Something important happens when an older community member walks through the door of a Bone Builders class for the first time, or falls into step with neighbors on a Tuesday morning walk. It isn't just exercise. It's a signal — to themselves and to their community — that they belong here, that their presence matters, and that this town is a place where they can thrive.
Physical activity is one of the most powerful tools an age-friendly community has. And unlike many interventions, it doesn't require a clinic, a prescription, or a large budget. It requires people who care — and a little know-how.
This chapter will give you both. In about an hour, you'll understand why movement matters so deeply for older adults, learn how to launch a walking group or Bone Builders class in your community, and gain practical tools for making sure your program is truly welcoming to everyone — including people living with dementia or other changes in ability.
Small changes. Big impact. Let's get started.
Walking Group -- Bethel Maine
When we think of physical activity, we may think of jogging, aerobics, swimming, cycling or going to the gym. We also might think, “well, jogging isn’t safe for us as we age!”. Many of us have preconceived notions about physical activity during life’s later stages and what it looks like. It may not be what you think!
Physical activity can be defined as the body’s movement that results in muscle use and uses more energy than resting. It’s that simple! Everyday tasks and hobbies are physical activity- gardening, household chores, going up and down stairs, walking through a store- and keeps us moving. Physical activity causes us to move and burn calories which supports our overall well-being.
Exercise takes physical activity one step further. It is physical activity that is planned, structured and has defined progression and goals. Some physical activity programs are more organized and have a clear goal. A Matter of Balance includes eight lessons and a set of prescribed movements with a goal of decreasing falls.
You may wonder - is there a recommended amount of exercise for older adults? For most adults 65 and over, it’s 150 minutes of moderate intensity weekly (or 75 minutes of intense activity), including movements that strengthen muscles and improve balance. But for community-based programming, the goal can be simple- for older adults to move more and sit less.
We've known for decades that exercise is good for us. But the research on older adults specifically — including people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment — is striking. Physical activity doesn't just slow decline. In many cases, it reverses it.
Regular exercise supports brain health by stimulating the growth of new cells and blood vessels and helping existing ones function better. Studies show measurable improvements in memory and thinking skills, even in people already experiencing cognitive changes. Beyond the brain, the benefits stack up: stronger bones, better balance, reduced fall risk, improved cardiovascular health, and lower rates of depression.
The result — greater independence and the ability to manage daily life — is exactly what age-friendly communities exist to support.
Interested in learning more about the science? Watch Exercise and Healthy Aging: Expert Q&A or click here for a brief summary.
Ask many older people why they show up to their exercise class week after week, and they won't mention balance or bone density. They'll tell you about Margaret, who always saves them a spot. About the walk leader who remembers to ask about their grandchildren. About how it's the one morning each week when they don't feel invisible.
For many people — especially those living with dementia — the social dimensions of physical activity are what make it sustainable. Encouragement, belonging, and human connection aren't nice-to-haves. They are often the primary reason people keep coming back. And when people keep coming back, the health benefits follow.
An age-friendly physical activity program, at its best, is a community within a community. Your job isn't just to provide exercise — it's to build a place where people feel seen.
Physical activity/exercise interventions are more likely to increase social participation
than social activity interventions are to increase physical activity.
One of the most common barriers community leaders encounter is the belief — held by older people themselves, and sometimes by well-meaning family members, friends, and neighbors — that it's too late to start. That the window for exercise has closed.
The evidence says otherwise. Meaningful gains in strength, balance, mood, and cognitive function have been documented in people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Starting slowly and building gradually isn't a compromise — it's good practice for everyone.
Your role isn't to push people to do more. It's to open a door, stand at it with a welcoming expression, and let people walk through at their own pace.
These questions are for you — there are no right answers. If you are interested in receiving credit toward your Age-Friendly Community Development Certificate, your responses will be recorded.
Think of an older person in your community who is not currently active. What do you imagine gets in the way?
Of the benefits described in this section — physical, cognitive, and social — which do you think would resonate most with people in your community who are not physically active but may be thinking about it?
Have you ever witnessed physical activity change someone's life? Briefly describe what you saw.
On a scale of 1–5, how confident do you feel right now in your ability to make the case for physical activity to a skeptical older community member, neighbor, or friend?
There is no single right way to get a community moving. The right activity is the one that people in your community will actually show up for — and keep coming back to.
Maine communities have found their own answers to that question, and they look different from town to town. In Millinocket, it's pickleball. Bethel runs three separate walking groups — one for accessible trails, one for more challenging terrain, and an indoor winter option at a local school, because the community knew that stopping in November meant losing momentum that would be hard to rebuild in the spring. New Gloucester partnered with MaineHealth to offer Matter of Balance, an evidence-based program for people at risk of falling. Bowdoinham hosts a weekly Dancing with Parkinson's class. Raymond brings people together for seated yoga. Harpswell offers tai chi. Berwick for a Lifetime built an entire volunteer pipeline that starts, in part, on a Tuesday morning walk.
