Whether a young person or an older adult, having an active lifestyle is a great way to promote health and well-being. Relating to senior citizens, having some daily fitness activities can solve ailments and improve physical and mental health. Moreover, having a fitness routine can improve strength, flexibility, mobility, and endurance. Also, anxiety, depression, and negative mood can be managed to some extent. These sorts of good factors offered by regular work out can improve seniors’ quality of life and contribute to longevity. However, vulnerable health conditions, such as high blood pressure and poor cardiovascular system, demand older adults to have a specialised fitness routine guided by a specialised fitness coach or personal trainer.
What is included in fitness training for seniors?
Personal trainers include the following elements for fitness training services and exercise regimes for seniors.
- Cardio Endurance includes walking, climbing the stairs, etc.
- Flexibility Training includes stretching, pilates, etc.
- Resistance training[Also known as Strength training or Weight training] includes the use of training equipment like weights, resistance bands, etc.
- Balance & Mobility includes yoga or Tai Chi.
Why is there a demand for personal trainers for older adults in Australia?
In the global scenario, there is an increased demand for trainers for people who are in their 50s, 60s, or older age. In Australia, the number of old adults is high, and the aged care and rehabilitation industry is thriving. The aged care industry does include help with daily functions and fitness; however, older adults would prefer to have a personal trainer to achieve their special fitness goals.
Benefits of Hiring a Personal Trainer for Seniors
Safe and Appropriate workouts
First of all, personal trainers know the appropriate workouts that fit old aged people. They can help people to have wellness training by introducing suitable workout activities without having to go to the gym. Personal trainers, equipped with knowledge of professional fitness education, are committed to clients during the entire session in their client’s homes. They also offer you the right routine to achieve the desired fitness goals. In fact, personal trainer advises their older clients to exercise correctly, prevent or lower the risks of diseases, and help them live longer.
Motivation and Consistency
Seniors have entirely different fitness needs than other age groups. When it comes to exercise and fitness, the common thing between seniors and other age groups is the need for strong motivation and consistency. So, personal trainers for senior citizens can motivate seniors to show up to their workout sessions and hold perseverance.
One-on-one Personal Training
Hiring a personal trainer means having individualised health and fitness training program. The fitness coach is present for the entire workout session, telling them what to do and immediately correcting their mistakes. In addition, one-on-one personal training helps older people avoid mishandling gym equipment and hurting themselves.
Reduced Dependence
Another issue with old adults is dependency. But with specialised fitness programs and training sessions, older adults can gain strength and confidence due to improved mobility, flexibility, stability, and coordination. The increased confidence encourages old adults to perform most of the tasks by themselves, move and carry out daily functions efficiently and comfortably, and cherish reduced dependence.
Guidance For Long-term
Well, hiring a personal trainer can be expensive; those who have a budget to hire a personal trainer can benefit in the long term. A personal trainer can help older clients develop enough skills, knowledge, and motivation to exercise effectively. They make sure the seniors stay focused on their goals, tell them about progress, and give them support and encouragement.
Disease Prevention
The root cause of most non-communicable and heart diseases is a sedentary lifestyle. Poor food habits and inactive life can promote heart diseases, metabolic disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and even death. Since old adults already have vulnerabilities and mostly inactive lifestyles, they can double up the vulnerabilities and stay susceptible to chronic health conditions. In order to reduce the vulnerability of such diseases, nutritious food and regular exercise are needed. For physical activity, the best option would be hiring personal trainers. In fact, personal trainers can provide exercise routines and give them access to disease prevention.
Train the Body and the Brain
Older citizens have issues with cognitive ability as their cognitive ability keeps declining over time. Hence, when they opt for exercise, it challenges the muscles as well as the neurological system, including the brain. This sort of challenge can help to have better brain activity and reaction ability.
Overall having a personal trainer for your ageing parent or relative is a better choice. However, you must find a competent and trustworthy personal trainer who can provide the best fitness class.
The Best Tips to Become a Personal Fitness Trainer for Seniors
The benefits of working as a personal trainer for elderly clients are quite remarkable. You can get paid well since older clients are often financially strong, and they would not hesitate to invest in something that improves their health.
Let’s look into the tips you can follow to become a strong personal trainer for older adults.
