Some of the changes are obvious. Instead of rock and rap music blaring through many health clubs, swing bands and oldies are played more often, at lower volumes. Instead of skimpy tank tops and sports bras, conservative athletic shirts and warm-ups are increasingly the uniform of choice for instructors.
But a more subtle change sweeping the fitness industry is far more significant that merely replacing Limp Bizkit with Frank Sinatra. As health clubs and personal trainers reach out to America's aging population, there is a burgeoning interest in specialized training and certification for instructors who work with older adults.
"More people over 50 are recognizing the health benefits of exercise, particularly in fighting the effects of aging," says Judy Hobbisiefken of the International Sports Sciences Association in Santa Barbara, California, which just launched a program to train and certify senior-fitness specialists. "As the baby boomers age and interest in exercise grows, fitness professionals are hungry for information about training older adults."
Seniors are more likely to be taking medications and grappling with chronic health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis, notes Susan Johnson of the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas. Exercise is not only safe for people with these ailments, she says, it can help relieve symptoms and treat the underlying disease.
"But if someone is taking a beta-blocker or has a joint problem, it might be necessary to tweak the exercise prescription a little bit," Johnson says. Demand from instructors and facilities serving seniors prompted the Cooper Institute to launch a program in 1997 that has certified more than 300 people as "fitness specialists for the older adult."
Many Clubs Focusing on Seniors
Meeting the exercise needs of seniors is not just good health care, it's also good business, notes Maeve McCaffrey, spokeswoman for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) in Boston. Men and women 55 represent the fastest-growing membership segment of the health-club industry, she says, registering a 118 percent increase from 1987 to 1997. Industry experts expect this trend to intensify as the number of older Americans continues to rise. People 50 and older now make up nearly 28 percent of the population, a proportion projected to reach 35 percent by 2020.
"Seniors often use clubs during times that are typically very slow, like 10 a.m.," says McCaffrey, who says some gyms give discounts to older members and those who use the facility during off-peak hours. "Many clubs focus on attracting older adults by offering special programming during these hours and providing areas where people can socialize."
Fitness activities that are popular among older adults include water exercise, tai chi, line dancing, low-impact and chair aerobics, walking and strength training. But not all older adults want "easy-does-it" programs, notes Janie Clark, a Florida exercise physiologist who founded the American Senior Fitness Association in 1992.
"With more people living till 100, the term 'older adult' often lumps 50 years of living into one category," says Clark. "Their needs and abilities vary widely."
Some people in their 80s and 90s run marathons and compete in the Senior Olympics, while others in their 60s and 70s have chronic disabilities and multiple health conditions. "It's important to be able to assess what someone is capable of and design a program to meet their goals," says Clark, whose organization offers three certifications: senior fitness instructor, senior personal trainer and long-term care fitness leader.
Seniors' Motivations to Exercise
New research shows that even frail elderly can gain strength and endurance from appropriate exercise programs, notes Karl Knopf, a California physical education professor who is president of Fitness Educators of Older Adults.
"One woman in her 80s joined my class because she was too weak to get up from the commode," he recalls. "Through regular exercise she was able to get rid of her walker and improve her gait and posture so that if you saw her from behind, you'd think she was 35 years old."
With age, people's motivation to exercise typically changes, Knopf says. "In general, young people exercise for aesthetics, middle-aged people exercise for health, and older adults exercise to function. Older people want to be able to get out of a chair and climb into a sport utility vehicle and turn their heads enough so they can still drive."
Evidence suggests, he says, that "regular exercise can help people compress their dying years, which means that physically active people stay healthy and functional longer. Seniors aren't afraid of dying. They're afraid of being put in the back ward of a convalescent home. Exercise can help prevent that."
"Functional fitness" has become a buzz phrase among senior-exercise specialists who are designing programs to help older adults prolong their independence. For example, Boston personal trainer Ken Baldwin offers a class called "Functional Movement and Balance for Seniors," which focuses on building the strength and agility needed for daily life activities such as opening jars or negotiating curbs.
"There's a growing recognition that regular exercise plays a huge role in how you age," Baldwin says. "And it's also increasingly clear that it's never too late to start."
Resources
The following organizations offer a variety of fitness programs and materials geared to older adults and those who work with them:
- The American Senior Fitness Association, (800) 243-1478
- The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, (800) 635-7050
- The International Sports Sciences Association, (800) 892-4772
- Fitness Educators of Older Adults, (408) 450-1224
- The Fifty-Plus Fitness Association, (650) 323-6160
- "Exercise for Older Adults: ACE's Guide for Fitness Professionals," published by Human Kinetics, $24.95. Call the American Council on Exercise, (800) 825-3636.
- The National Institute on Aging offers a free brochure, "Exercise: A Guide From the NIA." Call (800) 222-2225; TTY: (800) 222-4225.
Originally published in The Washington Post on January 25, 2000
Carol Krucoff is co-author, with her husband, Mitchell Krucoff, M.D., of "Healing Moves: How to Cure, Relieve and Prevent Common Ailments with Exercise" (Harmony Books, 2000).
