Training for Older Adults

Outline:
This seminar is designed to help physiotherapists understand the benefits, training principles, and safety issues of training with intensity when working with older adults. Indeed, choosing the correct exercise intensity is key to achieve best outcomes in the rehabilitation of older adults. The seminar will focus on two important exercise interventions in older people: balance training and muscle strength training. Challenging balance exercise training is an important component of exercise programs to support healthy aging and prevent falls in older adults. A brief overview of the clinical measurement of balance exercise performance and an orientation to the Balance Exercise Scale for therapists (BIS-T) and exercisers (BIS-E) will be provided. Participants will then apply the BIS to the rating of (video-taped) balance exercises of varied intensity, followed by rating review and discussion.

Also, loss of muscle strength and power has been associated with functional decline and falls. Exercise programs that include muscle strengthening and power exercises have proven to be effective and save in the older population. The clinical implication of strengthening and power exercises will be provided during the seminar. There will be interaction with the participants to explore different exercises, followed by a practical example to determine the correct intensity of an exercise.
Objectives:
To explain the link between training intensity and rehabilitation outcomes in older adults.
To identify appropriate methods to measure intensity for balance and strength training in older adults.
To explore opportunities to enhance communication and engagement with patient/clients about the intensity of exercise programmes.