Exercise Programming for Older Adults

As our population ages and the cost of health care continues to climb, the demand for exercise options for seniors continues to grow.

Exercise Programming for Older Adults provides everything you need in order to develop, market, and manage a fitness program for older adults. It sets the stage for safe and effective exercise programming by explaining the unique factors you need to consider when developing a program for seniors:

-Age-related changes in the cardiopulmonary, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems and the effect of exercise on these systems

-Physical conditions that can affect the safety of exercise, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis

-Psychological and social aspects of aging and how they are influenced by exercise
You'll also find clear guidelines on how to structure a program to effectively meet the special needs of older exercisers, including information on class format, safety and liability, exercise intensity, social components, and more.

A major portion of the book is devoted to presenting 105 land-based and 74 water-based exercises. All have been field-tested in a successful senior exercise program; they include chair exercises, basic conditioning, low-impact aerobics, water aerobics, and water exercises for people with arthritis. Numerous photos, charts, and drawings illustrate how participants can correctly and safely perform each exercise.

Exercise Programming for Older Adults details the necessary steps for developing and promoting a senior exercise program in your community, from locating an appropriate facility to using the media to reach clients.

Kay Van Norman, MS, has been the director of the Young at Heart senior exercise program at Montana State University since 1988. Her responsibilities include program development and evaluation, instructor hiring and training, classroom teaching, and program promotion. She also conducts regional training workshops on the topic of senior exercise.

Kay was elected the 1995 chair of the Council on Aging and Adult Development (CAAD), a division of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). As the 1992 chair of the Standards Committee of CAAD, she helped to develop standards and guidelines for senior exercise instructors. Kay served as president of the Montana AHPERD for the 1991-92 term. She is also a member of AAHPERD's National Council on Aging.

Kay earned her master's degree in physical education from Montana State University in 1981. Her favorite leisure-time activities are horseback riding in the mountains, dancing, and downhill skiing. Kay, her husband, George Gebhardt, and their two children live in Bozeman, Montana.