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Healthy Seniors Pilot Project: Zoomers for All.

In February, we announced the five UNB projects funded by the Healthy Seniors Pilot Project (HSPP). We've been working with the research teams to help tell their stories and share insight into their research.

Today, we feature Dr. Danielle Bouchard, associate professor in the faculty of kinesiology at UNB, whose Zoomers for All project was awarded $622,044.

Who are you?

Dr. Danielle Bouchard

I am an associate professor in the faculty of kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in Fredericton. I founded the CELLAB with Dr. Martin Sénéchal in 2015.

I have completed two post-doctoral trainings, the first one in Epidemiology at Queen’s University, and the second one in Endocrinology at the Université de Sherbrooke.
I am an invigilator for certifications from the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP). I am also on the editorial board of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity and on the CSEP Professional Standard Practice Committee.

My areas of research interests include aging, clinical exercise physiology and chronic conditions and exercise. Specifically, my research relates to clinical physiology to explore the impact of exercise for those living with chronic conditions, with a specialization in gerontology.

Dr. Martin Sénéchal:

I am an associate professor in the faculty of kinesiology at the UNB in Fredericton and a Certified Exercise Physiologist from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. I joined the faculty of kinesiology in July of 2015, and I also co-lead the Cardiometabolic Exercise and Lifestyle laboratory. My research interest focuses on the impact of physical activity and exercise training on cardiometabolic health in people living with obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

What are you working on?

Zoomers on the Go is a free, peer-led, exercise program for adults 50 years of age and older with the main goal to reduce the risk of falls. Our HSPP project aims to expand the Zoomers on the Go program across the province of New Brunswick, with a goal of making it accessible to all New Brunswickers either in person or online.

We hope to reduce the risk of falling, by improving participants’ cardio and muscle strength and reduce the risk of chronic conditions. Reducing the incidence of falls and chronic conditions will directly create savings for New Brunswick’s healthcare system.

We will be evaluating short-term benefits through qualitative measures, along with questionnaires. Long-term benefits will be monitored through linked administrative data at the New Brunswick Institute of Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT). More specifically, within the next 10 years, we plan to test if hospital admission, surgeries, and visits to physicians are lower compared to others not participating in the program.

Why did you decide to work on this research?

Aging touches everyone, not matter your current age, color, sex, gender or ethnicity. Dr. Sénéchal and I are convinced that exercise is an underestimated treatment for health, and we are devoted to show the benefits in our academic career.

More information

Dr. Danielle Bouchard (orcid)| Dr. Martin Sénéchal (orcid)| Faculty of Kinesiology| UNB Cardiometabolic Exercise & Lifestyle Laboratory (CELLAB)

Research at UNB | Graduate Studies at UNB | Postdoctoral fellowships

Related Pages: Healthy Seniors Pilot Project: Five UNB projects receive funding