FILEX 2015
PRESENTER
TRAINING SENIORS
The water may offer a safe and supportive workout environment, but there are still
a number of safety considerations when training older adults.
WORDS: JENNIFER SCHEMBRI-PORTELLI
he water offers a fantastic lowimpact exercise environment,
making it perfect for older adults.
However, aqua exercise for seniors does
raise a number of questions.
T
Q How much travelling should I
program for older participants?
Some blood pressure and angina
medications list ‘dizziness’ as a side effect.
Ask any participants on these medications
to make the decision whether they want to
participate in the activity. While circle work
creates turbulence, and therefore greater
intensity, it can be viewed as ‘boring’ and
‘troublesome’. You’ve got more creativity
than this surely! If you need a ‘fill in’
activity, try side steps and forward and
backward motions with different arm line
patterns rather than circle work for older
adult aqua classes.
Q Is it OK for seniors to participate
in deep water classes?
Whether somebody is suited to working
out in the deep water is not related to ‘age’,
but to variables such as water familiarity
(is the participant confident in the deeper
water?), body composition (the leaner the
participant the more intense the workout)
and medical conditions. People with gastric
conditions such as peptic ulcers and chest
conditions such as asthma may find the
hydrostatic pressure causes discomfort.
Suggest that participants do not wear a
buoyancy belt for the entire class. It is
also recommended that prone and supine
activities are included in the deep water
class. This will alleviate the hydrostatic
pressure effects on the thoracic area.
36 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2015
Q Is it true that hydrostatic
pressure isn’t great for seniors?
Hydrostatic pressure (HP) may be an
issue for some seniors, the benefits usually
outweigh any negative effects. The HP effect
compresses fluid from the vascular bed of the
legs and forces increased circulation up to the
torso. This may provide a therapeutic benefit for
swollen limbs. The increased pressure is also
responsible for forcing the blood away from
the periphery, that results in enhanced venous
return and subsequently improved cardiac
output. This means there is less strain on the
heart when exercising at a higher intensity.
Q Should I make seniors who hate
using equipment use it?
Wisdom certainly comes with age, so,
if the senior participant doesn’t want to use
equipment they don’t have to! Sometimes
people don’t like doing things because the
activity is not great for their bodies. People
with arthritis may find gripping equipment
very painful. The knuckles may be stiff and
therefore sore when hands are gripping the
dumbbells, noodle or kickboard. It doesn’t
mean never include the use of equipment,
but rather strategically include a ‘release’
period into the exercise. A tip is to jog using
the dumbbells without gripping the handle.
Instruct the participant to push the buoyant
piece of equipment using an open hand. This
is an effective way of increasing resistance
while avoiding the gripping action.
Q My senior participants say they
can’t keep up with me in the water
You may be moving at ‘land’ speed. A great
instructor will be able to use the appropriate
cadence for the majority of participants in their
class. Dance routines and exercise sequences
can be easily created and modified utilising
energetic and realistic combinations for all
participants. The best advice I can offer is:
learn how to move the water yourself and then
teach your participants the steps to move
water more efficiently. You are a leader, teach
them how to move the water.
Jennifer Schembri-Portelli, aka ‘JSP’, is a skilled fitness
and aqua professional with over 25 years experience. She
also founded Water Exercise Training Service (WETS), an
education provider whose aqua fitness qualifications are
now delivered in partnership with AUSTSWIM. wets.com.au
INSPIRING GREATNESS
10 TO 12 APRIL 2015
MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE
Catch Jennifer’s session at FILEX
• Aqua Excellence (C3U)
Head to filex.com.au to check out the session details, full program info and to
register for the best weekend on the fitness industry calendar!