Seniors and Baby Boomers
Seniors and baby boomers continue to represent an increasing mass in the growing population. They want to be able to care for themselves and remain in their home environment longer, ensuring not only longevity, but a quality of life. The ability to enjoy a leisure lifestyle after retirement is, of course, highly dependent on an individual’s health. The fitness industry must recognize the need to provide the aging population with the means towards a healthy lifestyle.
Hydraulic, low impact resistance training is the perfect solution for baby boomers or seniors who want to make a healthy lifestyle change. Hydraulic equipment is very user friendly; it is not intimidating in any way for any person to use. Its main focus is giving the user an excellent cardiovascular workout, while toning muscles. The equipment is preset, and requires no adjustments during a full workout session. The intensity of the workout is directly linked to the person’s personal physical ability. Due to its constant variation and versatility in movements, the hydraulic circuit is the perfect solution for clientele who have problems sticking with programs.
Whatever their level of fitness, whether the person is an athlete or merely a beginner, he or she can work at a pace that is comfortable, and still achieve maximum benefits. The hydraulic circuit will provide a great workout, with fast results. It will improve flexibility, mobility, body symmetry, and increase stamina. Within weeks of starting a hydraulic workout, the person will feel an increase in their energy level and a better breathing capacity. This total body workout only requires 30 minutes a day, 3 times per week to achieve fast results and permanent benefits.
THE BENEFITS OF HYDRAULIC TRAINING
• Sensory and Psychomotor Benefits: Hydraulic training stimulates one’s sense of touch, sense of body positioning awareness, one’s sense of balance, and maintains nerve-muscle reaction speed – these are essential components to avoid common injuries for seniors.
• Psychological Benefits: Research demonstrates that exercise has positive effects on brain function, memory and emotional health. Studies show that exercise prevents memory loss, and reduces emotional stress and anxiety.
• Benefits to Body Composition, Skeletal and Muscular Systems: Osteoporosis is a common illness to the senior population; it consists of loss of bone density, which causes injuries to the hips, spine and wrists. Such injuries can be prevented with the formation of lean muscle mass and possible retroactive increase of bone loss. Training with hydraulic resistance equipment will and can provide the needed toning, shaping and strengthening of muscles.
• Cardio Respiratory Benefits: Physical exercise increases the efficiency of heart, lung capacity, and breathing efficiency. It normalizes blood pressure. (High blood pressure can easily go undetected for many years and is the #1 silent killer). In addition, circuit training stabilizes blood chemistry, which will help diabetics to regulate their blood sugar level, and it could possibly even prevent diabetes.
• Overall Social Benefits: As group training can easily be integrated with hydraulics, this is an excellent social activity that promotes health and fitness. This preferred recreational activity is safely used by occupational therapists, physical therapists, cardiac rehabilitation and senior recreation programs with proven, remarkable results. Seniors wish to live not only longer, but better lives, and they now can enjoy a longer and more satisfying sexual life. Such a lifestyle choice can be possible with a hydraulic circuit training program.
Proper hydraulic machines are designed to follow the natural flow of the body and therefore work all major muscle groups while developing lean muscle mass, and increasing strength and aerobic endurance.
As seen in this document, there exists a growing demand for specialized fitness programs addressing the baby boomer and senior population. This requires serious consideration from any health and fitness establishment. The hydraulic circuit system is the answer to filling such an ongoing need. This represents excellent opportunities for any fitness or recreational centers. Once the decision to buy hydraulics has been made, it is important to choose the equipment meticulously. The main keys to the success of a hydraulic center include: the location and appearance of the center, the quality of the hydraulic equipment, and the service given to the clients.
Jed Smith is the President and CEO of Edge Fitness Hydra-Fit Mfg. Inc. He can be contacted at 866.882-EDGE (3343), or by email at jed@edgefitnessmfg.com, or visit www.edgefitnessmfg.com.
