Physical Activity for Older Adults project, which is run by the Turkish Societal Services Foundation and its Spanish partner Fundacion Docete Omnes, has been completed. The partners worked to prevent “inactivity” that is the main cause of health problems like obesity, cholesterol, high blood pressure, paralysis and heart disorders; to help citizens exercise consciously and to raise awareness about this issue.

Volunteer sports academy students and instructors from Haliç University who implemented the project activities, participated in the closing conference in which the project outputs and best practices were shared. The Physical Activity for Older Adults project which had an intense project period with the “I am exercising” motto, started its activities to support quality and disease-free aging and to improve the quality of life accordingly. Individuals from the selected 55+ and 65+ age groups who live in nursing and volunteer homes İstanbul, Kadikoy Municipality, which was selected as the pilot region, took exercise for 2 months and 2 days a week through exercise leaders trained within the scope of the project. These individuals were supported for healthy and quality aging. The project, which started in Kadıköy, reached to 100 adults with 80 trainers. After then, due to the number of young people who want to become trainers and high demand, the project went beyond Kadıköy borders and reached to 500 adults.

Another contribution of the project is to increase the awareness of the community by taking adults out to parks, streets, namely areas that do not require must cost and let them exercise in the right way accompanied  by volunteer young leaders.

Achieved Results are Higher than Project Goals

Although it was not among the objectives of the project, it provided job opportunities for sports students who participated in the training of trainers. The project was a role model for other municipalities. Such that, Büyükçekmece Municipality initiated sports activities for adults by implementing the methods developed in the project. Another achievement was; the project went beyond the borders of the pilot region Kadıköy and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Inc. started to implement the methods and programme in the sports halls throughout Istanbul and these were included in regular programme. Thus, although the Physical Activity for Older Adults project was completed, it became one of the best practices of sustainability.

For more information about the project, please visit http://www.eriskinlerdespor.com/