What will the next fitness trend be? Has it already arrived?
Master Moy Lin shin
According to Bruce Frantzis, it is Tai Chi. Frantzis, called one of the Westʼs greatest living masters, holds authentic lineages in Taoist energy arts.
He calls Tai Chi an über-exercise because you can do it for health, healing, martial arts and meditation. In China they say, “Tai chi (a Qigong form) can be done by anyone, male and female, young and old, strong and weak, intelligent and slow, healthy or ill.”
An über-exercise for everyone.
Studies show that Tai Chi Qigong reduces stress, heals illnesses, increases mental and physical performance, and is an effective tool for aging well. This is of particular interest to Baby Boomers as they enter their 60s. It enables them to heal or prevent the aching joints, sore muscles, memory lapses, and many other issues that come after middle age.
This evidence is what is powering the surge of interest in the Chi arts. In my own experience, typical aches and pains related to aging disappeared when I resumed my Tai Chi practice after a lapse of years: achy sore knees are almost restored to normal; lower back pain is easily managed; migraines are rarer and deflected in minutes; sleep is deeper; eating properly is easier; and I have more energy. In fact, I have almost no physical complaints at all, and when something minor does arise I am more effective at self-healing.
Shoot-Hawk-with-Bow- the author demonstrating Tai Chi
These things are significant; but, even more important to me is the pure joy I feel from the movement, the rhythm, the flow, as I practice my set. And the fun and satisfaction I get in teaching others.
Many people try Tai Chi, enjoy it, but quit in frustration complaining that it is complex and hard to remember. It is complex. There are many subtle skills to remember and perform all at the same time: slow, relaxed, smooth, continuous, movements performed in a state of mental relaxation with slow, deep breathing; careful attention to the alignment of all joints; proper foot placement and and weight shifting; outer and inner focus.
In traditional teaching the student tries their best to follow along with the teacher, soaking up like a sponge all that the teacher has to offer. The teacherʼs curriculum is more important than students goals and needs. For some people this ‘teacher led’ style works well. But for many it does not.
As Tai Chi enters the mainstream this method is giving way to new learner friendly approaches. Older students respond with enthusiasm to methods which take into account their life experience and individual needs. Trained teachers are developing systematic ways to teach these subtle skills so that students know exactly what they are aiming for and when they achieve it. Students gain competency sooner and nearly every one notices benefits even from their first class. For the Silo, Jackie Davies.
With 80% of baby boomers using the internet, it is clear that seniors are a lot more adept at using tech than we give them credit for. If you’re not convinced, just have a look at the statistics that MedAlertHelp compiled.
You will see that seniors are using the internet and smart devices a lot more regularly than most people would think. But what’s more interesting, perhaps, is the reason why they are using the internet. In this post, we will go through those reasons in more detail.
It’s Convenient
Raise your hands – who still uses an encyclopedia instead of checking the answer online? Do encyclopedias even exist anymore? Seniors are just as keen on using useful shortcuts as the rest of us.
Consider other apps that might be useful, such as internet banking, for example. In most cases, you’re not going to need to go to the bank unless you need to change your address or get a new card. Just about everything else you can do by using online banking or ATMs.
Easy Access to Information About Things That Interest Them
Most seniors cited that they enjoyed using the internet because it was an easy way to access information about things of interest. We can all relate to that. Just 20 years ago, learning something about your favorite hobby meant finding the right books or a person who could teach you.
Now, thanks to YouTube, that’s all changed. There is a wealth of information on the internet. Not all of it is great, but the support for hobbyists is nice. Want to learn how to crochet a jacket for your chicken? Google it – you will find a pattern. And, yes, there are people who crochet jackets for their chickens.
For Shopping
Online shopping and the elderly can be a match made in heaven, especially when there are mobility issues to consider. Online shopping has changed the world for a lot of us – making it possible to gain access to items that we cannot easily get otherwise.
But it can also be infinitely practical. You can shop for almost anything online, from groceries to clothing. This can be a boon for the elderly with mobility problems or issues finding transport.
For Entertainment Purposes
I have to be honest; this one was a bit of a surprise for me. Especially since I remembered growing up and being told that video games would rot my brain. However, almost half of the elderly who regularly use the net, also use it for entertainment purposes, like gaming.
Communication
The internet does provide us with a number of different ways to contact our families and keep in touch with friends. Seniors are taking advantage of services like Skype, Facebook, and other instant messaging services to keep in touch with the people who are important to them.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the internet is a useful tool to make day to day living less complicated. We’re not counting the potential for wasting time on it here, though. But, if used correctly, the internet can save you time and a lot of stress. Is it any surprise that seniors are taking advantage of these benefits? For the Silo, Tarun Reddy.
(Toronto, Ontario) Seven in ten Canadians have given to charity in 2018, and almost half of donors are open to different sorts of giving approaches than just the traditional solicitation letter, according to the 2018 What Canadian Donors Want Survey, conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada in partnership with Ipsos.
The survey, which featured 1,500 Canadians age 18 or older, found that the percentage of people giving to charity in 2017 jumped by four points from the 2015 survey, returning to previous giving levels. Even as more Canadians are giving, they are giving less—an average of $772 cdn in 2017 compared to average giving levels of $924 cdn in 2015 and $726 cdn in 2013.
