The Longevity Project: Maintaining mobility, balance, and athleticism throughout life

How does athletic performance evolve as we age? And how can we navigate those changes safely while still maintaining a competitive spirit? The Longevity Project endeavors to answer those questions for every decade of life.

At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Glenwood Spring Post Independent and The Aspen Times will host a panel discussion at The Arts Center At Willits, (TACAW), located at 400 Robinson St. in Basalt, rounding out The Longevity Project.

The Longevity Project is an effort to educate readers about what it takes to live a long, fulfilling life. 

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The all-ages panel event will focus on the topic of wellness, and the importance of maintaining mobility, balance and strength throughout life, with plenty of tips offered to help attendees check in with where they currently are health-wise compared with where they might actually like to be.

CEO at Renew Senior Communities Lee Tuchfarber will serve as Wednesday night’s moderator, and will lead a team of panelists through a conversation on helping people stay active at any age.

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Whether you want to climb mountains, ski, get in your daily steps, or pick up roller skating, these panelists will share the latest research and advice, as well as benchmarks, to keep folks on the right track.

Meet the panel:

Bill Fabrocini: Sports Performance Coach and Physical Therapist

Fabrocini is the former director of the Aspen Club Sports Performance Center and the founder of the Aspen Sports Summit, which brings leaders together in the field of sports medicine, health, and fitness to raise funds for philanthropic organizations.

In addition to Fabrocini’s job as a clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy and sports performance coach, he’s worked with Olympic medalists, professional and collegiate athletes and teams. And he’s designed exercise programs for companies throughout his 30-plus year career.

His expertise is in chronic injuries, especially those of the back and hip that are associated with repetitive movement dysfunctions. Much of Fabrocini’s work focuses on the integrative concepts of posture, stability and mobility, and how they influence movement.

Dr. Dustin Anderson: MD with the Steadman Clinic

Anderson specializes in non-surgical orthopedic intervention and sports, spine & regenerative medicine. Additionally, he’​s an expert in ultrasound and fluoroscopically-guided (X-ray) procedures and specializes in nonoperative care for disorders of the bones, nerves, joints, and muscles. 

According to his bio with Aspen Valley Hospital, Anderson spent four years at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Spine Center caring for patients with complex spine and sports issues. He also served as the team physician for the University’s Division I women’s soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse teams.

Anderson also worked with athletes at the University of Colorado Champions Center in Boulder and UCHealth as the official healthcare partner of the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, as well as other local sports teams.

Dr. Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley: professor and director of the rehabilitation science PhD Program CU Anschutz. 

According to her Anschutz bio, Lapsley focuses on identifying evidence-based medicine solutions for older adult rehabilitation through research methods and partnerships. She has nearly 20 years of clinical research experience working with patients suffering from osteoarthritis planning joint arthroplasty and medically complex patient populations. 

Her research ranges from skeletal muscle dysfunction to studies of rehabilitation practices in post-acute care settings.

Lapsley also serves as an associate director of Research and Health Scientist, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veteran Affairs Eastern Colorado Healthcare System; the director at RESTORE Team with CU Anschutz; section director for Research and Development, Physical Therapy Program at CU Anschutz; and Professor with Tenure with the Physical Therapy Program, CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Wednesday evening’s event is presented in partnership with Renew Senior Communities and TACAW, and is ticketed, so much like with personal health, you have to be proactive. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at aspentimes.com/longevity-project-2023-fall.

To reach Jonson Kuhn, email him at jkuhn@aspentimes.com.