In January 2021, the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy (JGPT) began the year with a Special Topics Issue on Physical Activity. Now, nearly 2 years later, we revisit this important focus area with a Special Topics Issue on Physical Activity Engagement.

This issue opens with a "concept to clinical practice" Special Interest article from Billek-Sawhney and colleagues, who present the Wellness Aging Model Related to Inactivity, Illness, and Injury (WAMI-3), an evidence-based patient education tool that can be used to spark needed discussions about the remarkable benefits of increased physical activity (PA) with older adults. This article is followed by two Invited Clinical Commentaries, each authored by an experienced clinician who discusses the usefulness of the WAMI-3 model and offers suggestions for next steps in development and application.

Two articles selected for this issue direct our attention to the importance of measurement as a first step in the promotion of increased engagement in PA. Yoshida et al investigate the validity of the Locomotor Syndrome screen as a way to detect early mobility decline in older adults, permitting earlier intervention to increase PA and prevent mobility decline. Wingood et al describe the development of an Inventory of Physical Activity Barriers that can be used to identify specific barriers to PA for individual older adults, thus facilitating customized, targeted approaches to overcome barriers to increased PA. A systematic review from Alpalhao and colleagues covers the concepts of kinesiophobia and fear avoidance, two related but distinct challenges to increasing movement, mobility, and PA levels.

Three articles presented in this issue provide insight into particular populations of older adults for whom PA engagement is especially challenging. Naseri et al identify factors affecting PA engagement in older adults who have been hospitalized, Alfonso-Rosa et al report on the level of PA needed to overcome the negative effects of sedentary behavior in octogenarians residing in long-term care, and Liu and colleagues provide a systematic review of PA interventions for older adults with dementia. Finally, Rethorn et al turn the spotlight on factors influencing the PA promotion behaviors of physical therapists in the outpatient practice setting.

This Special Topics Issue on Physical Activity Engagement includes a wide variety of studies that, taken together, emphasize the benefits of PA for older adults, the need to identify and overcome barriers to increased PA, and the challenges faced by therapists seeking to promote increased PA levels among the older adults they serve.

-Leslie Allison, PT, PhD, Editor-in-Chief