Eighty percent of donors give to more than one cause, with 23 percent giving to 4-5 charities and 13 percent supporting 6 or more causes. The top recipients of donations are social services and health charities—more Canadians (59% and 57%) gave to those causes than any other.
Overall, Canadians are more confident in the charitable sector than ever before, with nearly eight in ten respondents (78%) saying they’re confident in the organizations that comprise the charitable sector. That figure represents a five-point increase from 2015 and is significantly higher than confidence in the private sector (67%) or the public sector (60%).
Roger Ali Foundation for Philanthropy Canada
“Overall, the survey shows a Canadian population that is very supportive of the work of the country’s charities and a good understanding of how charities work to support communities,” said Roger Ali, CFRE, chair of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada. “However, there are signs that donors are changing how they want to give and interact with charities, and the sector needs to understand and adapt to these changes so that we remain relevant to the people who support us and the people we serve.”
Changes in Volunteering, Giving Behavior
One troubling sign is a drop in volunteerism rates. According to the survey, one-third of Canadians volunteered their time to a charity or non-profit in the past 12 months and spent an average of 88 hours—down precipitously from 110 hours in 2015. “We’ll be watching this closely in our next survey to see if this is a one-time drop or a trend,” Ali added.
Canadians continue to change in how they want to be approached for donations. While 44% express a preference for traditional requests, such as mail, one quarter prefer a more personal approach like peer-to-peer contact or crowdfunding. Three in ten (31%) say they’re open to anything, having no specific preference.
Fundraising preferences vary significantly by age. Baby Boomers (54%) are the most likely to prefer being solicited through traditional requests, compared to Gen X’ers (43%) or Millennials (33%). By contrast, Millennials (17%) lead the way on crowdfunding, preferring this option to a greater extent than their Gen X (11%) or Boomer (5%) counterparts.
Perceptions of Charity Roles, Performance
Many underlying views on charities have remained relatively stable over time. Three-quarters of Canadians continue to agree that charities play an important role in society to address the needs not being met by the government, the public sector or the private sector. Majorities also believe that charities are trustworthy (61%) and act responsibly with the donations they receive (63%).
Canadians are more divided on how much charities spend on their programs and services vs. how much they spend on supplies, administration, salaries and fundraising. A growing majority (58%, up six percentage points from 2015) trust charities on how much they say they spend money on programs and overhead.
However, about a third of Canadians (34%, down 4 points) are less trusting, indicating that charities overstate how much they spend on the cause or programs (24%), or that charities are being intentionally misleading (10%). Yet, when presented with factors and asked how important each one is in evaluating a charity’s effectiveness, Canadians placed more emphasis on a charity’s ability to achieve its mission and create impact than managing its operation or its fundraising.
“Donors are looking for charities that create impact to change the world for the better,” said Lorelei Wilkinson, CFRE, chair of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada Research Committee. “But it’s always clear that they keep a careful eye on administrative costs and a charity’s operations. The charitable sector needs to do a better job of explaining that overhead costs are essential for growth and sustainability —for things like equitable salaries, updated computer equipment, etc.— as part of being efficient with their use of donor dollars.”
Looking Ahead
Almost half of Canadians (46%) indicate that they are very likely to give in the next 12 months, while another one-third (34%) are somewhat likely to donate. However, 59% say they are also concerned about the economy, which may force them to reassess their giving plans.
A considerable number of Canadians (42%) proactively seek out information on the cause/charity and contact them to donate, while six in ten (58%) say the charity approaches them and they donate based on the information they receive. When looking for information on charities they support, Canadians continue to rely on online information (75%) as opposed to family, friends or colleagues (39%).
Social Media
The 2018 What Canadian Donors Want Survey also asked general questions about Canadians’ use of social media.
Similar to 2015, eight in 10 Canadians (81%) have a social media account. This applies across every age group, from 91% of Millennials through to 85% of Gen X’ers and 70% of Baby Boomers. Women (84%) are more likely than men (78%) to maintain at least one social media account.
Facebook dominates the Canadian social media landscape: three in four Canadians (75%) say they have a Facebook account, placing it well ahead of Twitter (29%), Instagram (28%), Reddit (5%) or other social media (13%).
Nearly two in ten Canadians on social media (18%) have donated to a charity in response to a request that came through their social media account. Millennials (23%) and Gen X Canadians (19%) are more likely than Baby Boomers (13%) to have made a charitable donation in response to a social media invitation or post.
“As generations age, we expect that email and social media will continue to become more prevalent in fundraising,” said Mary Bowyer, CFRE, member of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada Research Committee. “For now, we’re seeing a blend of different approaches, and the most successful charities will be those who personalize their appeals based on what individual donors want, meaning a mix of mail, email, videos, Tweets and other communications.”
About the Survey
The 2018 What Canadian Donors Want Survey was based on a poll conducted between October 10 and October 17, 2017, on behalf of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,500 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe.
The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is the largest international association of fundraising professionals in the world. AFP has over 33,000 members world-wide, with 3,800 in Canada. AFP promotes the importance and value of philanthropy, and enables people and organizations to practice ethical and effective fundraising. AFP Canada was formally created in 2017.
As the philanthropic arm of AFP, the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada supports many programs and services through its fundraising efforts. Fulfilling the promise of philanthropy by funding programs and services in the areas of research, diversity & inclusion, supporting the profession and leadership. To find out more, please visit www.afpnet.org.
