Activity and Aging News
CCAA 2025 Year-End Summary: Growth, Partnerships, and Impact
December 19, 2025
The Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging (CCAA) marked 2025 as a year of significant growth and impact across research, community engagement, education, and clinical innovation.
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Megan Stacey ,深夜福利站 News , June 30, 2025
Nursing professor and renowned mental health and homelessness researcher Cheryl Forchuk has been appointed an officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country鈥檚 highest honours.
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Kim Barnhardt ,深夜福利站 News , January 27, 2025
深夜福利站 researcher explores prescribing physical activity for older adults. A review paper published in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), co-authored by 深夜福利站 professor Dr. Jane Thornton, summarizes considerable evidence supporting the important role physical activity plays in preventing or reducing the effects of diseases and offers insight into 鈥減rescribing鈥 effective exercise for older adults.
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Debora Van Brenk ,深夜福利站 News , December 12, 2024
Many people could greatly improve their odds against developing dementia by making four, low-cost lifestyle changes, 深夜福利站 researchers have discovered. In the first study of its kind, researchers at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) and Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry found about half of dementia cases in Canada can be influenced by 12 lifestyle factors.
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Maggie McLellan ,深夜福利站 News , November 26, 2024
Faculty of Health Sciences researchers Marie Savundranayagam and Anna Garnett helped design the McCormick Mobile study to provide in-home dementia education and training for care partners of people living with dementia.
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Jeff Renaud ,深夜福利站 News , November 22, 2024
Population studies show adults over 80 are the world鈥檚 fastest growing demographic and in Canada, they are quickly outpacing other age groups. Yet, despite this surge, society is woefully unprepared in terms of health care, housing, accessibility and social programming. Enter the SuperAgers and Canada's lead SuperAging Research Initiative site located at 深夜福利站.
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Keri Ferguson ,深夜福利站 News , November 21, 2024
CCAA Research Associate, Lindsay Nagamatsu and her team at 深夜福利站 host a free healthy aging fair in London. The event showcases resources and programs to support aging well. Attendees have an opportunity to explore workshops, exhibits, and gain expert insight on physical, mental, and emotional health.
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Cynthia Fazio ,深夜福利站 News , October 28, 2024
Two new projects funded by the Schmidt Initiative for Long COVID investigate drug treatments and patients most likely to suffer from the condition.
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Cam Buchan ,深夜福利站 News , October 09, 2024
Leading researchers who are redefining what it means to get older share insights on the Catalysts podcast which features six 深夜福利站 researchers. Their expertise is helping people live better.
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Maria Iqbal ,Toronto Star , September 14, 2024
Research suggests love in older age can boost health by combating loneliness. Science shows loneliness leads to a higher risk for falls, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and shorter lifespans.
Dr. Kevin Shoemaker Appointed as Scientific Director
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Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging , August 29, 2024
The CCAA team and FHS leadership is delighted to announce the three-year appointment of Dr. Kevin Shoemaker as the new Scientific Director of the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging.
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Karla Renic ,Yahoo Life , May 30, 2024
Engaging in regular exercise can help seniors combat muscle loss and improve brain health, recent studies have shown. A Canadian expert shared his best tips on safe and effective workouts for older adults.
November 01, 2023
CCAA-City of London Recreation exercise program participants, Desh and Ladi Malhotra, recently donated their home (designed by Desh) to 深夜福利站 to host world-class scholars and visitors to the school. The couple have a long-standing connection to 深夜福利站 through their careers and philanthropy and as CCAA exercise program participants!
August 14, 2023
深夜福利站 and Lawson Health Research Institute researchers, including co-author and kinesiology professor Kevin Shoemaker, have found that a combination of computerized cognitive training and aerobic-resistance exercises (such as walking and cycling along with weight training) can significantly improve cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, recognition and orientation, in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
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Todd Devlin , April 14, 2023
Angela Roberts, an assistant professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and CCAA research associate, is studying 鈥楽uperAgers鈥 to help unlock mysteries around the human brain and its aging processes.
Exploring the fruits of labour from the career of J.B. Orange
November 30, 2022
After more than three decades with the 深夜福利站 family, Communication Sciences and Disorders professor J.B. Orange is retiring; the campus will be saying farewell to a highly respected researcher, teacher, mentor and friend.
