After you're older, two things are possibly more important than any others: health and money - Helen Gurley Brown
Youth and fitness are not without an expiry date. But the good news is that you can work on your fitness training even as a senior citizen. You don't need to stop working on your fitness if you hit 60! In fact, your fitness trainer will always recommend you continue training albeit in a less intense form, well until you can't move at all. Whether you train with professional gym trainers or through personal trainers in an online course is up to you. But the main purpose is to stay fit and keep working on your health. That is not possible without regular exercise.
Being inactive at any age is not efficient nor is it advisable. Most people lose their ability to do things on their own when they are old because they stop being active gradually through youth and middle age. Read on to find out how to stay active and fit even when you are old with the help of personal trainers.
The Importance of Fitness Training for Seniors
If you step into the shoes of a senior citizen, you will realize just how difficult it might get at times. For seniors, being in good health and being mobile are top priorities than retiring from a decorated career. Contrary to popular belief, you can engage in fitness training even when you are 75. But of course, the level of intensity will probably be much more reduced than a 25 year old.
Top 5 Reasons for Seniors to Opt for Personal Trainers
1. Stay Mobile
A crucial aspect of healthy ageing is functional mobility, which means the ability to move around on your own without external help. You might be surprised to know that by the age of 40, most healthy people lose about 5% of their muscles. You can prevent this by working on your fitness training today.
2. Prevent Falls
Imbalance and resultant injuries from falls are a big reason why senior citizens become immobile and dependent on others. Regular exercise can improve balance by working on motor functions. These have long-term benefits when you are old.
3. Strengthen Immunity
With a good gym trainer, you will also get additional help with health and nutrition that goes a long way in boosting immunity and preventing infectious diseases.
4. Prevent or Delay Bone Deficiencies
No one can escape old age - whether you have the best healthcare facilities in London or a high class hospital set up in Mumbai. And one of the inevitable conditions of old age is osteoporosis or the loss of muscle mass and strength. But this can be delayed or completely avoided with strength training with the help of an instructor.
5. Improve Mental Wellbeing
Regular exercise also has mental health benefits that are often overlooked. And this is true of all ages. When you engage in physical activities to stay fit, it helps to regular hormonal activities and brain functions, which in turn help you counter mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.
How to Choose A Fitness Trainer for Senior Citizens?
Many clients view fitness training as an option. Not too long ago, only sports people or celebrities would appoint personal trainers to look good and stay in shape. But that was a long time ago and things have changed with increasing awareness. More and more clients across ages are appointing a fitness instructor to work on improving their health. So, how does one choose a good instructor for senior citizens?
Things to Remember Before Choosing Your Gym Trainer
The job of a personal trainer is not just to set out exercise routines for clients but also to help them achieve their training goals. Just like any other age group, it is important for personal trainers for seniors to have the proper qualifications before starting the job. Here is a quick summary of the basic non-negotiables to check before choosing your fitness instructor -
- Goal alignment: Make sure you are setting your training expectation beforehand with the instructor. Since senior training is a specialized branch of fitness training, it is all the more important to be as specific about your goals at the very start of the course.
- Right Equipment: Not every equipment is suitable for training senior citizens. This is keeping in mind the age and related body conditions. You must set your level of training intensity based on a mutual understanding with your trainer.
- Right Course: Just like equipment, all training courses are not suited for all age groups. While you can choose to continue the basic exercise routine that you followed 10 years ago, you have to make significant changes to the level of intensity, duration and frequency.
- Appropriate Supervision: Elders need special care and attention. So, even if you have hired an at home personal trainer, the instructor should be professional enough to give the adequate time and attention to training.
How to Become Certified Personal Trainers for Seniors?
Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young - Fred Astaire
Fitness training is a fast-growing and rewarding career. And so is the demand for trainers. But in order to offer training courses, you have to get certified, especially if you are going to be a senior citizen instructor. Doing so will help you offer tailormade courses for clients and prevent you from making bad career choices. Remember, the health of your clients is in your hands once you start the job.
Once you are certified, you can offer professional courses to athletes and in the sports industry as well. You can choose any career option like a gym trainer or strength training instructor. You can choose whatever specialty you like such as working with senior citizens. This is actually important to attract more clients and set yourself apart from competitors. You just need to invest a few months of your time to get the right qualifications.
Certification courses teach the basic fitness training practices of older adults like flexibility training or muscle training. You can also train yourself in strength and flexibility training or yoga or Pilates. These are the courses that are most popular with senior citizens. Flexibility training, for example, is known to provide relief from arthritis and other bone degenerative diseases. Aquatic exercise trainers are also in high demand since they involve low-impact activities for the clients.
Once you are certified as a fitness trainer, dedicate your energy to finding clients by working at a gym or the health club in your neighborhood or offering at-home services. You can also partner with senior citizen homes or community centers that support such activities.
Find your perfect personal trainer near me here on Superprof!
Is It A Good Idea to Train With A Gym Trainer for Seniors?
Fitness training has got nothing to do with age. In fact, the longer you train over the course of your life, the better your chances of staying fit through old age. You can definitely hit the gym and start training with a gym trainer, but with precautions.
Fitness Trainer Recommended Exercise Regime for Seniors
Your personal fitness is your personal business. But you must seek professional help to stay fit and improve your health. So, if you do engage in gym training, make sure your workout has the following elements -
- Cardio Endurance: This exercise set involves working out large muscle groups in rhythmic motions. Common cardio endurance exercises include walking, climbing the stairs, cycling, and swimming.
- Flexibility Training: This is done to enable your joints to maximize free movement using their full motion range. Common exercises include yoga, stretching, and Pilates.
- Strength Training: You can gain muscle mass through strength training. For this, you can use a range of training equipment like weights, resistance bands, kettle balls or even your own body weight.
- Balance & Mobility: These exercises improve stability both at stationary positions as well as in motion. You can achieve this through posture correcting activities or yoga or Tai Chi.
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