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The Senior Fitness Specialist Certification will build on the same
principles as the Functional Senior Fitness Trainer Certification, but will teach you how to work with seniors in
different settings and at higher levels of fitness. You will review the basic,
unchanging principles of exercise science and how to apply these principles to
each individual based upon his or her fitness, goals, background, motivation,
personal lifestyle and living conditions. Completion of both courses will give
you the skills to design, administer, and monitor exercise programs for any
senior, whether in an institution, in their home, or at the local community
center or gym.
In this course you will learn to prescribe exercise appropriate
for people living independently. Because these residents are more independent
and functional than those in long-term care, there will be less need for
individual programs and more possibilities for group programs. There will also
be more opportunities for different types of exercise. You will review the
important principles of exercise science learned in Course One, like the FITT
principle, which guides you in frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise. The basic principles you learn in
Course One will still apply here, but
you will learn new assessment tools and new ways to motivate your patients. More
attention will also be given to ways that this population can combine exercise
with their daily activities- like walking, gardening, etc. You will learn about
the effects of aging on the different body systems and how these changes relate
to health, diet and exercise. Chronic diseases will be discussed and the
lifestyle changes (besides physical activity) that can help manage them or
prevent them. You will understand, and be able to identify, the risk factors for
cardiovascular disease. We will look in detail at smoking, stress, hypertension,
high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, COPD, asthma, nutrition and supplements. Exercise specifics and precautions will be given for
major chronic illnesses and medications.
Different types of endurance
exercise will be reviewed, including walking and swimming, and you will learn
what works best for different conditions. Along with the traditional strength
training exercises, you will explore strength routines using the balance ball
and elastic bands or tubing. Extra attention will be given to stretching and
flexibility. Specific exercises to help with low back pain will be provided and
so will a special chapter on fitness training for golfers.
And finally, we will give you
ideas on how to interact with and motivate older people, and how to find and
market to them.
After completion of this
course you will have the knowledge necessary to call yourself a Senior Fitness
Specialist and you will be able to teach people how to reach new levels of fitness and to
maintain that fitness. There will be opportunities to work with older people in their
homes, at a community center, retirement community, or gym. The focus of this
course will be to develop a long-term plan to insure a high level of function
and independence for your clients for many years to come.
Includes: Physical Dimensions of Aging Textbook, Study Guide and Exam.
Prerequisite:
IFPA Personal Fitness Trainer Certification
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