An innovative program that encourages more active lifestyles, and ultimately improved health, for older people living in rural Australia will be officially launched next week at a national conference in Albury.

Charles Sturt University's Rural Ageing and Lifestyle Group will launch the Healthy Lifestyles program and an associated training manual for rural community workers during the Second National Rural Conference on Ageing, on Thursday 8 July.

"For health programs to work, they need to reflect the needs and opinions of older people living in rural communities, as well as provide them with leadership skills and healthy exercise," said program coordinator and CSU researcher, Celia Bevan.

"Eight rural groups have already requested the training manual, titled Healthy Lifestyle Programs - A Simple Guide for Volunteers in Rural Areas or Remote Communities, that can be used to train community workers and volunteers who work with older people."

Funded by the Federal government, the Healthy Lifestyles program and manual were developed by the University's Rural Ageing and Lifestyle Group and lifestyle expert, Colleen Wilson-Lord, who ran activities with older people in five towns throughout the Riverina and North-east Victoria.

At the same time, older people in these towns - Mount Beauty, Culcairn, Holbrook, Albury, Corowa and Wagga - discussed the manual and were interviewed about life as an older person in a rural town.

A draft manual was then used in "train-the trainer" workshops with 21 representatives from small rural communities to help them introduce the program into their communities. Further training sessions will be held in July.