Successful Strength Training for Mature Adults is Progressive and Allows for Sufficient Recovery

Two equally important factors facilitate the strength building process. The first is progressive resistance exercise to stress the muscles and stimulate physiological adaptation. I often see programs for older adults listed as “mild” or “light.” While the program might seem mild or light to you, what is important is that it challenges your client and fatigues the muscles being worked. If the program does not fatigue the muscles and is not progressive, it will not be successful. The second is sufficient recovery time to permit tissue repair, building, and protein overcompensation, leading to larger and stronger muscles. If muscles are not given enough time to rest, clients may develop overuse injuries and/or muscles may breakdown rather than build up. Strength training expert Wayne Westcott recommends that older adults allow 72-96 hours for recovery before exercising the same muscle group again. This is considerably different than the 48-hour guideline that is typically quoted as the industry standard.

Safe and Effective Strength Training Very Important for Mature Adults

Once adults pass the physical prime of their teens and 20’s, they lose an average of 10 ounces of lean body mass a year. This is mostly in the form of muscle tissue. Few people actually lose 10 ounces of weight a year. Instead, most gain about a pound a year, so the loss of lean tissue is masked. Another way to look at this is the average person gains about one pound and 10 ounces of body fat per year. It is a process that is more insidious and crippling than osteoporosis but one few people notice until they realize it is getting difficult to climb the stairs or heft themselves off the sofa. This gradual loss of muscle strength is the main reason aging adults eventually have difficulty performing the tasks of daily living and ultimately lose their independence.

SrFit: Senior Fitness Specialty Certification (19-24 CECs - all major certifications US and Canada)

If this is an area of training that sounds interesting, you should consider continuing your education with advanced training to safely and effectively work with the mature adult who is experiencing the effects of aging. An excellent home-study CEC course that is recognized by all major certification organizations in the US and Canada is:

SrFit: Senior Fitness Specialty Certification

This in depth program (worth 19-24 CECs) will teach already certified and experienced personal trainers, lifestyle coaches, and athletic trainers to safely and effectively train adults age 45-62+ (Baby Boomers and Beyond). SrFit Home-study program

Personal Training Certification Organizations

American Academy of Health and Fitness: Fitness Specialty Certifications and Continuing Education Home Study Courses for Health and Fitness Professionals

Aging and the Organ Systems--A Good Fitness Trainer Can Make a Big Diffference!

The interaction of many factors, including the aging process and lifestyle, decreases individual performance potential and increases the differences among individuals across their life spans. These differences can be striking. There are certain changes in the body that occur universally with age, but we can slow the progression of many of these changes with proper diet and exercise. Following is an overview for each organ system.

THE BOOMING "BOOMER" MARKET: AN INCREDIBLE CAREER OPPORTUNITY--ARE YOU READY?

ON JANUARY 1, 2006, THE FIRST BABY-BOOMERS, BORN BETWEEN 1946 AND 1963, STARTED TURNING 60. THIS IS THE GENERATION THAT CREATED THE MODERN HEALTH CLUB INDUSTRY. IT IS THE LARGEST (78 MILLION), MOST HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, AND MOST APPEARANCE CONSCIOUS GENERATION IN U.S. HISTORY. 60+ HEALTH CLUB MEMBERSHIP WILL SWELL FOR THE NEXT 10 TO 15 YEARS.

Twenty five percent (25%) of the nation's 41.3 million health club members are already over age 55, the quintessential statistic that -- according to American Sports Data, Inc. (ASD) president Harvey Lauer -- "represents not only a vast change in American attitudes and perceptions, but also an imminent restructuring of the health club and fitness industries, and most crucially -- the seed of monumental healthcare reform in the United States."