Each community asked the same question — what will bring our people together and keep them moving? — and came up with a different answer. That's exactly the way it should be.
This section focuses on two programs that have proven themselves across Maine and that many communities find to be a natural starting point: walking groups and Bone Builders classes. They are low-barrier, community-led, and designed to build both health and connection. But they are a starting point, not a ceiling. The physical activity that engages people in your community may look completely different — and that's not a problem. It's the point.
What matters most is finding something low-barrier and fun that brings people together. Everything else can be figured out from there.
A walking group is exactly what it sounds like — a regular, organized walk with a consistent time, route, and group. And yet something about the combination of movement, fresh air, and reliable companionship makes it far more powerful than a solo stroll.
Walking groups require almost no startup cost or infrastructure. What they do require is a consistent time and place, a person willing to show up and keep the group going, and a route that is safe and accessible for participants at a range of ability levels.
What to think through when starting a walking group:
Frequency and timing. Weekly walks at a consistent time build habit and accountability. Morning walks often work well; consider weather and seasonal variation in Maine.
Route planning. Walk the route yourself first. Note curb cuts, surface conditions, shade, rest spots, and distance. A loop with a clear halfway point lets people turn back if needed — removing a common barrier to participation.
Pace and flexibility. A walking group is not a race. Build in time at the start for greetings and at the end for connection. Let the pace be set by the group, not a fitness goal.
A welcoming anchor. The single most important factor in a walking group's success is often one person — a volunteer or staff member — who shows up reliably, remembers names, and makes newcomers feel immediately included.
Promotion. Post in community newsletters, libraries, senior centers, faith communities, and medical offices. Word of mouth from a trusted neighbor is worth ten flyers.
Bone Builders is an evidence-informed exercise program specifically designed for older adults. Led by trained volunteer instructors, classes meet twice a week for one hour and focus on weight-bearing and resistance exercises that build bone density, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls.
For communities looking for a structured, proven program with statewide support, Bone Builders is an excellent starting point. Volunteer instructors receive free training and ongoing support. Classes are free to participants. And the results — documented across hundreds of Maine participants — are real.
Key facts for community leaders:
Classes are free to participants and led by trained volunteers.
Volunteer instructor training is provided at no cost through UMaine Center on Aging.
Equipment (small hand weights and ankle weights) is provided by UMaine Center on Aging's Lifelong Maine program and through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
Classes can be held in any accessible space: a church hall, community center, library meeting room, or recreation facility.
The program has a strong track record of retention — participants tend to keep coming back.
What to think through before starting a Bone Builders class:
Find your instructor. Recruit volunteers who are reliable, comfortable leading a group, and interested in a training commitment. Many successful instructors are participants themselves who want to give back.
Secure a space. You need a room large enough for participants to move freely, with good lighting, a hard or low-pile floor, and accessible entry (more on this in the accessibility section below).
Connect with the University of Maine Center on Aging's Tara Mozdziez (tara.mozdziez@maine.edu). She will connect you with instructor training, equipment, and program support. This is the single most important first contact to make.
Build in a social element. Many Bone Builders classes add a brief social time before or after. This is often what participants value most.
Starting a program is the exciting part. Sustaining it — through a leader's vacation, a harsh January, or a gradual drop in attendance — is where communities often need the most support.
A few principles that hold across both models: share leadership early so the program doesn't depend on one person; celebrate milestones (a year of walking, a participant's hundredth class) to build group identity; and stay curious about what participants actually want, not just what you've planned. Programs that last are responsive ones.
Sustaining a program also means sustaining its reach. The most responsive programs ask not just "are people coming back?" but "who isn't coming at all — and why?"
To help sustain your PA program, UMaine Center on Aging prepares a monthly educational packet that you can share with participants. To recive the packet, email Tara.Mozdziez@maine.edu
These questions are for you — there are no right answers. If you are interested in receiving credit toward your Age-Friendly Community Development Certificate, your responses will be recorded.
Your Community's First Steps
Based on what you've read, which model feels like the better first step for your community right now — a walking group, a Bone Builders class, both, or something else?
What do you already have that could support this? Is there an accessible space, interested volunteers, engaged partner organizations, a group wanting to get something started, or something else?
What is the one thing most likely to get in the way of starting?
What is one specific action you could take in the next two weeks?
A program can have the best intentions in the world and still turn people away — not through unkindness, but through oversight. A door that's hard to find. A flyer printed in 10-point font. A room where the echo makes it impossible to follow the instructor's voice. A floor pattern that looks, to someone with cognitive changes, like a hole in the ground.
