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Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
Indexed in: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, ProQuest, APA PsycINFO, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar
Print ISSN: 1063-8652
Online ISSN: 1543-267X
2023 Impact Factor: 1.4
2023 CiteScore: 2.6
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Volume 33 (2025): Issue 3 (Jun 2025)
JAPA Virtual Special Issues
The Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (JAPA) is proud to present online-only issues curated by Editorial Board Members and featuring articles published in JAPA throughout its history. Each issue features a collection of articles centered around a theme or area of study, introduced by an Editorial outlining the collection and its importance. All of these curated issues are free to read; simply click on the issue title below.
Reflections on JAPA's First 30 Years
Curated by Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Debra J. Rose, Diane E. Whaley, Philip D. Chilibeck
Considering Sex of Participants in Research
Curated by Dana M. Ghareeb, Owen D. Harris, and Jennifer M. Jakobi (lead)
The Promise of Qualitative Research
Curated by Rylee A. Dionigi (lead), Maria Horne, Anne-Marie Hill, and Mary Ann Kluge
Fall Prevention
Curated by Ellen Freiberger
Tai Chi for Aging
Curated by Samuel R. Nyman
Physical Activity and Cognitive Function
Curated by Patricia Heyn and Lindsay Nagamatsu
Mission
Th
e Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (JAPA) is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes peer-reviewed original research reports, scholarly reviews, and professional-application articles on the relationship between physical activity and the aging process. The journal encourages the submission of articles that can contribute to an understanding of (a) the impact of physical activity on physiological, psychological, and social aspects of older adults and (b) the effect of advancing age or the aging process on physical activity among older adults.
In addition to publishing research reports and reviews, JAPA publishes articles that examine the development, implementation, and evaluation of physical activity programs among older adults. Articles from the biological, behavioral, and social sciences, as well as from fields such as medicine, clinical psychology, physical and recreational therapy, health, physical education, and recreation, are appropriate for the journal. Studies using animal models do not fit within our mission statement and should be submitted elsewhere.
JAPA consists of three peer-reviewed sections: Original Research, Scholarly Reviews, and Professional Applications. The Original Research section contains scientific studies and investigations, systematic clinical observations, and controlled case studies. The Scholarly Reviews section publishes reviews that synthesize research and practice on important issues in the study of physical activity and aging. Articles based on experience in working with older populations and the available scientific evidence that focus on program development, program activities, and application of exercise principles are appropriate for the Professional Applications section.
JAPA also includes an editorial section for exchange of viewpoints on key issues affecting physical activity and older adults.
*Average time from submission to first decision includes only those articles sent for peer review. Please note that this number is an average and that some manuscripts will take more or less time depending on subject matter, complexity, and availability of reviewers.
Editors
Lindsay Nagamatsu
Western University, Canada
Emerson Sebastião
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Editorial Assistant
Anna Monley
University of Colorado Anschutz, USA
Editors Emeriti
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko (Founding Editor: 1993–2002)
C. Jessie Jones (2003–2005)
Debra J. Rose (2003–2006)
Anthony A. Vandervoort (2007–2009)
Gareth Jones (2007–2009)
Jennifer L. Etnier (2009–2012)
Diane E. Whaley (2012–2016)
Philip D. Chilibeck (2016–2019)
Samuel R. Nyman (2020–2022)
Patricia Heyn (2023–2025)
Associate Editors
Hosam Alzahrani
Taif University, Saudi Arabia
Michael J. Annear
Lincoln University, New Zealand
Rafael Baptista
PUCRS Science and Technology Park, Brazil
Rylee A. Dionigi
Charles Sturt University, Australia
Adam B. Evans
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Kimberly Lazo Green
University of Manchester, UK
Jeffrey Hallam
Kent State University, USA
Patricia Heyn
Marymount University, USA
Adriano Akira Hino
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Brazil
Shanthi Johnson
University of Windsor, Canada
Raymond Jones
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
Pedro Lopez
University of Western Australia, Australia
Elisa A. Marques
Loughborough University, UK, and University of Maia, Portugal