Be Clear on What You Teach and Prepare Beforehand
As a personal trainer, you must have strong knowledge and good preparation before conducting your fitness classes. You must take formal education in fitness training while also building up skills and resources. Becoming a fitness coach is not easy; you need to have well-structured fitness classes. As a senior fitness expert, you must have a sensible plan that supports your client’s needs. If you conduct fitness classes without any clear plan and considering the client’s needs, you can end up with unhappy clients and lose them. So, with a personalised fitness plan and classes, a personal trainer can establish a more personal connection with their clients.
Know Your Client Well
Prevention is better than cure; hence you must understand your client’s health condition first and then start off with the fitness plans. You should first check and assess the status of their health. Then, you must determine if they have an existing health condition such as osteoporosis, joint replacements, any prior injuries or illness, or any surgeries.
Also, as a personal trainer, you are required to know about your older clients’ medical history. In some cases, you need consent from their physician and physical therapist. This can hence help personal trainers to build customised workouts for older clients.
Consider what general senior clients hate
Senior citizens hate congested spaces such as overcrowded gyms. Such crowded places can get louder and create chaos. Also, they dislike loud and unwanted music such as hip-hop music or too upbeat tracks. Another thing they despise is the complex instructions. They need simple and clear instructions to avoid confusion.
So to cut these hate factors, you can ask the older clients about their favourite songs or favourite music artists. You can use photos or audiovisual materials such as videos when giving instruction or demonstrating an exercise.
Maintain a Low Range of Motion
Training sessions for seniors need to have a slow and steady motion. The number of physical movements must be limited. In fact, you can have a lower range of motion throughout the course. Check if your client’s lower back, ankle and hip or body parts are well in posture when making motion activity.
Have a Constant Communication
In general, older clients are reluctant to make changes. So when you start your personal training, you must ask for their personal concerns. Make sure you talk to them and understand their level of satisfaction with your service.
Consider Perceived Exertion of Older Adults
Perceived exertion means the level of pain anyone feels while doing a workout. Compared to young people, older adults have a higher perceived exertion level. So, as a personal trainer for seniors, you must be aware of their perceived exertion rate. Make sure to ask your older clients about any physical pain throughout the training.
Know that The Old Age Does Not Mean High Weakness
Seniors generally have lower stamina, but a personal trainer should never underestimate senior clients. As a personal trainer, you can assess their stamina first and provide them with suitable workouts. You can start the workouts to ensure the better core strength and muscle strength. However, you should always take precautions.
Make You training Sessions Fun
Your older adult clients would love variety in their workouts. So, make sure to have your workout session fun to keep clients engaged. Also, if needed, you can change your training style. Further, you can ask your fellow trainers or seniors or even look for fun videos to make your senior citizen training session fun and lively.
Using these tips, you can become a great personal trainer for seniors and help your clients improve their quality of life.
How to Find the Best Personal Trainer for Seniors?
See if the personal trainer is certified to work with seniors.
You must check if a personal trainer is certified to work with seniors, as seniors need special attention when working out. Most of the senior fitness certifications teach the trainers about physiology and other bodily aspects, which can help them offer customised training to seniors.
Check if the personal trainer is experienced in working with seniors.
The certification itself is not sufficient; experience also matters in becoming a senior personal trainer. When a personal trainer is seasoned in working with senior clients, they can make good workout plans, know how to handle the clients, and instantly recognise what is wrong during the session. Overall, the standard practice in senior personal training recommends trainers have at least 2 years of experience working with seniors.
Go through their references.
References are needed to confirm that a candidate is genuine and good at their work. If you select a trainer, but he/she refuses to provide references, you should move on to the next candidate. As we know, working with a senior needs special care, and it is not easy. So, as a child to your ageing parents, or a concerned relative, you must choose a personal trainer for seniors who have references and positive reviews.
Check if In-home-personal training or personal training in the gym options are available.
In most cases, older adults opt for personal trainers who can provide in-home personal training. While some older adults would like to go to the gym and train with other people. The needs of the client can be different.
How can PTSPOT help you find the best Personal trainers?
PTSPOT is a one-stop solution to finding the best personal trainers in Australia. In fact, you can find certified personal trainers who specialise in different age groups, including personal training for senior citizens. It is easy to get services from PTSPOT. All you have to do is:
- Find Trainers in Australia
- Select a trainer who fits your desired fitness.
- Book a training session
- Train Anywhere you like. For any queries on our services, you can contact us.
