Five CPD courses to... Become more inclusive of the ageing population
Two in five people living in England are now over 50 years old, with the figures being similarly high across the rest of the UK, too. An ageing population means more strain on health services – unless we continue to shift our efforts and focus on the barriers to exercise and inclusion of this demographic.
So that you can play a role in tackling this challenge, we’ve featured five courses to help you develop the skills necessary to include this population specialism in your repertoire. As a result of learning how to support the health and wellbeing of older adults, your practice can help to meet local health priorities and play a vital role in the prevention and management of health conditions.
These CPD courses comprise of online learning to help keep your development flexible. Plus we’ve signposted further relevant resources to allow you to develop and apply your knowledge.
CPD
1. Training Older Adults Level 2
Provided by Fitness Education Online
A Training Academy course ★★★
10 CIMSPA CPD points
Designed to equip you with the skills and confidence to provide fun and engaging training for seniors, this course covers a variety of aspects for a successful fitness career, from mastering effective marketing strategies to creating engaging workout plans.
What you’ll learn about:
- Fun training for seniors
- Training women 50+
- Training clients with arthritis
- Training clients with Parkinson’s
- Chair One Fitness
- Pilates with seniors – both beginners and active
- Running an over 50s gym
Discover this Fitness Education Online course
2. Osteoporosis and Pilates
Provided by FitPro
4 CIMSPA CPD Points
This course teaches fitness professionals or Pilates instructors everything they need to know about osteoporosis. As a result, learners will be able to recognise their issues and adapt group sessions appropriately.
A mixture of lectures and practical demonstrations, the course also includes a professional digital presentation to be used to deliver your own seminar on osteoporosis.
What you’ll learn about:
- The meaning of the terms osteoporosis and osteopenia
- The main causes, signs and symptoms of osteoporosis
- Identifying DEXA scan results
- Appropriate lifestyle changes that can help to improve bone density
- Which Pilates exercises may cause more harm or cause injury
- Appropriate adaptations of the original 34 Pilates moves for clients with osteoporosis
- The Pilates professionals’ scope of practice – who we can and can’t work with and why
- Marketing and supporting materials to enable you to run seminars to inform and educate clients about bone health/osteoporosis
3. Nutrition for Older Adults
Provided by Future Fit Training
4 CIMSPA CPD Points
Learn about specific nutrient requirements and be able to apply healthy eating principles to enable older adults to live a full, active lifestyle, preserving independence.
Following completion of this course, individuals will be able to improve their personal training offering by specialising as a nutritional advisor for older adults.
Discover this Future Fit course
4. YMCA Level 3 Award in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Older Adults
Provided by YMCA Awards
10 CIMSPA CPD Points
This comprehensive course equips learners with the knowledge to support healthy ageing through engagement with physical activity and exercise. This includes building knowledge of other services available to support the diverse health and wellbeing needs of the ageing population.
What you’ll learn about:
- Ageing and its effects, as well as healthy ageing practices
- The risks and contraindications to exercise in older adults
- Guidelines for best practice when delivering physical activity and exercise to older adults
- Screening and assessing older adults prior to participation in physical activity and exercise
- Developing skills to plan and deliver exercise programmes tailored to older adults
- Reviewing planned exercise programmes, adapting as necessary
Discover this YMCA Awards Course
5. Functional Strength for Ageing Populations
Provided by FitPro
3 CIMSPA CPD Points
Delve into the role of strength training in developing and maintaining functional capacity for the mid-life to older adult age group. Providing an overview of the latest research-based evidence, the course covers key topics including functional strength, functional mobility, strategies for balance, power and speed training, and exercise for physical and cognitive resilience.
What you’ll learn about:
- Functional strength in the context of ageing
- Current evidence for strength training in older populations
- Common barriers, safety and medical considerations
- Exercise prescription for key functional strength patterns
- Exercise prescription for functional mobility
- Exercise prescription for balance and falls prevention
- Exercise prescription for functional power and speed
Remember - you can submit your CPD to your CIMSPA member profile to build your professional portfolio, showcase your professional status and earn your CPD points.
