Network Magazine Autumn 2021 | Page 46

One day it will be us
Although it ’ s a fact that humans live longer nowadays , the WHO notes that “ if these added years are dominated by declines in physical and mental capacity , the implications for older people and for society are more negative .” 1 Maintaining good health is of the essence . To contribute to this , we have an obligation to make the gym setting more appealing , and welcoming , to the mature age general population .
The problem , as Leigh points out , is that “ at the moment , there are not enough trainers in gyms who are well enough trained to deal with this demographic . As a result , the group is only lightly represented in the gym setting and consequently gyms don ’ t necessarily offer senior programs .”
I add , “ the tone of most fitness marketing campaigns is not helping either . There is a huge discrepancy between what is portrayed in the media and our actual gym reality . The fitness industry tries to focus very hard on the young , the strong and the beautiful . Anybody who feels they don ’ t fit that profile would be intimidated . Marketing strategies almost solely focus on the aesthetic outcomes of exercise , when this is only one of its many benefits .”
We are the fitness industry . We must change . We need to throw the doors of our training facilities wide open to the mature population – and change our marketing to let them know that we ’ re ready , willing and able to welcome them and improve their quality of life .
The fact is , we ’ re getting older
Ageing and health
• Between 2015 and 2050 , the proportion of the world ’ s population aged over 60 years will nearly double from 12 % to 22 %. 1
• By 2050 , 2 billion people will be aged 60 or older , up from 1 billion in 2020 . 2
• This increase is occurring at an unprecedented pace and will accelerate in coming decades , particularly in developing countries . 2
• All countries face major challenges to ensure that their health and social systems are ready to make the most of this demographic shift . 1
Health in older age is not random Although some of the variations in older people ’ s health reflect their genetic inheritance , most is due to their physical and social environments , and the influence of these environments on their opportunities and health behaviours . Importantly , these factors start to influence ageing from childhood . This means that an older person from a disadvantaged background is both more likely to experience poor health and less likely to have access to the services and the care that they may need . 3
Older people may be living longer , but not necessarily better A longer life brings with it opportunities , not only for older people and their families , but also for societies as a whole . Additional years provide the chance to pursue new activities such as further education , a new career or reconnecting with a long-neglected passion . Older people also contribute in many ways to their families and communities . Yet the extent of these opportunities and contributions depends heavily on one factor : health . There is little evidence to suggest that older people today are experiencing their later years in better health than their parents .

Some have lost faith in their bodies ; some have started to believe the stereotypes about themselves

Yes , it may be more challenging to train a mature participant - experts on the subject of life . The ones with the experiences and the stories . The young at heart . The people knowing that freedom of movement will keep you going further in life . The resilient . The strong . The keen and the loyal . The ones who do not suffer fools . We need to be so well skilled and connected that they feel comfortable trusting us with their fitness . They may be life ’ s specialists , but we are the fitness experts . Here to help , opening the doors to the ‘ invisible generation ’, all ages welcome .
REFERENCES
1
https :// www . who . int / news-room / fact-sheets / detail / ageing-and-health
2 https :// www . who . int / health-topics / ageing # tab = tab _ 1
3
https :// www . who . int / news-room / fact-sheets / detail / 10-factson-ageing-and-health
4
https :// www . aph . gov . au / About _ Parliament / Parliamentary _ Departments / Parliamentary _ Library / Publications _ Archive / archive / agedcare #:~: text = This % 20e % 2Dbrief % 20aims % 20 to , over % 2065 % 20years % 20of % 20age .
5
https :// bp-fitnessaustralia-production . s3 . amazonaws . com / uploads / uploaded _ file / file / 392029 / Scope _ of _ Practice _ June _ 2019 _ 2 _. pdf
Lianne Tiemens Lianne is a Group Fitness Leader , PT and Aqua Fitness Presenter based in Adelaide . A passionate and in-demand instructor and mentor at leading gyms and aquatic centres , she specialises in land- and water-based group HIIT workouts . Leigh Sherry The founder of SmartLife Health & Fitness based on Sydney ’ s Northern Beaches , Leigh is a wellness advocate , Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Accredited Exercise Scientist .
46 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2021