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In Strength Training
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D.
As you have read in previous editions of the Nautilus Newsletter for the Senior
Living Community, there are numerous compelling health and fitness related
reasons why every older adult should do sensible strength exercise. Unfortunately,
many senior men and women are not aware of these life-changing strength training
benefits. Of those who are, many do not feel knowledgeable enough about strength
training to attempt this new activity on their own or at a potentially intimidating
fitness facility.
Worse yet, some seniors have mistakenly assumed that strength training will increase
both their resting blood pressure and their bodyweight. Both of these misconceptions
are categorically incorrect. In fact, research clearly reveals that seniors who
complete a well-designed strength training program experience lower resting blood
pressures and lower bodyweights. An eight-week study of more than 1,100 adults and
seniors showed significant reductions in both resting blood pressure and bodyweight
(Westcott and Guy 1996). Notably, the participants above age 60 reduced their
systolic blood pressure by six mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by four mm
Hg. They also added two and one-half pounds of muscle and lost four pounds of fat
for a six and one-half pound improvement in their body composition.
So how do we reach and teach the senior community with respect to reasonable strength
exercise? Based on our 15 years of research with senior strength training, we
recommend the following guidelines for motivating mature adults to exercise appropriately.
Reaching Techniques
1.
Educate the Senior Community. We publish frequent articles on the
benefits, principles and practicals of strength training for seniors in the local
newspaper. We also do occasional radio and television shows, as well as
presentations to senior centers, church groups and service organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis,
Lions, etc.). We have found that the more seniors hear about strength exercise, the
more likely they are to try it.
2.
Motivate the Senior Community. Upon gaining their confidence, our next
step is to provide an early evening meeting to present and discuss our strength training
program with interested seniors. We begin with a motivational slide presentation
featuring our senior exercisers, and proceed to an informative question - and - answer
session. This is followed by a tour of our Nautilus Fitness Center, an introduction
of our instructional staff, and an opportunity to join one of our upcoming senior strength
training classes.
3.
Share Essential Information. During our first class session, we obtain
participant release forms, medical history questionnaires, personal fitness goals, and
other exercise-related information. In exchange, we provide a variety of materials
on strength training, endurance exercise and healthy nutrition, as well as recording cards
for workout data and eating behaviors.
4.
Perform Fitness Assessments. During our second-class session we
conduct basic fitness assessments on all of our class members to determine their
performance improvements over the 10-week training period. These simple assessments
include bodyweight, body composition, resting blood pressure, muscle strength and joint
flexibility. Test results are shared with the participants to set realistic fitness
goals and to design appropriate exercise programs.
5.
Provide Individualized Training. Based on the participants' personal
information and fitness assessment results, we develop individualized exercise programs
and training protocols. This includes monitoring each person's heart rate response
and perceived exertion level during the exercise session and adjusting the workout
accordingly.
6.
Give Personal Attention. We offer as much encouragement, feedback and
reinforcement as possible to our senior exercise participants. We want them to know
that they are performing the exercises properly and that their training efforts are
appreciated. We also try to answer all of their questions regarding their exercise
program and fitness progress.
7.
Ensure Active Participation. We do our best to keep our seniors
actively involved at their own ability level in all of our fitness class components,
including the warm-up, endurance exercise, strength training, stretching exercise and
cool-down segments. Although we encourage social interaction, the emphasis in our
senior fitness program is personal physical activity.
8.
Provide Follow-up Information and Training. Re-assessment is an
important aspect of a meaningful fitness program, especially for seniors who need
reassurance that their exercise efforts were productive. We therefore perform
follow-up fitness tests, and provide additional training to enable the program graduates
to function more independently should they decide to join our fitness facility.
Thankfully, most of our senior class members choose to do so.
Teaching Techniques
Because interaction between fitness instructors and senior exercisers is so important,
please consider the following 10 teaching tools for facilitating favorable training
experiences on the part of your participants.
1.
Clear Training Objectives. Tell the trainees exactly what you expect
them to accomplish during the exercise session.
2.
Concise Instruction and Precise Demonstration. Tell and show the
participants exactly how you want them to perform their exercises.
3.
Attentive Supervision. Observe the seniors carefully as they train to
assure them that they are performing the exercises properly and productively.
4.
Appropriate
Assistance. Whenever necessary help participants position themselves properly,
execute an exercise movement or complete a final repetition. Make yourself available
to assist their training efforts.
5.
One Task At A Time. Project a single task at a time, adding a
follow-up procedure only after the first task has been successfully accomplished.
6.
Gradual Progression. Progress slowly with senior exercisers,
emphasizing small steps on a workout-by-workout basis rather than large increases in
training intensity or duration.
7.
Positive Reinforcement. Provide lots of positive comments, personal
compliments and pats on the shoulders to reinforce your participants' exercise efforts.
8.
Specific Feedback. For more meaningful positive reinforcement add
specific feedback information to your encouraging comments. Giving your participants
a reason for your compliment increases its value as an educational and motivational tool.
9.
Careful Questioning. Because seniors may not volunteer information
that could be useful in their program design, ask them interactive questions regarding
their exercise experiences and training responses.
10.
Pre
and Post Exercise Dialogue. Try to sandwich each participant's workout
experience between a brief arriving and departing dialogue. Welcoming seniors to
each workout and obtaining their perceptions at the end of each training session is time
well spent on everyone's behalf.
Conclusion
Persuading sedentary seniors to participate in a sensible program of strength exercise
is not an easy task, as many have unfavorable misconceptions about strength
training. Nonetheless, we believe that by incorporating the time-tested reaching and
teaching strategies presented here, you will have considerably more success in educating
and motivating seniors to experience the benefits of regular and reasonable strength
exercise.
Reference
Westcott, W. and Guy, J.
(1996). A physical evolution: Sedentary adults see marked improvements in as
little as two days a week. IDEA Today, 14 (9): 58-65.
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., C.S.C.S, is
Fitness Research Director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA. He is strength training
consultant for numerous national organizations, such as the American Council on Exercise,
the American Senior Fitness Association, and the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation,
and editorial advisor for many publications, including Prevention, Shape, and Club
Industry magazines.
He is also author of 20 fitness books
including the new releases, No More Cellulite, Building Strength and Stamina, Strength
Training Past 50, Strength Training for Seniors, Complete Conditioning for Golf, and
Strength and Power for Young Athletes.
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