Where can we find age-specific training information for each generational group from 40, 50, to 60 years of age?
I hope we cannot find it anywhere.
Let me a little bit kinder in my answer and give an example: the great Jack LaLanne passed away a very short time ago at the age of 96. He never stopped working out and was an example to generations. In his eighties, he’d still give many people much younger a run for the money. Why would I have wanted to find age-specific training information, had I been fortunate enough to train him?
As trainers, we have all the tools for assessments and evaluations to find the best program for a client. In my believe, age is not a consideration at all. As I assess, assess, assess, I take it from where I find a person to be and look at their goals. Yes, of course, there tend to be a correlation between certain medical problems and certain age groups; but then I just take the problem, whatever it happens to be, into account and age, yet, never enters the picture.
I know SilverSneakers offer workshops on teaching group exercise to people 65 years old and older.
One of the things that has to be taken into consideration when teaching this group is that many of them have grown up in a world that didn’t participate in structured exercise.
From what I learned on their course the average SilverSneaker participant is 72 years old.
I agree with other posters in that the exercise program is less dependent on the age of the client and more dependent upon the presence or absence of risk factors or injury. By performing a thorough assessment of your particular client, and getting a physician’s approval, when appropriate, you should be fine in then designing an exercise program specific to the individual or group of individuals that you are working with, regardless of age.
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
[email protected]