hold the Silver Bullet?

Abstract

According to Rowe and Kahn (1998), aging successfully hinges on our ability to avoid disease or disability, maintain a high level of cognitive and physical capacity, and remain actively engaged in life. This article addresses five issues that have the potential to shape future intra- and interdisciplinary research efforts aimed at addressing important issues related to the aging process and the role of physical activity across the lifespan. In short, they address what should be studied, how it should be studied, and how what is studied should be measured to provide a more-complete answer to the problems being addressed. One important future issue for the professional discipline that is also discussed in this article is the need to provide a curriculum that restores the balance between theory and practice so that graduates of kinesiology are better equipped to serve an aging society.