Webinar: Rethinking Physical Activity for Older Adults
Notes and recording from a webinar held on June 2 2025.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Andrew Telfer (WildStrong / Nature Moves), Erin Eleuterio (Second Act Fit Pros), and Shelby Copeland (Force of Nature Movement) explore what it really means to support older adults in moving more — and moving well.
If you work with older adults, deliver community movement sessions, or just want to do things differently, this is one to watch.
What We Talk About
Andrew reflects on how most gym-based models are built around reps and sets, not relationships or relevance. Nature Moves was developed to offer something different: short, practical facilitator training that helps people run outdoor sessions that are social, place-based, and fun.
Shelby picks up on the idea of fun. Her work, originally inspired by parkour, shows how older adults can explore movement in a way that’s not overly technical or corrective.
“One of the most radical things we can do is design for failure and fun.” Shelby Copeland
For many people who’ve been told for decades what they can’t or shouldn’t do, this kind of invitation — to explore, laugh, and try again — is powerful.
Erin brings a systems lens, highlighting how programmes are too often designed for people, not with them. She emphasises how important it is that sessions feel like they belong to the community, not like they’ve been parachuted in.
“When people feel a sense of ownership, they show up differently. It’s no longer about compliance. It becomes about connection.” Erin Eleuterio
Themes That Emerged
Throughout the webinar, three core ideas came up again and again:
Belonging matters. You can teach all the best techniques in the world, but if people don’t feel safe or seen, they won’t come back.
Play is serious work. From cooperative games to task-based exploration, playful movement builds trust, courage, and capacity.
It doesn’t have to look like ‘exercise.’ Walking, lifting odd objects, navigating a slope, this is practical strength. And it’s often more fun (and more familiar) than a gym routine.
“Movement doesn’t have to be serious to be powerful. It can be playful, experimental, and relational. It can be a conversation, not a prescription.” Shelby Copeland
📺 Watch the Full Webinar
Erin Eleuterio – Second Act Fit Pros
🔗 Website
🔗 LinkedIn
Shelby Copeland – Force of Nature Movement
🔗 Instagram
🔗 Website
Andrew Telfer – WildStrong / Nature Moves
🔗 WildStrong
🔗 Nature Moves
Playful Nature Podcast
Episode 7 – Erin Eleuterio: Embracing Active Aging
Episode 5 – Shelby Copeland: Finding Strength Through Play
Erin’s excellent webinar:
🎥 Enhancing Fall Resilience in Older Adults Through Fun, Play, and Games
Join Erin & Shelby on Tuesday, July 15th at 2pm PT
📢 Webinar: Reclaiming Movement – How Parkour is Helping Older Adults Move with Confidence 👉 Sign up here
