for trainers

Chair Workout

Join Lisa in an effective and safe chair workout designed for the older adult who are weaker due to age, illness or chronic disease. This is a complete program including resistance, balance and flexibility training to music the older adult will love. The focus is on improving posture, functional strength, and mobility. You will leave this workshop with a practical, tried and true program for group fitness or personal training. Your clients will feel great! This is an interactive lecture with movement.

CanFitPro MTL Conference – february 3,4,5 2012

Slap, Tap, Clap Cardio – workshop bilingual

Come participate in a rollicking, rhythmic cardio chair program designed for the older adult. Learn choreographed movements of slapping, tapping and clapping with hands and feet to music older adults will love. The program is tailored to people who have balance issues and joint challenges yet still raises the heart rate, infuses fun and allows for participation in a group cardio style class. Discover the multiple benefits and adaptations of this type program along with suggested song lists. Leave this workshop with two three-minute choreographies that will bring more joy and positive energy into the classes you teach.

CanFitPro MTL Conference – february 3,4,5 2012

50 + KISS

Keep it Simple and Safe

This workshop will focus on the interesting and challenging process of modifying and progressing exercise for older adults. Breaking movements down to their simplest form, building slowly up from the base and combining a variety of simple exercises produces amazing results. What an I going to teach? Why? What do I teach first? How do I build fitness reserve? As we answer these questions we will also examine setting appropriate training objectives, and review the fundamental body mechanics of balance, flexibility, strength and cardio training. Of course we will modify both up and down a variety of exercises including some for medical conditions and special situations. Modifying and progressing exercise is the key to creating safe and effective training programs for older adults. Enjoy the challenge!

PAIN FREE

Transform chronically rigid muscles and eliminate pain. Your clients will be so grateful. This is a hands-on workshop. You will learn a sequence of movements specially designed for the 50+ body. We will stretch parts of the body which are typically very tight, and strengthen muscles that are typically very weak. Learn as well how to teach the body awareness and relaxation cues necessary for effective stretching. The rhythm is slow, the stretching gentle, the effect cumulative. This class is tried and true and is a favorite among my clients.

STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN

This class is specifically designed to improve posture, flexibility and functional strength. This gentle yet effective approach will help reduce stiffness and pain, increase range of motion and strengthen the abdominal muscles, the arms, the legs and the back through strategic stretching and strengthening. Your clients will be delighted with the results.

POSTURAL INTEGRATION FOR OLDER ADULTS

How can you improve older adult posture in a group fitness setting? This fun and practical workshop – a must for all Older Adult Fitness instructors – will answer that question. The series of exercises you will learn stimulate proprioception and neuromuscular coordination, loosen-up habitual rigidity, increase range of motion and strengthen the muscles which anchor good posture. Breathing is an integral part of the routine. An overview of the 50+client’s psychology, common body weaknesses and rhythm of learning will further enhance your understanding of your clients needs. You will leave this workshop with a series of simple excercises and potent verbal cues which can easily be integrated into your 15 minute warm-up. You will be amazed with the results.

A QUESTION OF BALANCE

In this lecture/workshop we will examine the long term benefits of a balanced program and approach to fitness and well being for Older Adults. We will define balance as it relates to older adult needs and their physiology. We will explore what determines a balanced approach to OA training as well as what constitutes a balanced program. Understanding the OA body, modifying exercises down and progressing gradually are key to achieving this balance. To help illustrate this point I will share with you a short and very effective balance exercise routine. We will experience its modifications and phases of progression (which incorporates different pieces of equipment) with a time line in mind. We will discuss how the modifications and the progressions support the goal of the routine, and review how the exercise content and the overall approach contributed to both challenging the client and assuring his success. Constancy is the ultimate goal for older adult training. And, a successful client is a motivated client who keeps coming back for more!

OLDER ADULT FITNESS SPECIALIST (OAS)

A comprehensive program designed to provide fitness and health professionals with education to help them make safe and effective decisions when developing and delivering activity and exercise programs for the older adult.

