Aims and objectives

The aim of our project is to collect and bring together on European level, the information concerning physical activity and sport for older adults and to make possible the identification and the fulfilment of relevant educational programs in the students’ curricula. In turn these programs have to motivate students from different academic domains to work with and for the elderly population and at the same time – to help expand the concept of active lifestyle for the elderly.

The objectives of the network are:

• To define the European dimensions and the role of the physical activity for:
  -Decreasing the risk factors for secondary disabilities
  -Maintaining functional independence of the elderly
  -Prevention of the “premature ageing” in older adults
  -Increasing life-long well-being and health promotion
  
• To analyse existing structures of education and examples of “best” practices in the field of physical activity and sport for elderly in the curricula of the students of Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Recreation, Rehabilitation, Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Sport and Human Movement Sciences
  
• To disseminate those examples through co-operation between university faculties and departments, which will contribute to the students mobility in search for the best expertise in the area
  
• To promote independence, productivity, self-determination, community inclusion and full citizenship for the older adults
  
• To create competencies in a variety of specialists in order to increase their employability
  
• To induce collaborative effort among University departments, local counties and the government
  
• To contribute to the lifelong learning process by raising the awareness that not only the adoption of positive health related behaviours but also their maintenance is crucial as the population is continuously ageing