This is my third report on the IDEA/ACSM Health and Fitness Summit in Chicago at the end of last month. The third session I attended was entitled “Everyday Strength for the Older Female Client;” the instructor was Keli Roberts. I was very interested in this class because approximately half of my clients are older women. Over the years I have learned a lot about the needs of older adults, so I was looking forward to finding out what particular issues women face as they age.
In all honesty, most of the class really applied to older adults of any gender. We talked about different categories of aging: chronological, functional, biological, psychological, and social. Each contributes to the overall picture of a person’s health and fitness, and helps to determine the needs of the client and how best to meet them as a personal trainer. The class was mostly aimed at group or small-group fitness strategies; nevertheless, there was a lot to be learned.
There are a number of issues that relate directly to women. Because women have often been caregivers, it may mean that they did not have the time or opportunity to take care of themselves in the past; the result is that there may not be a history of exercise and other healthy habits. How do we create new patterns of behavior? Women may also be less likely to avail themselves of health services or have access to them in the first place. Some women, then, may not even be aware of the health conditions particular to themselves. All this needs to be taken into account so that an exercise program can be successful.
Older women may experience heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, cancer, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. These are mostly shared with men. Osteoporosis, however, is much more prevalent in women. Osteoporosis a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, typically as a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D. Research has shown that women can benefit from resistance exercises that involve weight bearing and weight lifting. This can be done safely and effectively as long as all the other co-morbidities are taken into account.
I have already put some of my newfound knowledge into practice with my clients and my exercise class. Roberts made me more aware of areas of weakness for women and how to compensate for them. My main takeaway is that while all older adults share much in common when it comes to fitness, women have their own unique sets of circumstances that cannot be ignored. I will definitely be more aware in the future.
Kosher Fitness 