Yusuke Osawa
Keio University, Japan
Matthew J. Peterson
Campbell University, USA
Régis Radaelli
Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Portugal, and Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Portugal
Salvador Romero Arenas
UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain
Liza Stathokostas
Active Aging Canada, Canada
Rafael Miranda Tassitano
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Olga Theou
Dalhousie University, Canada
Kimberly S. van Schooten
Neuroscience Research Australia, Australia, and University of New South Wales, Australia
Xiang Wu
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
Fang Yu
Arizona State University, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, USA
Shuqi Zhang
Boise State University, USA
Editorial Board
Nicolas Aguilar-Farias, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
Yolanda Barrado-Martin, University College London, United Kingdom
Sonia Maria Marques Gomes Bertolini, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil
Danielle R. Bouchard, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Christi Brewer, Eastern Washington University, USA
Nicola Burton, Griffith University, Australia
Bettina Callary, Cape Breton University, Canada
Denise Connelly, Western University, Canada
Stephen Cornish, University of Manitoba, Canada
Jennifer L. Etnier, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA
Brooke Forester, University of South Alabama, USA
Ellen Freiberger, University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Germany
Andrew Froehle, Wright State University, USA
James Gavin, University of Southampton, UK
Anne-Marie Hill, University of Western Australia, Australia
Maria Horne, University of Leeds, UK
Pingbo Hu, Western University, Canada
Joel Krentz, Brandon University, Canada
Xi Pan, Texas State University, USA
Merja Rantakokko, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Natalie Richer, The University of Winnipeg, Canada
Tamar Semerjian, San José State University, USA
Harshvardhan Singh, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
Cody Sipe, Harding University, USA
Juliana Souza Oliveira, University of Sydney, Australia
Sandra Webber, University of Manitoba, Canada
Kevin Zwetsloot, Appalachian State University, USA
Statistical Advisors
Laura Bonnett, University of Liverpool, UK
George Kelley, Boise State University, USA
Social Media Manager
Michaela Nikpal, Western University, Canada
Human Kinetics Staff
Tammy Miller, Senior Journals Managing Editor
Prior to submission, please carefully read and follow the submission guidelines detailed below. Authors must submit their manuscripts through the journal’s ScholarOne online submission system. To submit, click the button below:
Page Content
Authorship Guidelines
The Journals Division at Human Kinetics adheres to the criteria for authorship as outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors:
Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to:
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
- Final approval of the version to be published; AND
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Conditions a, b, c, and d must all be met. Individuals who do not meet the above criteria may be listed in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript.
Authors who use artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image creators) in their work must indicate how they were used in the cover letter and the work itself. These technologies cannot be listed as authors as they are unable to meet all the conditions above, particularly agreeing to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Free Access and Open Access
Human Kinetics is pleased to allow our authors the option of having their articles published Free or Open Access. In order for an article to be published Free or Open Access, authors must complete and return the Request for Open Access form and provide payment for this option. To learn more and request Free and Open Access, please see our Open Access resource page.
Fee for Free Access
- Copyright assigned to Human Kinetics $2,000
Fees for Open Access
- Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license $2,250
- Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license $2,450
- Creative Commons CC-BY license $2,950
Manuscript Guidelines
The Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (JAPA) consists of two peer-reviewed sections: Original Research and Scholarly Reviews. The Original Research section contains scientific studies and investigations, systematic clinical observations, and controlled case studies. The Scholarly Reviews section publishes reviews that synthesize research and practice on important issues in the study of physical activity and aging. JAPA also includes a Letters to the Editor section for exchange of viewpoints on key issues affecting physical activity and older adults. The journal does not accept protocols.
