Exercise and Wellness for Older Adults, Second Edition, is an introduction to aging and wellness and an essential guide to creating exercise and wellness programs for older adults, regardless of age or physical challenge. Readers will find the latest information on strength and power training and learn how to apply it to improve the functional abilities of older adults. The text provides a framework to help readers make the critical shift from expectations of decline to an age-neutral focus on maximizing functional ability.
The text, formerly titled Exercise Programming for Older Adults, has been thoroughly updated to reflect the broad-based focus encompassing all aspects of wellness rather than just fitness. The author introduces the whole-person wellness concept, which fully engages individuals and helps them succeed in their pursuit of lifelong health and well-being. Specific strategies and exercises are presented to help professionals integrate the six dimensions of wellness (physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and vocational) into their programs. This edition includes a new chapter on identifying and overcoming the unseen or overlooked psychosocial barriers to participation in wellness programs and engaging adults in healthy habits. It also offers new information on program development, including techniques for creating and promoting programs in both senior living and community-based environments.
Chapter 1. Aging and Wellness
Aging World Populations
Profile of Older Americans
Attitudes Toward Aging
Challenging Barriers and Changing Needs
Adult Wellness: The Big Picture
Wellness Wrap-up
Chapter 2. Exercise Science and Changes in Functional Ability
Exercise Physiology and Aging Systems
Physical Conditions Requiring Special Consideration
Wellness Wrap-up
Chapter 3. Psychosocial Aspects of Programming
Understanding Psychosocial Concepts
Identifying Psychosocial Barriers
Applying Psychosocial Concepts
A New Model
Wellness Wrap-up
Chapter 4. Programming Guidelines
Program Components
Safety
Providing a Well-Rounded Exercise Program
Components of a Fitness Class
Wellness Wrap-up
Chapter 5. Land-Based Programming
Chair Exercise
Standing Exercise
Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise
Resistance Training Exercise
Wellness Wrap-up
Chapter 6. Water-Based Programming
Special Considerations for Water-Exercise Classes
General Format
Arthritis Water Exercise
Wellness Wrap-up
Chapter 7. Developing and Promoting Your Program
Working in Community-Based Environments
Promoting Your Exercise Program
Working in Senior-Living Environments
Meeting Senior-Living Challenges and Opportunities
Crafting a Culture of Wellness
Wellness Wrap-up
Kay Van Norman is currently president of Brilliant Aging, a consulting firm specializing in exercise and wellness program design for older adults, development, and staff training. She taught in the department of health and human development at Montana State University for 18 years. For nine of those years she was also program director for Young at Heart, a university-based nonprofit exercise program for older adults. She went on to serve as director of the Keiser Institute on Aging, an international effort to bridge the gap between research and practice in the fields of gerontology, senior housing, fitness, and wellness.