Accessibility is not a compliance checklist. It is the practice of looking at your program through the eyes of someone whose experience of the world is different from your own — and asking, honestly, whether they would feel welcome.
The good news: most of the changes that make a program more accessible are small, inexpensive, and benefit everyone. The adjustments you make for a person living with dementia will also help someone who is hard of hearing, someone new to the community, someone anxious about trying something unfamiliar. Designing for the margins improves the center.
Accessible Path in Western Maine
Before a single exercise begins, the space you choose sends a message. A well-lit room with clear signage and an unobstructed path from the entrance to the activity area says: you are expected here, and we thought about you before you arrived.
Key questions to ask when evaluating or setting up your space:
Entry and wayfinding: Can a first-time visitor find the entrance, the restrooms, and the activity space without asking for help? Signs should be large, high-contrast, placed at eye level, and located at key decision points — especially at the start of any hallway.
Lighting: Bright, even lighting throughout the space reduces confusion and supports safety, especially for people with low vision or cognitive changes. Eliminate dark corners and avoid harsh glare.
Instructor visibility: In addition to room lighting, consider where the instructor stands. A solid, uncluttered wall behind the instructor — free of busy patterns, artwork, or visual distractions — makes it much easier for participants to track and follow movements. Where windows are present, use blinds or curtains to manage glare, particularly during morning or late-afternoon sessions when low sun can make it difficult to see the instructor clearly.
Flooring: Hallways and activity areas should be flat, wide, and clear of obstacles. Remove loose scatter rugs and mats — they are trip hazards and can be visually confusing. Where carpet is used, choose light, solid colors. Avoid strongly patterned flooring, which can appear, to some people, as obstacles or uneven surfaces.
Mobility aids and seating: Plan for extra floor space around chairs and exercise stations to accommodate rollators, walkers, and other mobility equipment — keeping circulation pathways clear at all times. When selecting or arranging seating, consider chair height and seat depth: chairs that are too low or too deep make it significantly harder for participants to sit and stand safely and independently. Firm chairs with armrests are often the most supportive choice.
Sound: Large rooms with hard surfaces and high ceilings increase reverberation — making it harder to separate speech from background noise, even for people who use hearing aids. Arrange seating close to the instructor. Ensure the instructor's face is well-lit and visible. Soft furnishings — upholstered chairs, tablecloths, well-anchored rugs in light solid colors — absorb sound.
Winter readiness: For programs that run year-round — and keeping momentum through winter is worth the effort — consider the entry experience in cold weather. Provide a bench or chair near the entrance where participants can safely sit to remove and change boots or shoes. Make coat storage accessible close to the activity space, rather than requiring a trip down a hallway. If floor mats are used to manage snow and slush at the entry, ensure they are fully secured or non-slip — unsecured mats are a significant trip hazard, particularly for people using walkers or canes.
Ask, don't assume: When people register or arrive, ask about accessibility needs. A simple invitation — "Is there anything we can do to help you participate fully today?" — removes the burden of self-advocacy from attendees.
Accessibiity HandoutYour promotional flyers, class schedules, and registration forms are often the first thing a potential participant sees. If they can't read them easily — or if the language feels clinical or condescending — the barrier is built before the first class.
Well-designed materials are not about dumbing things down. They are about respecting people's time and cognitive energy by getting to the point clearly.
A few principles to keep in mind:
Use 14-point font or larger for body text, and a simple typeface like Arial.
Present one idea at a time. Each section should stand alone — readers shouldn't need to remember something from an earlier paragraph to understand the current one.
Use white space generously. A crowded page is harder to process than a simple one.
Use bullet points and bold headings to separate information.
Avoid italics, and avoid red-green color combinations — color vision differences, which become more common with age, can make these combinations illegible.
Ask yourself: could someone with memory changes pick up this brochure and understand its main message in under a minute?
Physical activity programs are for everyone. The practices described in this section — clear communication, visual demonstration, offering choice, and watching for non-verbal cues — are good practice for any group, and many participants without dementia will benefit from them too.
Research is clear that people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment benefit from exercise. With the right support, everyone can participate fully and joyfully.
What "the right support" looks like is not a major overhaul. It is a shift in awareness and a few specific practices.
Communicate clearly. Speak slowly, one message at a time. Use simple, closed-ended questions with yes or no answers. Demonstrate movements as you speak. Allow extra time for the person to process what you've said.
Guide, don't quiz. Avoid asking "do you remember?" Instead, name the exercise and demonstrate it. Repeat cues slowly. Consider providing a written plan with photos for reference.