Commitment to Diversity and Health Equity
JAPA encourages the submission of cutting-edge scientific studies that addresses inequities in aging and physical activity. Specifically, we encourage submissions on aging and physical activity that will have a focus on key social determinants of health such as race, ethnicity, sex, or gender as well as in the important intersections between these factors.
JAPA is committed to diversity within its authorship, peer reviewers, and editorial board. If you are a member of an underrepresented group and have an interest in leading the JAPA editorial board with us, please nominate yourself as a JAPA Associate Editor (AE). Please include your curriculum vitae, statement of contribution, and diversity and inclusion statement in your nomination. All nominations may be submitted to Anna Monley, JAPA Editorial Assistant (anna.monley@cuanschutz.edu).
Bias-Free and Aging Friendly and Inclusive Language
JAPA acknowledges the importance of diversity throughout all levels of scientific study and publication, and we require that published scientific reporting respects all people. We appreciate differences and promote equal opportunities. Thus, JAPA recognizes the value of inclusive language.
The JAPA Editorial Board are in agreement with the APA style manual that the term “the elderly” is no longer an appropriate label for older adults, as it can be viewed as pejorative and is stereotypical. Instead, please refer to your sample as older adults or even more appropriately, by the specific age range. Similarly, JAPA is striving for a more positive approach to aging. Consistent with theories of aging, we discourage the “aging as decline” approach in favor of how older adults adapt to a changing physical, social, and cognitive landscape. Other terms that should be avoided are “aged” or “demented.” We ask you to consider this more positive approach in writing your manuscript. Also note that JAPA uses the term “participants” and not “subjects” to refer to adults who have taken part in a study and the term “people without the disease” instead of “normal” or “healthy” when referring to controls.
It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that manuscript submissions are free from bias, stereotypes, and non-respectful language, including negative connotations about any group of people. For additional information please see the American Psychological Association (APA) guidance on “Age Bias-Free Language”.
Format
In preparing manuscripts for publication in JAPA, authors should adhere to the guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2020) unless otherwise noted in these submission guidelines. Copies of the APA Publication Manual can be found in most university libraries or purchased online through the APA website. Please note that the APA guidelines particularly require that authors acknowledge the existence of similar publications so that the Editor can “make an informed judgment as to whether the submitted manuscript includes sufficient new information to warrant consideration.” If similar publications exist, please address this in your cover letter and provide a brief explanation of how the submitted manuscript adds to the literature. Manuscripts that do not conform to APA guidelines and to the guidelines described here may be rejected without review.
Authors are encouraged to use the JAPA Submission Checklist to ensure all required materials are submitted.
Title Page
Please upload a Title Page as a separate document. This page should include the manuscript title, names of authors and institutional affiliation(s), suggested running head, and full mailing address, email address, and telephone and fax numbers of the corresponding author.
Key Points
Authors should provide 2–3 key points that describe the impact of the study as a separate document. The key points are intended for a general audience, no more than 30 words, and in sentence format.
Manuscript
The manuscript itself should not contain any author-identifying information and should be uploaded as the Main Document. Within the Main Document, the first page of the manuscript should contain only the title of the article. Page 2 should contain the abstract, with the text of the manuscript beginning on page 3. Beneath the abstract, please also include 3–5 keywords not included in the title.
All manuscripts must include a structured abstract limited to 250 words (see the Instructions for Structured Abstracts). For Original Research and Scholarly Review articles, the abstract should include key elements from the reporting guideline used to format the manuscript (see Report Guidelines below).
The manuscript must be double-spaced, including the abstract, references, and any block quotes. Include line numbers that restart on each page of the manuscript (through Page Setup in Microsoft Word). Every effort should be made to see that the manuscript itself contains no clue to the author’s identity. Please also include, when relevant, a statement regarding compliance with regulations for the use of human subjects. This will include a statement in the method section that prior to recruitment approval was obtained from an institutional/regional/national research ethics committee (while keeping the author's instiution anonymous), and that all participants provided written informed consent.
