Summary

NAME: US SENIORS 20071203HZflat TAPE: EF08/0018 IN_TIME: 10:40:11:05 DURATION: 00:05:44:19 SOURCES: AP TELEVISION DATELINE: Los Angeles, recent RESTRICTIONS: SHOTLIST Los Angeles, recent 1. Mid elderly (senior) woman exercising 2. Wide elderly people working out in gym 3. Magazine cover for ICAA 4. Pan of elderly women working out in gym 5. Close up women exercising 6. Elderly person's home 7. Set up Colin Milner 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Colin Milner, CEO, International Council on Active Aging: " Baby boomers have been the driving force among the fitness industry over the last 30 years and continue to be the driving force today. As a matter of fact, individuals that are 50 plus represent over 37 % of all fitness club memberships and that segment has actually increased by 314% since 1990. There was a research study that came out by Dr. Susan Hughes of the University of Illinois-Champagne that showed that there's a 78% increase in services that are needed just to meet today's demand of the baby boomers " 9. Set up Carole Tippit (73 years) Studio City, California 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carole Tippit , Studio City, California: "There is a modern fitness movement going on. You can see it all around you. I can see it with my own contemporaries because we much more active. Women in my class. I've just been to a reunion and they're all very very active " 11. Wide elderly women working out 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Tish Stewart (61years old), Los Angeles: "More seniors are working out today because it makes them feel good. It's good for their depression if they have any. It gets the endorphins going up and the triglyceride and cholesterol going down." 13. Pan of Curves gym 14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Colin Milner, CEO, International Council on Active Aging: " Research from USA Today and ABC News show that the number one thing that most older adults wanted to maintain is their quality of life. There were a thousand individuals researched and the research showed that 73% were majorly concerned about loosing their health " 15. Pull out of woman on machine 16. Wide senior women working out 17. Two women working out 18. Set up Summer Lowery 19. Curves logo 20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Summer Lowery, Owner, Curves, Studio City, California: " I have about 350 members. Half of them are 55 or older. These ladies come in. They work out at least three times a week. Some of them come in more. Some come for social reasons just to get them out of the house but whatever gets them here, gets them here " 21. SOUNDBITE (English) Karla Richards (67 years), Los Angeles: "People are more aware because of what see what they read. The alarming rate of the amount of names in the obituary column young young people are dying and if you read you know you need to exercise at least three times a week " 22. SOUNDBITE (English) Roz Busch (68 years) Studio City, California: "This is my 241st workout. I coming here about 2 years. My health has tremendously improved. My life, I'm much happier. I have less guilt you know you sit home feeling guilty. I should be doing something. I don't have anything to special to do. I still work full time " 22. SOUNDBITE (English) Risa Herring (59 years), Studio City, California: "I at least try to do it three times a week. I had lapsed for a little while because I had just lost my husband August 3rd and one of the reasons I came back is because I needed to feel better for myself " 23. Developers magazine covers 24. Sketch of senior's gym and senior's home 25. Seniors home gym interior 26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Colin Milner, CEO, International Council on Active Aging: " A lot of people have been with gyms for the very start have got older with the gyms. Question really is how many new people are coming in and where you'll find this growth is not so much in the private gyms but in places in retired communities, senior centres, hospital wellness centres, Y's, JCC's, organisations that have had to reshape the way they do business in order to accommodate a more active vibrant older adult" 27. Mary Ann Johnston working out 28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Ann Johnston (59 years) Los Angeles: "I'm a mother. I have four children, I have 10 grandchildren. I workout four times a week. I walk three times a week. It makes me feel energetic. I feel wonderful." 29. Elderly woman working out 30 Set up Angella Cole, Trainer, Los Angeles, California 31. Angella Cole exercising in swimming pool 32. SOUNDBITE: (English) Angella Cole, Trainer, Los Angeles, California: " They're basically talking about what's going on during the week and they're and they're working out and exercising at the same time. A lot of seniors come with caregivers. When they come with caregivers they drop them off at the facility and they go about their way. They do not want the caregivers assisting them throughout their workout. There has to be a certain amount of independence that they have to have throughout their day." 33. Senior women chatting at gym after working out LEAD IN: American baby boomers have helped spark the modern day fitness movement according to the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA). According to recent ICAA research older people are now working out like never before increasing gym enrolments and changing the way we age. STORYLINE: Baby boomers now total 77 million people in the United States according to figures from the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA). The number of adults age 65 years and older will more than double to more than 71 million by 2030. People aged 85 and older are the fastest growing demographic according to the ICAA, the worlds largest association dedicated to changing the way we age. ICAA research shows that today's seniors (elderly people) view fitness very differently than their parents did and more are including vigorous work-outs in their daily routines. Research points at significant growth not only in gym enrolment, but also in the senior housing industry as consumers demand more from their retirement homes. Colin Milner, chief executive officer of the ICAA has authored more than 180 articles on age-related issues. He says that baby boomers have been the driving force among the fitness industry over the last 30 years and continue to be the driving force today adding 37 % of all fitness club memberships belong to people aged 50 plus. Carole Tippit, 73, of Studio City, California agrees that today's seniors are leading the way. Tish Stewart, 61, Los Angeles, says she has improved health due to working out and says seniors overall know the health benefits to be gained from working out. Research carried out in 2005 by USA Today and ABC News showed that the main concern of older adults in the US maintaining their quality of life. Of 1000 individuals in the study 73% were highly concerned about loosing their health according to Milner. He adds that 70% fear loosing their ability to take care of themselves and 69% fear loosing their mental ability. IACC says the number of adults age 65 years and older will more than double to 71 million by 2030 and people aged 85 and older are the fastest growing demographic. Summer Lowery owns Curves gym in Studio City, California. She says seniors today as hardworking as any of the younger ones. Karla Richards, aged 67 from Los Angeles says seniors are very aware that exercise is the key to a longer life. Roz Busch, aged 68 from Studio City, says working out 3 times a week has changed her life. Risa Herring aged 59, says working out helps emotionally as well as physically. Builders in the US are now feverishly constructing active adult communities that include fitness and wellness centres ranging 20,000 to 40,00 square feet in size. To attract the baby boomer, more active older community developments are being springing up with spas, multiple swimming pools and golf courses as well as gyms. Mary Ann Johnston, aged 59, says she doesn't want to think about such homes just yet, but agrees a gym is important because her exercise regime keeps her young for her family. According to the American Council on Exercise -the average age of personal training clients is also increasing from 36.5 in 1998 to 42.4 in 2006. Angella Cole, a personal trainer in Los Angeles, California trains adults including seniors. She says older clients today tend to have athletic backgrounds and consider exercises a chance to socialise. The trend is not only lengthening lives, but will also help reduce healthcare costs. Currently almost one-third of US health care costs today, or 300 billion each year, are for older adults according to the National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.