A monthly newsletter brought to you by Sound Generations
Staying Connected: Top stories in this newsletter
National Physical Fitness Month Resources
Connect with EF experts at Age+Action Conference
Tech Approaches, Active Aging and EF
Got Extra Weights or Cuffs?
Recommended Reads: Arthritis Resources
May is National Physical Fitness Month!
May marks National Physical Fitness Month, a perfect moment for all of us across the EnhanceFitness and EnhanceWellness community to celebrate the power of movement and reinforce our shared commitment to healthy aging. Whether you’re leading classes, coaching participants, studying program impact, supporting delivery, or investing in community health, this month highlights exactly why our work matters.
This year, we’re spotlighting the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and its Healthy Aging Initiative, which aligns closely with our mission to help older adults stay strong, independent, and connected. Their evidence‑based guidance reinforces what we see every day: regular physical activity improves balance, reduces chronic disease risk, boosts mood, and enhances overall quality of life.
We encourage you to explore and share ODPHP’s Move Your Way® campaign—an accessible, motivating resource designed to help older adults find enjoyable ways to be active. The campaign includes videos, handouts, social graphics, and planning tools that can complement your classes, coaching sessions, outreach, and participant engagement.
Faith‑based organizations expand access to EnhanceFitness and support equity for Hawai‘i’s older adults
Discover how Hawai‘i’s faith‑based organizations (FBOs) are transforming access to healthy aging programs. This NCOA Age+Action conference poster presentation showcases how partnering with FBOs has expanded the reach of EnhanceFitness and strengthened equity for older adults across the islands. Since 2011, seven FBO partners have welcomed more than 500 kūpuna into evidence‑based fall‑prevention exercise programs—creating trusted, culturally grounded spaces where older adults feel supported, connected, and motivated to stay active.
You’ll explore three successful delivery models—AAA‑led, FBO‑led with community‑based instructor partnerships, and CBO‑led—that demonstrate flexible, sustainable pathways for bringing EnhanceFitness into community settings.
If you’re passionate about healthy aging, community partnerships, or expanding access to wellness programs, this is a session you won’t want to miss. Join Michiyo Tomioka, PhD, and Paula Keele, MS, EF T-Trainer, at Age+Action on May 28 from 8–9 AM and see how FBOs are helping Hawai‘i’s older adults thrive!
Spotlight Symposium: Using Technology to Bridge Gaps in Physical Activity Access and Engagement Across the Lifespan
Persistent disparities in access to physical activity continue to affect people of all ages, especially those in under‑resourced or hard‑to‑reach communities. This 2026 ACSM Annual Meeting Spotlight Symposium brings together national leaders to explore how technology can close these gaps by delivering inclusive, scalable, and community‑driven physical activity programs across the lifespan.
Designed for practitioners, researchers, and community partners, the symposium highlights real‑world digital tools and strategies that bring movement into everyday environments from homes, schools and workplaces to neighborhoods. Presenters will share practical approaches for reducing access barriers, tailoring engagement, and supporting long‑term health-related behavior change through technology.
The session features five dynamic presentations:
Amy Bantham, FACSM (Move to Live More, Belmont, MA) — Session Chair and Inspiring Active Communities with Online and Virtual Training for Community Physical Activity Leaders
Rebecca Hasson, FACSM (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI) — PBS Meets AI: Innovating Youth Fitness Through Media and Machine Learning
Paige Denison (Sound Generations, Seattle, WA) — Enhancing Access and Engagement: Tech‑Based Approaches to Active Aging with EnhanceFitness
Melissa Otterbein (Special Olympics, Washington, DC) — Promoting Lifelong Physical Activity Through Digital Technology for Individuals With and Without Intellectual Disabilities
Join us on May 27 from 3:15–4:45 PM to explore innovative, tech‑driven solutions that help people of all ages and abilities stay active wherever they are.
A Teaching Opportunity
Are you an EnhanceFitness instructor skilled in working with participants managing arthritis? We are seeking a volunteer to present to the Arthritis Foundation’s monthly Saturday support group called Movement Matters (Connect Group).
EnhanceFitness will be spotlighted and you will have the opportunity to invite the virtual audience to move along throughout the session—it’s essentially a virtual exercise class! The final 10–15 minutes of the hour will be dedicated to a facilitated discussion. Interested in learning more? Contact Paige Denison at paiged@soundgenerations.org
Project Enhance “Recommended Reads” for May: Arthritis Awareness Month
May is Arthritis Awareness Month, a time to recognize the daily realities of living with the nation’s most common cause of disability.
