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Physical Activity Instruction Of Older Adults 2Nd Edition Pdf full chapter pdf docx
Physical Activity Instruction Of Older Adults 2Nd Edition Pdf full chapter pdf docx
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FIGURE 1.1 Percentage of population aged 65 and over: 2015 and 2050.
Reprinted from He, Goodkind and Kowal (2016).
Gerokinesiology: An Expanding
Field of Study
Recognition of the importance of physical activity for older adults and the
growing support of the medical community (Kerse, Elley, Robinson, &
Arroll, 2005; Noordman, Verhaak, & van Dulmen, 2010) have resulted in
more facilities and organizations (e.g., senior centers, hospitals, recreation
departments, fitness clubs, churches, YMCAs, retirement communities)
offering physical activity programs for this segment of the population.
However, many experts, including the authors of this chapter, have argued
that because of the large range of medical conditions and functional abilities
in the 65 and over population, preparing to be a physical activity instructor
for older adults requires more knowledge, skills, and experience than to be an
instructor of younger adults. In an effort to promote curriculum development
and elevate the quality of professional training programs offered in this area,
several experts representing numerous organizations throughout the world
convened and developed international curriculum guidelines for preparing
physical activity instructors of older adults (Ecclestone & Jones, 2004). The
guidelines comprise nine curriculum-training modules and will be detailed
later in the chapter. This text uses the term gerokinesiology to describe this
rapidly growing field of study, a term based on the input of several expert
physical activity instructors of older adults and many university professors
throughout the world who currently prepare undergraduate and graduate
students to work with older adults in a variety of physical activity settings.
Because of the growing job opportunities for physical activity instructors
of older adults and the recognized need for specialized training, more and
more universities now offer individual courses addressing physical activity
and aging, experiential learning opportunities in real-world contexts, or more
comprehensive areas of concentration in gerokinesiology. The increased
availability of textbooks that focus on the aging process and the role of
physical activity have made it easier to offer stand-alone courses as electives
within a broader kinesiology curriculum or even to create a series of courses
on which to base an academic concentration (Spirduso et al., 2005; Taylor &
Johnson, 2008; Watson, 2017). For example, California State University at
Fullerton currently offers an academic concentration in gerokinesiology at
both the undergraduate and graduate level. In addition to completing the core
academic requirements in kinesiology (i.e., the courses Biomechanics;
Exercise Physiology; Motor Control and Learning; Psychology of Sport and
Physical Activity; Sociocultural, Philosophical, and Historical Perspectives of
Human Movement) students in the gerokinesiology concentration area
complete additional coursework specific to the concentration (i.e., Physical
Dimensions of Aging, Functional Performance Assessment and Programming
for Older Adults, Principles of Teaching Group Fitness, Physical Activity and
Behavior Change). Students in the gerokinesiology concentration also
complete an internship within the Center for Successful Aging, where they
receive hands-on training working with older adults who attend the center’s
weekly wellness programs. A number of other universities within North
America have developed similar academic concentrations, some with
supporting centers offering similar opportunities for hands-on training and
instructor certifications (e.g., Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging,
Western Ontario University). Within the United Kingdom, while there are no
specific academic concentrations in gerokinesiology, programs offering
degrees in sport and health or physical activity and health are starting to work
in collaboration with external training providers to offer the qualifications of
the exercise-training framework for their master of science students (e.g.,
Portsmouth University). Certainly, from a practical perspective, degree
content for a master of sport science does not currently provide students with
the necessary practical skills to deliver evidence-based programs for frail
older people.
Curriculum Development
Curriculum development to prepare physical activity instructors of older
adults was minimal prior to the 1990s (Jones & Rikli, 1994). Until recently,
instructors and personal trainers who led physical activity programs for older
adults reported that they had to rely primarily on self-study, on-the-job
training, or workshops and conferences to develop the specific knowledge
and skills needed to work with older adults (Jones & Rose, 2005). The slow
response by academic institutions to develop curricula aimed at preparing
physical activity instructors for older adults has resulted in a number of
professional organizations and individual entrepreneurs offering training that
culminates in some type of certification. Unfortunately, lacking curriculum
guidelines to assist their development, some of these training programs have
failed to provide the essential knowledge and practical skills that are essential
for safe and effective physical activity programs for older adults.
The International Curriculum Guidelines for Preparing Physical Activity
Instructors of Older Adults, published by Ecclestone and Jones (2004) in the
Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, recommend that the following nine
curriculum training modules form the basis of any professional training
program or academic curriculum subsequently developed: