Active Aging

ACE is a proud partner of the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), which hosts the games. We draw magnificent inspiration from the athletes, but our great hope lies not within the athletes themselves, but with the older family members, friends and neighbors who root for them. We hope that they will connect with their inner-athlete and reimagine life as a journey of strength and mobility. And we hope that ACE professionals will support their brave choice to become more active.

Exercise can help (and even alleviate) some of the health issues faced by older adults, but many people are simply unable to perform traditional workouts. Chair workouts can be a highly effective alternative, allowing individuals to train for strength, flexibility and balance. Here are a few sample chair exercises for older adults featuring each of these components of fitness that you can use with your clients.

Yoga is a great way to alleviate the stiffness and pain associated with joint aging and arthritis. Here are three poses you can offer your clients to help ease the joint pain that often comes with aging.

Though you can’t prevent yourself from aging, you can slow down its effects and ward off potential health threats by adopting and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. We know that regular physical activity plays a critical role in ongoing health, but even just a moderate amount of exercise has been shown to have significant health benefits, especially for adults 50 years and older.

Have you considered training older adults? According to the United States 2010 Census Bureau report, more than 40 million Americans are age 65 or older. That’s a huge potential market for your health and fitness services. Here are some recommended exercises and workouts for older adults, as well as additional factors to be aware of when working with an older population.