THE QUICK READ
• There is no standard classification for the term ‘ mature age ’, with the age at which one is considered to fall into the category ranging from 55 to 65 years
• It ’ s very important to establish a referral network with allied health professionals when working with a mature population
• Exercise prescription for mature age clients and participants is all about offering appropriate progression and regression options , and does not preclude exercise formats you use with younger participants
• The delivery of a program is as important as the actual exercise prescription
• Ensure your phrasing or cueing uses inclusive , positive language that focuses on what the participants can , rather than what they cannot , do .
of your clients and participants . It ’ s not rocket science : establish a referral network around you ( see Key Area 1 ) and if you don ’ t know how to program for your clients and participants , source the right training .
Training people of any age involves risks , but we can become more aware of these risks when working with the mature age population . There seems to be a reluctant attitude attached to this increased awareness . A reluctance to take on participants and clients from this demographic . The stigmas that mature age participants need to be handled with kid gloves , and that training them is boring , are not helping . Is it the unknown ? A lack of experience ?
Leigh continues , “ I can ’ t emphasise this enough : if someone is frail , they should be trained in the clinical space - not in the traditional gym setting . Let the health sector deal with the scary stuff . They are qualified and trained for this .”
Key area 3 : The delivery
Often mature age clients or participants who start working out in the gym need to train their own belief system as much as their bodies . Some have lost faith in their bodies ; some have started to believe the stereotypes about themselves . The delivery of a program is therefore as important as the actual exercise prescription . We ’ re talking phrasing here , also known as cueing or scripting .
Leigh uses some examples from her own experience ; “ If I bench press with my mature age classes , I will say , “ If you are working on mobility issues with your back or knees , put more risers under your bench ” rather than saying “ If you have bad knees or find it hard to get up and down , put more risers under your bench .” The aim is to make it more empowering , not patronising or condescending .”
Leigh strongly believes in this ; “ Using your cueing in a certain way can yield something totally different in a class . When I ’ m delivering my mature age classes I think to myself ‘ They know so much more than I and have so much more life experience than I do . But I know my job better than anyone else in the room . I know what I ’ m talking about . You need to give participants information in a palatable way , so they can make it land in their body . It actually empowers them and makes them interested in what they are doing . Your phrasing can do that .”
“ It ’ s all about the way we interact . I don ’ t allow my exercise physiology clients to refer to their ‘ bad ’ leg , for example , and instead say “ We ’ re going to manage this ”. By doing so , I ’ m changing the way I interact with them , and if I do so for long enough it changes the way they interact with their own body . It becomes a more empowering feeling . I ’ ve always been very big on this when it comes to group fitness as well ” Leigh says ; “ I ’ m very careful how I ’ m teaching . There always has to be an uplift . That ’ s part of the job .” This is another passion Leigh and I share : the desire to take our mature age participants to a positive physical and mental place they wouldn ’ t be accessing by themselves .
Phrasing tips
TIP 1 : Make your language inclusive . TIP 2 : Empower clients and participants by using open , positive language , instead of saying ‘ You can ’ t do that ’, for example , say “ We ’ re going to try getting up and down .” TIP 3 : Focus on what is possible . TIP 4 : Be clear on contraindications for the client .
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