Offer choice. People living with dementia may have fewer opportunities to make their own decisions. Offering simple choices — "Would you like to start on the left side or the right?" — fosters a sense of control, confidence, and belonging.
Be flexible. Day-to-day changes in ability are common. Watch for nonverbal signs of difficulty, such as fatigue, discomfort, confusion. Be ready to adapt without drawing attention to the change.
Encourage. Support from activity leaders and fellow participants is deeply valued, and often a key reason people living with dementia choose to stay active.
DI Physical Activity.pdfThese questions are for you — there are no right answers. If you are interested in receiving credit toward your Age-Friendly Community Development Certificate, your responses will be recorded.
Think of a specific space in your community where a physical activity program could be held. Describe it briefly.
Using the criteria from this section, how would you rate it? (lighting, wayfinding/signage, flooring, acoustics, accessible entry)
What is one change to that space that would make the biggest difference for accessibility?
After reading the section on dementia inclusion, is there one communication practice you want to bring to your program?
On a scale of 1-5, how confident do you feel, after this chapter, in your ability to create an accessible, inclusive physical activity program in your community?
Every person, with or without dementia, with or without a disability, with or without a history of being active — brings something to a physical activity program. Honoring that individuality, meeting people where they are, and building a space where everyone feels they belong is at the heart of an age-friendly community.
You don't need a gym, a grant, or a health care degree to get started. You need a route, a room, a reliable volunteer, and the belief that movement — and belonging — are for everyone.
We hope this chapter helps you bring that to life. Please share what you learn with us at lifelong@maine.edu. The best resources in this series come from communities just like yours.
Exercise and Older Adults Toolkit National Institute on Aging
A one-stop collection of free, shareable resources from NIA — including articles, infographics, videos, and downloadable publications — designed to help communities promote the importance of exercise for older adults. Useful for program promotion, participant outreach, and caregiver education. .
Exercise and Activity for Older Adults: Staying Active as You Age National Institute on Aging
A clear, accessible booklet covering the benefits of physical activity, the three types of exercise older adults need (aerobic, strength, and balance), and practical guidance for staying active with chronic conditions including dementia. Well suited for sharing directly with participants.
Move Your Way - Materials for Older Adults US Dept. of Health and Human Services
A free toolkit of ready-to-use outreach materials from the federal Move Your Way® campaign, including fact sheets, posters, videos, and social media graphics — all available in English and Spanish. Practical for communities looking to promote physical activity to older adults without starting from scratch.
Performance Standards Older Adult Fitness Leadership Canada
A useful benchmark for evaluating the quality of exercise instruction for older adults. Outlines what a qualified older adult exercise leader should know and be able to do — from adapting to age-related physical changes and common health conditions, to communication, class design, and risk management.
Resources to Make Age-Friendly Physical Activity Programs Dementia Inclusive
A Delivery Guide for Exercise Providers University of Waterloo - DICE Project
A practical, research-based guide for anyone leading exercise programs who wants to better support participants living with dementia. Covers how to recognize signs of cognitive change, communicate effectively, adapt instruction, and design a welcoming facility environment — from signage and lighting to printed materials. An excellent hands-on companion to the inclusion principles covered in this chapter. .
Lifelong Maine Dementia Skills Chapter Susan Wehry, MD, University of New England
The practices that make physical activity programs welcoming to people living with dementia make them better for everyone. This chapter offers a deeper foundation for that work — exploring dementia as a manageable disability, making the case for inclusion, and providing practical communication strategies and downloadable resources.
Meet Your Chapter Guide - Tara Mozdziez
Tara Mozdziez is the Director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). She comes to the Center with experience as a municipal administrative assistant, as an AmeriCorps alum, and as an active Age-Friendly volunteer. Tara spent nearly 30 years as a Licensed Veterinary Technician before earning a Master's in Teaching and Learning from Colorado State. She later earned a Master’s in Teaching and Learning from Colorado State. For several years, she has immersed herself in municipal and age-friendly endeavors. She has experience in grant writing, program management and reporting, and volunteer recruitment. Tara works with the Lifelong Maine Newsletter team and is passionate about Age-Friendly/Lifelong communities.
Email: tara.mozdziez@maine.edu
At the heart of this program is a simple belief: that everyone deserves to feel safe, connected, and at home. We hope this chapter helps you bring that to life in your community. For questions, support, or to share what you are learning, contact us at lifelong@maine.edu.
The Lifelong Maine Skill Building Series was developed as part of the Community Connections project.
Funding for the project was provided through support of the Governor's Cabinet on Aging and Office of Aging and Disability Services.
We are deeply grateful for the funding and for the thought leadership provided by Elizabeth Gattine, Coordinator of the Governor's Cabinet on Aging.
