Personal Training for Active Older Adults with Pre-Existing Conditions
PERSONAL TRAINING FOR SENIORS WITH: Pre-Existing Conditions
Most personal training facilities have little knowledge or experience in dealing with injuries and other issues. They have been trained to work with a generic human being. Our certified personal trainers have received extensive training in how to work with the older adult and all the fun-loving wear and tear that happens to our bodies.
We work closely with physical therapists to help you prepare for possible upcoming surgeries, post-rehab, and knowing best practices and protocols for working with and around just about ANY issue you might have.
We’ve seen just about everything, and with that experience, you can rest assured that you are in the best, most capable hands to help you reach your fitness goals. If you have something going on that we haven’t seen before, we have a team of experts from doctors to therapists that we consult with to help you.
You Aren’t Your Pre-Existing Condition.
A pre-existing condition doesn’t define you or your goals. You are MUCH more than that. Your issue also does not exempt you from taking control of your health and fitness. You can work with and around anything you have that’s going on.
Do you have pain doing a certain movement?
That’s common.
But our personal training team will find alternative ways to help you move pain-free and regain your freedom and independence. We can help you feel better than you were before surgery or before your injury.
Common conditions we work with/around include:
Common health conditions we work with/around include:
- Arthritis (osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid arthritis)
- Joint replacements (hip, shoulder, knees)
- Low back pain
- Spine issues (disk degeneration, spondylitis, spondylosis, bulged discs, fusions, Pars fractures)
- Fibromyalgia
- Parkinson’s
- Special needs
- Sprains and strains
- Rotator cuff
- Plantar fasciitis
- Fallen arches
- Tendonitis
- And other random aches and pains
How Fitness Training Works with Pre-Existing Conditions
Because of our individualized approach of one size fits-only one, it doesn’t matter if you do our 1-on-1 personal training or our small group semi-private training. Your exercise prescription is tailored to your fitness level, not anyone else’s.
Just because you have an ongoing health condition doesn’t mean you still can’t work out. It means you need a professional to guide you through an evidence-based exercise program. Someone who knows your condition, is well-informed on best practices for it and is watching you to ensure you stay safe each session, every week.
Because of your particular needs, you will most likely need specialized tools and equipment to best work with and around your condition, which is why our gym is set up with all the best senior strength tools you need.
Someone with arthritis may need some rice bucket drills, someone coming back from a knee replacement might need an active range of motion drill, and a client with Parkinson’s will need exercises to move explosively and quickly.
We customize what exercises you need and couple that with things you like and can do so that you can see results while limiting your pain and risk of injury.
We are one of the only places in the Salt Lake valley, outside of physical therapists, who follow post-rehab training protocols and use evidence-based research to create safe exercise programming. We will always have a plan for you to follow. The plan may change or adjust as your needs dictate, but we don’t do random workouts each time you come. You deserve better.
People also ask:
My arthritis causes a lot of pain, won't exercise make it worse?
Arthritis is a moving target, and you need to hit the ‘Goldilocks zone’. Too little exercise of the right kind can make your symptoms worse, but too much can also make it worse. If you can stay in the just right zone of exercise (the right type, frequency, and intensity) you can often see improvements in symptoms.
Also, stopping activity due to consistent pain leads to several other health risks. So, finding an activity to improve overall health is also a key consideration.
I thought custom insoles were the only thing you could do for plantar fasciitis?
Insoles can be a good first step, but there are SEVERAL things you can do that can help your foot pain decrease quite quickly.
Things like rolling the sole of your foot, ankle CARs, and mind the gap drills all will help strengthen the foot and decrease the inflammation you are dealing with.
I heard you shouldn't do deep knee bends, is that true?
If your doctor is using the term ‘deep knee bends’ they aren’t current on research. This term was coined back in the 1940s. A deep knee bend isn’t smart, because it required you to drive your knees as far forward while keeping your torso upright. That’s a recipe for disaster!
Squats aren’t deep knee bends. We focus on keeping the shins as vertical as possible to reduce the shearing force through the knee and it loads your hips more, which is crucial for older adults.
What exercise is best for menopause?
This depending on what you are currrently doing. Too much of a good thing, like high-intensity intervals, can actually be a bad thing for all the fluctuating hormones you are dealing with.
Generally speaking, a good strength training program with some high-intensity work sprinkled throughout the week can help.
What exercises should seniors NOT do?
If an exercise hurts, don’t do it. There are plenty of modifications and other exercises that can accomplish the same thing.
Beyond that, there really isn’t any exercise that is completely off the table, except burpees. Burpees are dumb!
What type of exercise is best for older adults?
Older adults should strive to meet the activity recommendations in each of the four fitness pillars. That said, strength training is most likely the most important type/mode of exercise seniors NEED to do because it can stop and reverse sarcopenia as well as 30 other known illnesses and diseases.
How hard should a 60 year old train?
A 60-year-old can train as hard as they’d like, provided they have worked up to it.
Intensity trumps duration. Just because you have more years and miles on your body doesn’t mean you can’t train hard. You just have to train smarter.
If my back hurts, shouldn't I just stretch it?
Stretching isn’t the magic bullet everyone thinks it is. Often stretching your back may be the thing that’s making it WORSE! Check out this article about why you should stop stretching your back.