Center for Health & Wellbeing – The Right Environment for Active Aging

Your environment affects your behavior, but did you know that certain factors in your environment can affect your ability to live a long, active, and healthy life? Maintaining your overall health and wellbeing requires an environment that enables you to make positive lifestyle decisions, access health care, engage with your Physical, Social and, Intellectual Wellbeing and other personally meaningful activities while feeling secure in doing so.

Join Dr. Christy Phillips, a research assistant professor in the Clemson University Department of Psychology and Institute for Engaged Aging, to learn more about micro- and macro- level features of a “Built Environment” that influences healthy aging. Dr. Phillips will discuss housing, pedestrian environments, transportation, and land-use planning that can also influence our health behaviors, our ability to remain engaged and connect with others, and the ease with which we adapt to age-related changes, including the latest research, successful community initiatives and challenges in need of solutions.

By participating in this program, you can expect to:

• understand the relationship between a Built Environment and healthy aging within a socio-ecological framework.
• differentiate macro- and micro- level influences of the Built Environment.
• name at least three modifiable Built Environment features that can promote or impede opportunities to optimize health, participation and security.

This program is presented by Dr. Christy Phillips and is hosted by the Winter Park Health Foundation.

How to join the Zoom Program:

Upon registration for this program, you will receive two emails:

• One email from Eventbrite: you can either disregard this email or save it for your records. No action needed with this message.
• One email from the Center for Health & Wellbeing: this email will contain your link to join the Zoom meeting. Simply select the link and the Zoom Meeting will launch. Please allow yourself five – 10 minutes before program start to launch Zoom and confirm your technology is properly working.

All CHWB Digital Education Programs are now presented with live captioning service. Please refer to your registration confirmation email for instructions on enabling live captions.

By participating in this program, you agree to the CHWB’s Gracious Space policy. Unless otherwise noted, all CHWB Digital Education programs hosted via Zoom are recorded and made available for on-demand viewing on WellbeingNetwork.org. If you prefer to be left out of the program’s recording, please leave your camera and microphone off for the duration of the program.

About the Program Presenter

Christy Phillips, PhD, is a research assistant professor in the Clemson University Department of Psychology and Institute for Engaged Aging. Dr. Phillips is a gerontologist with broad interest in preserving or improving health and functional abilities across the lifespan. Her research focuses on understanding how individual-level and environmental influences interact to facilitate or impede behavioral of functional outcomes, and applying this knowledge in intervention design and implementation, built environment design, and policy-making. She also studies emerging methods and technologies used to measure these influences and outcomes.

Dr. Phillips has more than 20 years of practical experience implementing health and wellness programs across diverse populations, including collegiate athletes, corporate clients, and older adults. Prior to joining Clemson in December of 2020, Phillips served as vice pesident of Resident Engagement for Atria Senior living, where she was responsible for overseeing Engage Life programming designed to promote active, healthy and engaged lifestyles for Atria’s 23,000-plus residents.

Phillips is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, has a master’s degree in Sport Science and holds a doctorate degree in Aging Studies from the University of South Florida. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Health Geographics, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Behavioral Medicine, The Gerontologist®, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, The Journals of Gerontology®, and Aeging Research Reviews.