Renewal wrap up 2022
November 21, 2022
This information applies to individuals with Senior Fitness Instructor certification (SFIC) that expired in 2020, 2021, or is set to expire in 2022. These instructions will help lapsed instructors reinstate their certifications if they lapsed over the pandemic years of 2020-21, or if their certifications expire before the end of 2022.
深夜福利站 News , August 04, 2022深夜福利站-led research shows potential for rehab, long-term care application.
June 29, 2022
This new publication in The Conversation Canada, co-authored by nursing professor and CCAA Research Associate, Anna Garnett, discusses how improvements to policy and programs to support stroke caregivers and help them maintain their health and well-being are necessary.
May 16, 2022
A unique virtual-reality (VR) program to be developed at 深夜福利站 has received a $1-million innovation grant from Future Skills Centre, aiming to provide personal support workers (PSWs) access to innovative communication training to help care for people living with dementia.
HIGH FIVE庐 CCAA May Discount
May 10, 2022
HIGH FIVE庐 would like to offer individuals affiliated with the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging a special promotion for the month of May. They are offering a one-time $30.00 discount only until May 31, 2022.
Sense of Self: Leisure helps older adults with relocation transition
April 12, 2022
Older adults may face a number of difficult transitions in late life, such as retirement, health decline and loss of a spouse. Leisure has been known to help adults cope with these changes, as a way of maintaining and continuing their sense of identity.
April 05, 2022
Across Canada and the US, more than two million people are living with aphasia and its associated challenges in communication and in using and understanding language. Until the recent news that Bruce Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia and was retiring from acting, many people were unfamiliar with the condition.
March 07, 2022
A new international study that draws data from over 65,000 patients and has a 深夜福利站 connection has found that moderate physical activity in adults is associated with significant protective effects from severe COVID-19 outcomes.
February 28, 2022
Micro-certification is an ideal way to future-proof careers and build extra skills into a workplace or resum茅. The CCAA and partners in the care-home sector are designing a four-course micro-certificate in aging well, with the aim of improving senior fitness and mobility, preventing falls and improving well-being.
January 10, 2022
Every January, millions of individuals make New Year鈥檚 resolutions to lose weight or eat healthier, if not both. To achieve this goal, many individuals will begin strenuous exercise programs that incorporate too much exercise too soon, leading to fitness burnout or injury. Overtraining can actually prevent you from losing weight.
June 10, 2021
New research indicates that reducing sitting time for older adults in long-term care could preserve or even improve quality of life, physical functioning and cognition in these facilities.
April 13, 2021
While it has long been known that too much sitting can have negative health effects, Kinesiology professor Harry Prapavessis argues that certain types of sitting are better than others.
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Special ,深夜福利站 News , February 16, 2021Researchers鈥 assessments of gait variability identified Alzheimer鈥檚 disease with 70-per-cent accuracy.
February 05, 2021
Nursing professor Anna Garnett, along with co-authors from McMaster and the University of Manitoba, penned a column for The Conversation that takes a look at how older caregivers are struggling with the extra burden of home care during COVID-19.
December 10, 2020
A research study out of the Wolf Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory and led by Physical Therapy professor Trevor Birmingham has found that with the right exercise, working through the initial pain of osteoarthritis can be beneficial.
December 07, 2020
School of Health Studies professor Maxwell Smith has been appointed to the Government of Ontario鈥檚 Ministers鈥 COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force. The task force will oversee the delivery, storage and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
November 30, 2020
It can take just pennies a day to motivate people to exercise more, and they will step up their efforts when teamed with a buddy to collect joint rewards, a 深夜福利站 study shows.
July 16, 2020
Health Sciences MClSc/PhD students Taylor Bardell and Matthew Urichuk have designed a mask that helps community members community with people who rely on lip-reading.
May 21, 2020
When COVID-19 hit, and the province closed classes like Anne Cooke鈥檚 Stay Fit seniors鈥 fitness class to enforce social distancing, she went virtual to continue providing exercise opportunities for her 120 students. The free online classes are currently attracting approximately 30 participants per session.
