Eric Simmons, owner of Evolution in Motion, is applying in his personal training business some of what he learned in a study about fall prevention. Photo courtesy of Evolution in Motion.

Some of the latest strength training research may inspire health club members to continue pumping iron rather than cancelling their gym membership. The world of strength training research is constantly evolving, and by keeping up on the latest research studies, club owners can help their members get results.

“Fitness professionals who read studies and stay on top of research are best positioned to provide their clients or members with the best experience possible,” says Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Over the last year, researchers have explored how exercisers can derive the maximum benefit from resistance training. Specifically, they have investigated functional training as it relates to fall prevention, the effectiveness of online weight training and the adverse effects of stress on performance.

Fall Prevention

As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, health clubs can pull them into their doors by offering classes in fall prevention, say experts. According to a March 2008 literature review done by Christian Thompson at the University of San Francisco, more than one-third of adults over the age of 65 fall each year.

Thompson is working to change this trend with his ongoing research on fall protection, which he says will be useful for fitness facilities nationwide. The three-year research study is investigating the effect of functional training on fall prevention for older adults.

“At this point, there is nothing out there like this,” he says. “We're filling a significant gap in the literature and in the programming world.”

His research study, which began in early 2007 and will be completed in 2010, consists of a 12-week exercise program that follows a logical, built-in progression using basic resistance equipment. As part of his research, his trainers and he visit about 10 senior centers in San Francisco.

The trainers train the seniors using a variety of equipment, such as dumbbells, elastic cables, playground balls and mobility ladders. The seniors are divided into two groups — a control group that does not have the functional training sessions, and the experimental group, which trains twice a week.

All of the research subjects are over the age of 65, and the average age is 76. To qualify for the study, the seniors must have had a fall in the last six months. Thompson says about 45 people have gone through the program so far, and about 20 of them are recurrent fallers.

“Most people who fall will fall again,” he says. “Sometimes, they get lucky the first time and don't have an injury or a fracture, but it eventually catches up to them.”

By doing basic functional and resistance training exercises, the seniors are minimizing their fall risk, the researchers found. In fact, the seniors in the experimental group improved their static and dynamic balance by 14 percent to 22 percent. By contrast, the seniors in the control group did not see an improvement in their fall risk factors, which are an indication of lower body strength.

Thompson hopes to design a program based upon his evidence-based research that can be implemented in any setting — from a health club to a YMCA to a senior center. To make it appeal more to the masses, he used simple equipment in his research, but he concedes that a creative trainer could get even better results with different equipment and exercise techniques.

“There is a real need as we continue to age as a population for there to be proven evidence-based programming strategies that can be adapted to work with this very important special population,” he says.

In fact, two fitness organizations and some online programming portals have already expressed interest in the research, and some personal trainers involved in the study are applying their knowledge to their relationships with their clients.

Eric Simmons, the owner of the personal training business Evolution in Motion, helped with the research project a year-and-a-half ago. One of his colleagues at the San Francisco Bay Club who was also involved in the study launched a fall prevention class at the club. Simmons has applied this knowledge when working with his own clients, including a 78-year-old woman.

“She had a hard time walking forward, and her strides were getting shorter and shorter,” he says. “Three weeks ago, she said, ‘Look how long my strides are,’ and sure enough, she was stepping two-and-a-half-foot strides rather than shuffling along.”

The woman has had so much success with the functional training exercises that she has not fallen since starting the training. She can also join a more advanced group class and can lift her foot up for 10 seconds, which she couldn't do before.

“You can take someone who is 65 or 70 and barely walk, has osteoporosis and a broken hip, and you can change the course of their future by teaching them to move their body,” he says.

The Muscatine Community YMCA is also helping its members to protect themselves against falls. Andy Brabson, head personal trainer at the Y, says his facility is considering offering a “no fall” class to help its senior members improve their balance and perform everyday activities.

“A lot of the studies I've seen on strength training are about seniors nowadays,” he says. “We don't have anything special for seniors right now, but we've been talking about adding it into our programming.”

Bryant of ACE commends clubs that are offering specialty programming, such as fall protection and balance training. By offering specialty programming, clubs can attract a new segment to their facilities and appeal to the senior market, he says.

In addition to offering functional training classes for seniors, clubs should also consider encouraging their senior members to do standard resistance training, says Wayne Wescott, senior fitness executive at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA. William Kraemer of the University of Connecticut agrees that functional training should be part of, rather than a replacement for, a resistance training program for older adults.

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