JAPA does not impose limits for word count (outside of the 250-word limit for abstracts) or page count. However, authors should be concise in their writing. Information provided in tables and figures should be self-explanatory without referring to the main text, and should not duplicate information provided in the text.
JAPA is able to publish supplementary material online alongside the journal article. Supplementary material must be referred to in the main document and uploaded as a separate file to be included in the peer-review process. However, supplementary material is not included in the copy-editing process and so the author retains responsibility for the content and presentation of the material.
Specific Study Designs
Report Guidelines
Authors are required to conduct all original research and systematic reviews based on an appropriate pre-established protocol and to follow the EQUATOR network guidelines when reporting research methods and findings.
Submissions must be accompanied by the appropriate checklist for the study type, fully completed with page numbers where applicable. Please select the most suitable checklist from the following. When completing the checklist, authors should consult the relevant guidance document to ensure the checklist is reported as accurately as possible. Failure to address all items may lead to delays in your submission.
- Observational studies: STROBE
- Systematic reviews or meta-analyses: PRISMA
- Randomized controlled trials: CONSORT
- Clinical practice guidelines: AGREE
- Case review: CARE
- Qualitative studies: See Qualitative Studies guidelines below
For other types of studies not listed here, visit the EQUATOR library.
Additional Guidelines
Clinical trials. Manuscripts reporting clinical trials are required to follow the CONSORT guidelines and include a CONSORT flow diagram (figure) as well as a completed CONSORT checklist. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) defines a clinical trial as follows: “any research project that prospectively assigns people or a group of people to an intervention, with or without concurrent comparison or control groups, to study the relationship between a health-related intervention and a health outcome” (2019, page 13). Health-related interventions are defined as those used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome including physical activity interventions. Health outcomes are defined as any biomedical or health-related measure obtained from participants, including pharmacokinetic measures, psychological outcomes, and adverse events (ICMJE 2019).
Clinical trials should be registered in a public repository such as PROSPERO, ClinicalTrials.gov, ICMJE, or WHO. Trial registration numbers should be included at the end of the abstract with full details in the methods section. The registry should be publicly accessible at no charge, open to all prospective registrants, and managed by a not-for-profit organization. For a list of registries that meet these requirements, please visit the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The registration of all clinical trials facilitates the sharing of information and enhances public confidence in research.
In addition, if authors have not yet published their trial protocol, we encourage authors to include their trial protocol to be published alongside their main trial outcome paper as online supplementary material (on the understanding that there are no copyright restrictions). We also encourage authors to consult the TIDiER checklist for improving the transparency of intervention descriptions.
Systematic reviews. Systematic reviews should be registered in a public repository such as PROSPERO, ClinicalTrials.gov, ICMJE, or WHO and have their systematic review protocol publicaly available in a register such as PROSPERO prior to analysis.
In addition, authors are asked to include their trial protocol as a supplementary file.
JAPA welcomes other types of review articles (narrative, scoping, and rapid, etc.) as long as they provide a novel contribution to the literature (e.g., new theoretical advance or synthesis).
Qualitative studies. JAPA is a multidisciplinary journal and its Editorial Board recognizes that qualitative research reflects a variety of epistemological traditions. Therefore, it is not mandatory for authors to adhere to a particular checklist when submitting qualitative journal articles to JAPA. Nonetheless, JAPA expects a basic standard of reporting that is consistent with international norms that are outlined below.
