I'd love some insight! I've got a new client starting in a couple weeks. She's 58, it has been "years" since she's exercised, and wants to get back into a routine. We only have half an our together once a week, and I want to make the most of it! My initial thought would be that we'd focus our time on resistance training and a total body circuit. Any other thoughts?
This is my favorite kind of client because they see results so quickly! I have about five right now in this category. Start her out nice and slow with a walking program on treadmill (about 60-65% HRR). For weight training, stretches for total body ('cause most people love how they "feel" and it makes them feel a bit kinder towards the harder stuff!). Exercise for total body should start out basic, and just one exercise per body part. As she begins to tone and feel good about exercise, you can increase the intensity.
One word of caution: If she's overweight, supine or prone exercises on a bench can be embarrassing...overweight people can't easily or gracefully get up and down. Crunches are very difficult for overweight people as well.
walking is a perfect place to start as you are training one of the four pillars of movement at the same time(locomotion).
Then movement prep-mobility exercises (strengthen and lengthen at the same time)
As for strength training you should start from the inside out...core first then move out to the peripheral(limbs) once the lumbo-pelvic complex is stable enough for dynamic movements. just be careful of any isometric type of exercises as this will dramatically increase blood pressure.
Just a side note Tekva, if a client has a hard time getting up or down this is the first thing to be trained. Function first-this should be the goal especially with clients over 50. Train movements not body parts, as you get older it is more important to be able to maintain independence(function), than having dysfunctional strong muscles that don't help you carry your own groceries.
__________________
If a person wants something that they have never had, they have to do something that they have never done. - Shawn Fears, CPT
Oh, absolutely, it's the thing to work on (up and down). But I have found that in the beginning, they are so embarrassed that they can't. I've begun to realize that, and I work with them "on the sly" to strengthen core and get the weight down before we try supine or prone...works! And they never have to be embarrassed.