Support for participants and members during coronavirus
April 09, 2020
As we recently shifted the CCAA鈥檚 operations to a virtual model, we have made some adjustments to our community programs as well as our leadership training processes and requirements to accommodate these changes. We also launched a series of Active at Home videos to help keep older adults moving safely while practicing physical distancing.
CCAA COVID-19 Information
March 12, 2020
UPDATED: March 24, 2020 (1:30 p.m.) - As new information is available regarding COVID-19 and its impact on the CCAA, it will be posted here. This information is specific to the CCAA and is intended to supplement 深夜福利站's official advisories regarding COVID-19.
March 03, 2020
Recent 深夜福利站-led research has shown that the use of commercial apps providing small but immediate financial incentives can help people increase their activity levels over the long term, and decrease the number of Canadians classified as physically inactive.
February 25, 2020
Be EPIC, a research program led by Health Studies professor Marie Savundrayanagam and funded by the Future Skills Centre (FSC), is helping Personal Support Workers provide enhanced care to the increasing number of Canadians living with dementia.
Funding advances development of innovative assessment software
February 13, 2020
The CCAA was recently awarded $49,999 from the Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (C-CABHI) SPARK Program for a 1-year project to advance the development of its innovative functional fitness software database called HAroLD (Healthy Active Living Database).
February 10, 2020
Caffeine and exercise have been shown to separately improve certain aspects of cognition like attention and alertness, but the two energy boosters had never been compared head-to-head until 深夜福利站's Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory explored the idea.
January 14, 2020
Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's can make everyday tasks immensely challenging, which is why most people with the disease rely on informal caregivers, often family members, to help maintain their quality of living. This podcast features Lisa Moszczynski, a master's student in Health and Rehabilitation Science, who has been researching the difficulties caregivers face - feelings of invisibility, lack of agency, and inability to access support.
January 09, 2020
Seniors across Ontario may soon be building healthier lives and stronger communities right at home, thanks to the efforts of 深夜福利站 researchers and colleagues across the province focused on helping seniors live independently as long as possible.
December 10, 2019
Only 16 per cent of Canadians meet the government鈥檚 physical activity guidelines, which require 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise every week, according to Statistics Canada. And experts say that as we get older, staying active becomes even more important.
Free HIGH FIVE training offered at the CCAA
October 28, 2019
On Tuesday, November 26, the CCAA will offer complimentary training in HIGH FIVE's Principles of Healthy Aging to 25 individuals. Participants selected for the free session are required to complete feedback regarding the training and offer the Principles of Healthy Aging in their communities.
April 25, 2019
The CCAA recently partnered with Go P.E.I. to get more older adults in communities in Prince Edward Island active. Newly trained TEP and Ball facilitators will partner with P.E.I. assisted living facilities to expand the reach of the program by training seniors and staff members to deliver classes in their facilities.
Hear and meet BodyBreak stars at R2A 2019!
March 20, 2019
The CCAA is celebrating 30 years of activity and aging at R2A 2019 with a little help from our friends Hal Johnson & Joanne McLeod from BodyBreak!
February 28, 2019
Older adults who engage in short bursts of physical activity can experience a boost in brain health even if the activity is carried out at a reasonably low intensity, according to a new 深夜福利站 study.
September 07, 2018
New research led by Health Studies professor Aleksandra Zecevic shows that London-area paramedics are spending at least a month's worth of time each year literally picking up seniors who have called emergency services for help in getting up after a fall.
March 27, 2018
The CCAA, in consultation with London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), is pleased to have developed new fitness opportunities at the CCAA as a meaningful option for members of LHSC鈥檚 Cardiac Fitness Institute (CFI), which is slated to close on April 27, 2018.
March 08, 2018
500 Londoners stay limber, mobile and active, minimize disease and maximize their independence by participating in fitness classes available two or three times a week at 深夜福利站鈥檚 Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging.
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Adela Talbot ,深夜福利站 News , February 01, 2018Approaching his latest study, Matthew Heath already knew aerobic exercise can be as good for the mind as for the body. What he wanted to find out was how long you need to exercise in order to reap those cognitive benefits.
