Gerokinesiology

Focus Area Overview

The focus area in Gerokinesiology explores how physical activity and movement influence health, independence, and quality of life in older adults, applying kinesiology principles to better understand the aging process and promote well-being across the lifespan. Graduates are equipped for meaningful careers advancing physical performance, conducting aging-related research, and leading in allied health, rehabilitation, and community wellness settings.

Career Paths

• Research & Academic Careers – aging researcher, professor, research coordinator or analyst
• Fitness and/or Wellness Program Directors – in retirement communities, senior centers, corporations and workplaces, YMCA/YWCAs, and other organizations
• Aging-related Nonprofit Manager or Consultant – advising organizations on aging-friendly wellness programs
• Entrepreneurship – personal training, athlete development (masters’ athletes), product or program development (specializing in enhancing mobility and independence in older adults)
• Clinical & Allied Health Professions – Rehabilitation or exercise specialist, wellness or health coaching, physical therapy, occupational therapy
• Healthcare/Health Policy - advocating for active aging and physical activity policy initiatives

Faculty Mentors

Koren Fisher (Gerokinesiology – Exercise Physiology)

Course Requirement

All official graduate study plans must include:

• KNES 508 – Statistical Methods in Kinesiology
• KNES 510 – Research Methods in Kinesiology
• Two 500-level advanced courses, including: Choice of any KNES class with “Advanced Study” in the title.

Research Lab / center

• Center for Successful Aging - https://csa.fullerton.edu/
• Lifespan Wellness Lab

Highlight Research (*CSUF graduate student or post-doctoral student author)

Current Projects

• Updating the Senior Fitness Test Normative Data
  The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) is widely used to assess the physical fitness levels of older adults, providing valuable insights into their functional capacity, mobility, and overall health. While the test has become an essential tool for physical fitness assessment in older adults, the norms used to interpret SFT results have not been updated in many years. Given the evolving demographic trends, advancements in healthcare, and improvements in physical activity among older populations, there is a pressing need to update the age- and gender-specific norms for the SFT.

• Association of hip abductor strength and knee adduction moment during gait in older adults
  This project explores the association between hip abductor strength and knee adductor moments (KAMs) during gait in individuals aged 50 years and older. Understanding how hip abductor strength and KAMs influence gait will allow for the development of more effective strategies to prevent knee OA, which is crucial for aging individuals to maintain joint health and their overall quality of life, especially when few effective treatments for knee OA are available.

Completed Projects

• Fisher KL, Pamukoff DN, Harrision EL. Physical function, health status, and health services costs in older adults with osteoarthritis participating in physical activity programming: a longitudinal study. Under review
• ^*Kim KH, Sami M, Wilson KS, Fisher KL. Physical activity as a moderator of the association between central obesity and Type 2 diabetes in Asian American older adults. Obesity Pillars 2025; October;16:100224. doi: 10.1016/j.obpill.2025.100224.
• ^*Born Lopes P, Rodacki ALF, Wolf R, Fisher K, Bento PCB, Pereira G. Can age influence functional tests differently to predict falls in nursing home and community-dwelling older adults? Experimental Aging Research 2021; Mar-Apr;47(2):192-202. doi: 10.1080/0361073X.2020.1871277. Epub 2021 Jan 11. PMID: 33423605.
• ^*McAlister K, Rubin DA, Fisher KL. A Cross-Sectional Examination of Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Cardiometabolic Risk in Community-Dwelling Adults Aged 55 Years and Older. Journal of Aging Research 2020;01June: Article I.D. 3859472.