The Senior Fitness Market continues to be an extremely lucrative market for IFPA Certified Personal Fitness Trainers.  The IFPA has developed numerous Certifications and Continuing Education Credit (CEC) Courses to help all fitness professionals gain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to conduct safe and effective fitness programs for this special population group.  While many seniors are still able to compete in sports and perform with extremely high fitness levels, it is very unfortunate how many seniors have lost the basic functionality to perform even the simplest activities for daily living (ADLs).

It is very unfortunate to see a frail elderly man in his 70s unable to perform the simple ADLs of dressing, bathing, grooming or feeding himself, especially in light of a fitness pioneer like Jack LaLanne, who will be 94 in September of 2008, still capable of performing extraordinary fitness feats that exceed the capabilities of many men less than half his age.

Undeniably, we will lose some physical capabilities as we age.  But ask yourself:  Do we lose our fitness because we age, or do we age because we lose our fitness?

In 1990 Dr. Fiatarone and colleagues noted strength gains of 174% after just 8 weeks of high-intensity resistance training in frail, institutionalized persons averaging 90 years of age.  They demonstrated that high-resistance weight training promoted gains in muscle strength, size and functional mobility in persons up to 96 years of age.  This is powerful evidence to support the opinions of many fitness experts that with proper lifestyle choices, most of us have the potential to maintain productive lifestyles well into our later years.

The alternative is dire.  Inactive individuals lose 5 pounds of muscle, which results in a 5 - 7% reduction in metabolic rate per decade after the age of 30.  A 65 year old with a history of inactivity will have 20 pounds less muscle and 20 pounds more fat.  Skeletal muscle atrophy can result in a 25 - 40% decrease in function.  Flexibility progressively decreases throughout adulthood.  On average, men lose 10 - 15% of their bone calcium by age 70 and 20% by age 80.  Women lose 1% of their bone calcium per year after age 35 and bone loss increases rapidly the 5 years following menopause, creating structural integrity problems and leading to osteoporosis and increasing falls and fractures.

No matter what age, research demonstrates that strength training increases at the same rate.

The benefits of exercise and resistance training are impressive:  lower blood pressure, decrease risk for heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, increased cardiovascular efficiency, improved muscle tone and self-esteem, improved lung capacity, body image, immune system efficiency, flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, stability, mood state and sex life, lowers body fat, increases metabolism, energy levels, mobility, autonomy, independence and longevity.

Exercise is the closest thing we have to a Fountain of Youth, and the trainers that have the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to conduct safe and effective training programs with seniors hold the key to that "Fountain."

 __________ NEWS __________

David Sandler, founder and President of StrengthPro, will be offering IFPA Certified Trainers up to 20 CECs for completion of the StrengthPro Summit, held at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH.  Go to www.strengthpro.com to find out more information and use IFPA discount code IFPA08 to save money!

 ______ IFPA INTERNATIONAL NEWS ______

The IFPA is proud to announce several unique IFPA events throughout Asia.  These special events provide all our IFPA Certified Instructors the opportunity to participate in and learn from World-Acclaimed Experts in exercise, nutrition, sports and anti-aging medicine and various related fields.  Not only will these IFPA events provide you with an unprecedented learning experience, but you will have the opportunity to travel to the worlds most beautiful and exotic locations, experience world-class accommodations, dine at gourmet restaurants, visit ancient culture sites and lounge on the worlds most beautiful beaches!

Please join us for what will be the opportunity of a lifetime:

u  Jakarta, Indonesia February 24 - 26, 2008

u  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia February 28 - March 1, 2008

u  Singapore July 4 - 6, 2008

u  Bali, Indonesia October 13 - 15, 2008

u  Jakarta, Indonesia October 17 -19, 2008

For more information on Indonesian events, email: Indonesia@ifpa-fitness.com

or call +62 21 780 2778 (International).

For more information on Malaysian events email: Malaysia@ifpa-fitness.com

or call +60 1231 41651 (International).

________ IFPA NEWS ________

The IFPA continues to add certifications and continuing education credit (CEC) courses to our extensive curriculum.  The IFPA already has more courses, the best quality courses and the ONLY courses that have met the demanding standards of IACET/NOCA/NCCA.  The IFPA is the only IACET provider accredited by NOCA/NCCA, and recommended by the worlds most prestigious medical associations (A4M, ACASP, WAAAM, etc.).  Please take the time to review the new IFPA course opportunities and use these IFPA courses to add to your knowledge, skills and abilities.  Knowledge is power!  Go to the IFPA website: www.ifpa-fitness.com or call now to learn more about how to increase your power!

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James T. Bell, PhD. is the founder and CEO of the International Fitness Professionals Association, IFPA.

More Books from Jim Bell, PhD.

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David Sandler is the President of StrengthPro Inc., a performance consulting and sports supplement company based out of Las Vegas Nevada. StrengthPro is a leading provider of continuing education for personal trainers and strength coaches. StrengthPro, the IFPA, and several other organizations have the proud honor of being associated with the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio where they provide an entire weekend of comprehensive lectures on strength, fitness, sports nutrition and other training topics. Don't miss this one of a kind event with more then 20 contact hours of scientific and practically applied training lectures. Go to www.strengthpro.com to find out more information. Sign up by Jan 31st using your IFPA discount code "IFPA08" and receive $50 off the already low early registration!

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