Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008 - (Page 19)

BABY BOOMER STATS 4 In 2006, gym memberships for those ages 55+ grew by 17%, while those in the 18-34 age bracket grew by ﬁve percent (Source: IHRSA) 4 In the year 2000, roughly 35 million people were age 65 or older. By 2030, that number is expected to double. (Source: Active Aging Partnership National Blueprint) 4 In 2007, health club members averaged 90 days of use annually, with the 55+ bracket averaging 97 days per year. (Source: IHRSA) 4 51% of all personal training clientele are over the age of 45; this number will continue to climb as the baby boomers age. (Source: IDEA Health & Fitness Association) Power to the Boomers! Once adults pass their physical prime in their teens and 20s, they lose an average of 10 ounces of lean body mass per year. On average, a person will lose approximately 40% to 50% of muscle mass and 50% of muscle strength from age 30 to 70. Strength training is recommended to counteract this loss of muscle, but experts recently have identiﬁed power training as a potentially more eﬀective method of improving function than traditional high-intensity strength training. Because of the preferential atrophy of type 2 (fast-twitch) muscle ﬁbers that occurs with advancing age, the remaining muscle mass is not only smaller and weaker but slower as well. This has a dramatic eﬀect on potential power generation. In fact, the power output of type 2 ﬁbers is approximately four times that of type 1 ﬁbers. How is power training deﬁned when we are using the term in association with strength training and older adults? We might also call it explosive resistance training, or high-velocity training, where the concentric phase is performed “as fast as possible.” Muscle power is the product of the force generated by the muscle and the velocity at which the contraction is performed. Since power is the product of force and velocity, increasing either or both of these will increase power output. Therefore, just performing the same strength training movements more quickly or increasing strength (force) through traditional low-velocity training will result in an increase in power. Avoid Momentum However, take careful note that experts have stressed the importance of performing resistance exercises in a slow, controlled manner as to avoid momentum. This is a problem that is inherent to gravity-based equipment, such as dumbbells, barbells and weight stacks. Force production at the beginning of the movement is signiﬁcantly greater at higher velocities than at lower velocities. Since the weight is moving at a higher velocity, it takes more eﬀort to stop the weight. This presents a risky situation for the joints in older adults. When considering momentum, pneumatic equipment, elastic bands, body weight and medicine balls are good choices to use in a power training program for older adults. With pneumatic equipment, momentum is never an issue because gravity is not involved in the resistance. It does not matter how fast or slow a person performs the movement; momentum remains close to zero. Elastic bands are good for power training because as elastic is stretched, the resistance increases slightly, but the resistance curve stays the same at all movement speeds, so momentum is not an issue in this case, either. Due to the versatility, low cost and portability of elastic bands, these would be an excellent choice for group training. Body weight allows for real-life, functional movements, such as stair climbing and rising from a chair, to be practiced — although having someone climb a ﬂight of stairs as quickly as they can might not be a good idea for a number of reasons! Step-ups would be a better choice. For extra resistance, external weights can be added quite easily. Weight vests, weight belts or just holding dumbbells can safely and eﬀectively increase resistance for many older adults. In addition, these movements require more dynamic balance, so there may be additional beneﬁts associated with this form of training. And medicine balls are a good option because the weighted ball is released at the end of the fast movement (throw) so that the momentum created does not stress the joints. Dr. Wayne Westcott, strength training expert and Research Director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, has incorporated 10 minutes of power training into his older adult ﬁtness programs and has been amazed at how much fun his older participants have with medicine balls. ➤ NOV-DEC2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM 19 http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Your Scope of Practice Combating Youth Obesity Current Controversies The Balancing Act Product Profile Building a Base of Special Populations The Right State of Mind Mark Your Calendar The Equipment Dilemma Too Much To Do, Too Little Time Exercise Spotlight Holiday Gift Guide New on the Market Alyte Piedra

Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008

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