Healthy Aging
Complete Healthy Aging Course
Activity, food, friendships and health checks for later life, brought together with Canadian guidance and simple weekly planners.
C$29.99Buy
Healthy aging courses for strength, balance and good food
Five courses for older adults and the families who support them, covering strength, balance, falls prevention, eating well with a smaller appetite and staying independent.
- 5 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Falls are the main reason older adults in Canada end up in hospital or die because of an injury, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. About 34% of fall-related hospital stays involve a hip fracture, and deaths from falls rose by 51% between 2017 and 2022. Many falls can be prevented with strength and balance training, good sleep, removing tripping hazards at home and installing grab bars.
For adults 65 and older, Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines suggest building up to 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity each week, muscle strengthening at least twice a week, activities that challenge balance, several hours of light activity, limiting sitting to 8 hours or less, and 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Starting gently still counts, and chair-based exercises are a good way in.
Food matters too. Canada's Food Guide advice for seniors suggests adapting meals when appetite falls, for example with herbs and spices or different textures, eating with others when you can and drinking regularly even when you do not feel thirsty, because the sense of thirst can decline with age. Health Canada also advises everyone over 50 to take a daily vitamin D supplement of 400 IU (10 mcg).
All healthy aging courses
Healthy Aging
Nutrition for Older Adults
Later-life eating made easy: protein, bone-friendly foods, drinks, simple meals and a check for unplanned weight loss.
C$24.99Buy
Healthy Aging
Strength for Older Adults
Chair-based strength moves for later life, a 12-week plan and a before-you-start checklist to go over with your family doctor.
C$24.99Buy
Healthy Aging
Balance and Everyday Mobility (Falls Prevention)
Stay steady at home and out and about: a room-by-room hazard check, balance exercise cards and a calm plan for what to do if you fall.
C$24.99Buy
Healthy Aging
Supporting an Aging Parent
Find the right help in Canada for an aging parent and share the load fairly, with a needs checklist and a care options comparison.
C$27.99Buy
Which healthy aging course to start
- The full picture: The Complete Healthy Aging Course covers activity, food, social connection and health appointments, with a self-check to see where to focus.
- Feeling unsteady: Balance and Everyday Mobility (Falls Prevention) includes a home hazard checklist, balance exercise cards and a falls diary.
- Building strength: Strength for Older Adults follows a 12-week plan of chair-based exercises that progress at your pace.
- A smaller appetite: Nutrition for Older Adults focuses on easy meals, fluids, protein foods at most meals and ways to make food more appealing.
- For adult children: Supporting an Aging Parent helps you understand a parent's needs, compare care options and share responsibilities with siblings.
What the healthy aging tools do
- Home falls hazard checklist: a room-by-room check of lighting, rugs, stairs, bathrooms and grab bars.
- Balance and chair-based exercise cards: large-print cards with a safe set-up and an easier option for each move.
- Falls diary and progress log: record any trips or falls and how your strength sessions go.
- Easy meal planner and hydration tracker: small, regular meals and drinks spread through the day.
- Appointments tracker and care options comparison sheet: keep health appointments and care decisions organized in one place.
When to involve a health professional
Call 911 after a fall if someone has hit their head, cannot get up, is confused or is in severe pain.
Arrange a visit with a family doctor or nurse practitioner, or phone 811 for advice, if:
- you have had a fall, or feel unsteady or dizzy
- you, or the person you support, are eating less, losing weight without trying or clothes are getting loose
- there is new confusion, drowsiness or a sudden change in how someone is managing
- you take several medicines and want them reviewed
Healthy aging courses: your questions
Is it too late to start strength exercise in later life?
No. The Canadian guidelines for adults 65 and older include muscle strengthening at least twice a week, and they note that progressing towards the targets brings some benefit. Check with your health care provider first if you have a heart condition, recent surgery or have had falls.
How much protein do older adults need?
Canada's Food Guide does not set a number. Its advice is to include protein foods at most meals and snacks. If appetite is poor or weight is falling, a registered dietitian or your health care provider can give personal advice.
Do I need a vitamin D supplement after 50?
Health Canada advises everyone over 50 to take a daily supplement of 400 IU (10 mcg) of vitamin D, in addition to food sources. Your pharmacist can check it fits with any other medicines or supplements you take.
Can I take a course on behalf of a parent?
Yes. Many people work through the courses for a parent, then share the planners, checklists and exercise cards with them.
Do I need any equipment for the chair-based plan?
A sturdy chair without wheels, ideally with armrests, and comfortable shoes. Some later exercises use light hand weights or filled water bottles.
Official sources
- Public Health Agency of Canada: Preventing falls and injuries in older adults
- Canada's Food Guide: Healthy eating for seniors
- Canada's Dietary Guidelines: Advice on vitamin and mineral supplementation
- Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines: Adults 65 years and older (PDF)
- Public Health Agency of Canada: Physical activity and your health
Steady, strong and well fed
Walk through the home hazard checklist this week and fix the easiest item first.