In the next 30 years the Canadian and global population will age considerably creating a growth in the number of older adults. This growth in the number of “older” Canadians will put a great deal of pressure on the health care system and creates a big opportunity for fitness professionals. Fitness and recreation centres are perfect locations to provide physical activity and exercise programs for older adults providing they have qualified staff to work with this specialized population group. The OAS program is designed to provide fitness and health professionals with education to help them make safe and effective decisions when developing and delivering activity and exercise programs for the older adult.

The Older Adult Fitness Specialist Course

This is a comprehensive 16 hour course that will increase your knowledge and practical skills for older adult fitness.

Topics include

• The definition of aging and the demographics of the aging population
• The physiological changes associated with aging
• The benefits of physical activity and fitness on aging
• Physical evaluation of older adults
• How to meet the needs of older adults and market to this group
• Practical ways to design specific and individualized exercise plans for an older adult in group exercise and in personal training

*We require current certification as a fitness instructor or personal trainer to attend this course and certification exam. Health care professionals are also eligible to attend.

The Older Adult Fitness Specialist Course Manual

canfitpro has developed an excellent manual to be used for the Older Adult Fitness Specialist course and certification exam. We have worked with renowned Canadian and International authors to create a cutting edge resource that captures all the necessary components of fitness for older adults. The strength of the writing team is based on their knowledge of the theory, practical and business skills required to work successfully with this population. This is a unique resource that will serve as an excellent foundation to help create a strong understanding and application of exercise and aging concepts.

The Older Adult Fitness Specialist Exam

Those who choose the option to progress and become a certified Older Adult Fitness Specialist will complete a theory and practical exam. These two components evaluate the candidate’s knowledge and understanding, as well as the ability to apply the theory to provide safe and effective exercise options for the older adult population. This certification provides specialized skills for fitness and health professionals and gives them an enhanced ability to safely work with older adults.

A Certified Older Adult Fitness Specialist Provides:

• Current information about the necessary precautions for older adult fitness
• Practical advice for setting fitness goals with currently active and newly active older adults
• Practical modifications for exercise intensity and exercise techniques
• A specialized approach to exercise and activity for an older adult
• Older adult fitness information, activity choices and individualized program design

Given by Lisa McLellan OAS Pro Trainer accredited by

Lectures

SETTING UP AND DEVELOPING A 50+ FITNESS PROGRAM IN A RURAL COMMUNITY

1.5 hours anyone who is interested English/French (bilingual might be more difficult considering the time constraints… would depend on how bilingual the group is)

This is an interactive lecture on how to build a successful 50+fitness program. On the one hand I will share my hard-earned experience setting up a successful 50+program in an existing club, in a rural area. We will look at networking and marketing, client profile, real fitness needs, integrating older adults into an existing club, dealing with mixed level of ability, women vs men, younger vs older, as well as getting all the parts (administration, reception, trainers on the floor, group fitness leaders and clients) to work together as a team. On the other hand, we will exchange about our experiences, hopes and fears as well as brainstorm for solutions. Let’s get going on the 50+ fitness adventure.

DON’T PUSH THE RIVER – UNDERSTANDING THE OLDER ADULT CLIENT

In this lecture we will discuss in detail how different the older adult client is from other fitness clients, and, why it is so important to understand this fact. We will examine age (50+, 60+, 70+, 80+, 90+), the physiology of aging and its impact on the older adult body and mind (chronic disease, injuries, deconditioning, lack of body awareness), the needs (health, disease prevention, autonomy, quality of life, fitness and well being) and the interests (social exchange, pleasure and enjoyment, knowledge, meaningful experience). We will explore how this understanding will help improve your program design by answering to older adults’ real needs. In so doing you will increase client participation and augment client retention. This clientele provides the trainer (who is also aging!) with an opportunity to learn about the benefits of wellness versus fitness. Older adults have taught me to be aware of what lies ahead, to appreciate what I now have and, that there is absolutely no value in pushing the river!