Tapping into the Seniors Market: Key Exercise Elements for Success
Are you ready to embark on an adventure of training senior clients? Read Margot McKinnon’s article to find out how.
Click Here to read the article in PDF Format
Question for you……
What techniques and modifications do you use when training senior clients? Do you come across any challenges when working with them? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.
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My studio, Pacific Spirit Pilates Inc., focus is making Pilates accessible to boomers and seniors. Many come in with multiple issues. After a complete consultation re medical history, bone density, current issues, completing an informed consent, PAR-Q and requesting completion of a PARmed-X, as required, by their physician, my next step is a posture and gait analysis, both manual and digital. The digital helps them to see what I see but does not replace the manual assessment. At a later date, you are able to show them their progress by completing another digital analysis. I am fortunate to have a physician as a client who came to me after spinal fusion surgery and foot drop. After successfully getting him back to competing in marathons, hiking and biking at challenging levels, he has taken an interest in meeting my clients and following their progress. We conduct muscle testing together as needed. He also provides medical insight and advice. Sometimes an integrated approach with other practitioners is what your client needs. It is important to not work beyond your knowledge and training. With Body Harmonics training, we have been taught how to think through what steps we need to take. I have found my training to be invaluable. I spend a lot of time researching, studying and reviewing.
Many of your older clients like to understand what they are doing and why. Teaching the Fundamentals of Pilates is a good place to start if a painful condition is not needing immediate attention. I select some appropriate mat and reformer exercises to guage how my client hears my cues. Modifying exercises, providing a pillow for neck and other support or a yoga block for tight hamstrings, using rotational discs to assist movement at the hips and feet, using therabands for support, small balls to activate adductors etc., circles for a variety of exercises and an Arc (which also fits on the reformer) are some of the props I use.
At the top of the list is having genuine empathy, listening and providing support and encouragement. I start each session with a conversation about how my client is feeling both mentally and physically. I look forward to seeing my clients and going into my studio every day. The biggest reward is restoring a client’s mobility, stability and freedom from pain.
Margot
I’m going to take your informative and inspiring article when I interview for prospective teaching positions at retirement communities here in Ottawa. I hope to introduce the activity coordinators and directors of health and well being at these facilities to the benefits and safety of exercises highlighed in your article. In this way, I’ll explain the unique teaching approach taught through the courses at Body Harmonics which help seniors improve their everyday function and sense of well-being.