Evidence Spotlight: Movement as First‑Line Arthritis Care
National guidelines from CDC, the American College of Rheumatology, and OARSI all point to the same conclusion: exercise and self‑management education are the most effective non‑pharmacological strategies for managing arthritis. Activities like walking, tai chi, and strength training reduce pain, improve mobility, and support long‑term independence. Evidence‑based community programs—including EnhanceFitness and EnhanceWellness—are recognized as proven tools for helping older adults stay active and manage arthritis symptoms.
CDC – About Physical Activity and Arthritis
This CDC resource clearly outlines how physical activity reduces joint pain, improves function, and is safe for most adults with arthritis. It highlights joint‑friendly activities and reinforces that even short bouts of movement add up. It provides simple, actionable guidance that class leaders can reinforce in sessions and that funders and delivery organizations can cite when explaining why movement‑based programs matter.
CDC – Physical Activity and Self‑Management Education Programs for Arthritis
This page summarizes more than 20 CDC‑recognized, evidence‑based programs—including EnhanceFitness, EnhanceWellness, Walk With Ease, Tai Chi for Arthritis, and CDSMP—that are proven to reduce pain and improve daily function. It emphasizes the dual importance of exercise and self‑management education. It directly validates the evidence base behind programs your network already delivers, making it ideal for funders, researchers, and partner organizations.
2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for Osteoarthritis (OA) Management (Non‑Pharmacologic Section)
This is the leading U.S. clinical guideline for OA. It strongly recommends exercise, tai chi, weight management, and self‑management programs as first‑line treatments for knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis. It is based on systematic review and GRADE methodology.
This month invites all of us to champion strategies that help individuals with arthritis move more comfortably, stay connected, and maintain independence throughout the lifespan.
EF Affiliate Is Seeking Your Spare Cuff Weights
May Funabiki, Fall Prevention Program Manager at Spectrum Community Services in CA is looking for cuff weights your site is no longer using (they have plenty of bars but need the full weights or just the cuffs). The All Pro or Gymenist brands are preferred. Spectrum Community Services would love to take them off your hands! Contact May Funabiki at mfunabiki@spectrumcs.org for details. Thank you!
The Enhance Program Resource Portal
Expanded program resources are available to licensed EF and EW Affiliates and active EF instructors
NEW! EnhanceWellness Manual, Forms Translation (Russian) now available!
Continuing Education Resources: NEW Instructor Resource under the Creating an Inclusive Environment section from the Dementia Inclusive Choices for Exercise (DICE) project of the University of Waterloo (Canada)
Training Resources update for EF Master Trainers: Updated In-Person and Remote New Instructor Training Slide Decks for July 2025 – December 2026 include EnhanceFitness Instructor Manual v2025 references in slide notes.
Curriculum Resources for EF Instructors and EW Coaches: Updated EF Instructor Manual (English, Spanish) and EW Coach Manual Translations (Chinese, Spanish) and EnhanceFitness + Stronger Memory Participant Activity Packet (English)
Remember: Resources are available through the EnhanceFitness Instructor and Affiliate Resource portals and EnhanceWellness Affiliate Resource portal, so be sure you’ve registered for your account if you are staff with an EF or EW Affiliate or a current EF Instructor! (EW Coach Resources are found in WellWare.)
Please join us for our Bi-Monthly EnhanceWellness Coach calls! Our next one is May 21st at 11a PT! Need a link? Contact Deidre – we can’t wait to see you!
Let us help you build your capacity to reach more people and improve lives. Join upcoming EF Trainings and EW Trainings or contact projectenhance@soundgenerations.org to schedule yours today!
REMINDER! Pay invoices any time—day, night or weekends!
Project Enhance invoices can be paid by credit card online through a secure web portal.
The link to the payment portal is included in the email sent with each invoice and on the invoice PDF itself. You can also find it on our website under Contact Us.
Thank You for Supporting Healthy Aging in Our Communities
Thank you for supporting Project Enhance and our mission to improve health and independence for older adults and people aging with disabilities. Your partnership strengthens inclusive, active communities every day.
If you’re able, we invite you to contribute. Every gift—large or small—directly supports programs like EnhanceFitness and EnhanceWellness that help people thrive.
Click the button above to make your secure, tax-deductible gift.
With gratitude,
Your Project Enhance Team