At a minimum, researchers should include statements in their manuscript outlining a theoretical framework, describing the theoretical basis for methods to be used, the research aims, respondent sampling and defending the rigor and trustworthiness of their analyses. Evidence of rigor and trustworthiness can be shown by authors through a range of practices illustrated in the following non-exhaustive list: use of a detailed methods section explaining the “researcher-as-instrument” or acknowledgement of reflexivity / positionality (researcher acknowledges, reflects and embraces their personal biases and details the process they undertook), a secondary coder (or “critical friend”) to discuss your coding process and analysis, presentation of exemplar / key informant quotations, discussion of negative, atypical or contrasting cases, providing evidence of data saturation, use of triangulation, and clear depictions of coding processes. We also encourage authors to consider the reader when composing a qualitative or mixed methods manuscript and write with clarity and a central message in mind. Finally, while accepting that qualitative reports often employ small samples and focus on in-depth analyses of highly contextual and lived experiences, we expect authors to clearly articulate the theoretical contributions of their research, as well as wider social, geographic, policy, or economic related implications of their findings.
Artwork and Table Instructions
All figures should be in a separate file and not in the main document (one file for each). All tables are to appear at the end of the Word document after the reference list. Format tables in the table function of your word processing program rather than aligning columns in text with tabs and spaces or using text boxes. When creating tables, the size and complexity should be determined with consideration for its legibility and ability to fit the printed page.
Figures should be created with drawing or illustration programs and submitted in PDF, EPS, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG format. Resolution of digital images should be 300 dpi at full size for photos and 600 dpi for line art. Figures submitted in color will be color online and will be grayscale in the printed issue. For more information see our figure guidelines.
Any images where an individual is identifiable must have their identity concealed (e.g., blurring of the face) along with confirmation that it is not an image taken from a study participant or that the participant has provided written informed consent. All case series and clinical photographs require consent. Names, initials, and any other means of identification should be shown in any photograph.
Authors wishing to reproduce previously published material should obtain prior written permission to reprint from the copyright holder(s) of the original manuscript. Any fees associated with reprinting material are the responsibility of the author(s). Any permission document should be included as a supplementary file with the manuscript submission.
Ethical Approval
Please include a statement in the text of your paper to indicate that ethical approval has been given and give the name of the body (research ethics committee, institutional review board etc.) that approved the study. If the institution’s research ethics committee did not consider that their approval was needed, this should be stated in the text.
Please indicate in the text that patients or their carers have given informed consent to the research and to publication of the results.
Peer Review
Manuscripts are read by the Editor and/or an Associate Editor and, when possible, by at least one member of the Editorial Board and one or two additional reviewers. The review process normally takes 12-16 weeks for an initial decision and 8 weeks for revisions depending on the volume of submissions, reviewer availability, or holidays and institution breaks. There are no page charges to contributors. Manuscripts are evaluated through anonymous review.
All submissions should show evidence of good scholarship as judged by the explanation and rationale for the study, topical relevance and interest to the readership, design and conduct of the study, and the presentation and discussion of results and its alignment with the study rationale. Submissions should be novel and contribute to the literature in an impactful way. Manuscripts that are judged as failing to meet these initial criteria may be rejected by the Editor without further review.
Before Submitting
Manuscripts must not be submitted to another journal at the same time. Public posting of a study protocol, including a brief (<500 words) summary of its results into a trial registry or pre-print server will not be considered prior publication. JAPA will also accept submissions of full papers that have been posted on pre-print servers. With any public posting, please include the DOI for the pre-print or weblink to the protocol in the JAPA submission form. Authors should not post an updated version of their paper on the pre-print server while it is being peer-reviewed for possible publication in the journal. If your paper is accepted, you must include a link on your preprint to the final version of your paper.
Authors are advised to check very carefully the typing of the final copy, particularly the accuracy of references, and to retain a duplicate copy to guard against loss. Authors are also encouraged to create and keep current an ORCiD personal identifier.
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication must transfer copyright to Human Kinetics, Inc. This transfer of copyright form will be provided to authors upon submission.
Questions?
Most submission inquires can be addressed by reading the guidelines above. However, if you have questions not covered here, contact us.
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The Journal of Aging and Physical Activity is pleased to present infographics inspired by research published in the journal. To view an infographic at full-size, click on the thumbnail. When viewing the full-size version, then click on the graphic to link to the research that inspired the infographic.
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