Residential MapTrek- Increasing Physical Activity Among Older Adults in a Residential-Living

Older adults are a growing population, with projections to reach 83.7 million by 2050. Furthermore, older adults are the most sedentary and least physically active adult population. It is estimated that nearly 90% of older adults 65 years of age or older do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity. Evidence suggests great health benefits can be achieved for older adults who are the most sedentary, and that replacing sitting with even light intensity walking can be beneficial. The overarching goal of the project is to develop an inexpensive and scalable tool to increase volume of physical activity in our target population, older adults living in a residential facility. MapTrek is a web-based application that allows participants to take a virtual walk in interesting locations around the world while tracking their progress against the progress of other older adults living in a retirement community. Steps are counted using a commercially available accelerometer (e.g., Fitbit), and participants see their progress overlaid on Google Maps.