Fit for Life: how trainers can help seniors maintain physical and mental health

What the article covers

• Why working with a trainer helps: someone to keep you accountable, a program built for you, and feedback that a walking buddy can’t give.
• Kristen, an ACE-certified trainer who specializes in senior fitness and functional aging, trains clients in their own homes or at her home studio in north Colorado Springs.
• Jaan, 77, had started falling even with hiking poles. After almost two years of balance work, like stepping over small cones and onto floor markers, he says it’s much better.
• Richard, 66, began in July 2024. A hip stretch that was hard at first is now an easy weekend habit, and short bursts of cardio are building his stamina.
• Kristen checks heart rate and blood pressure, asks clients to talk with their doctor before starting, and works to rebuild muscle lost with age.
• Brain training is part of every program, such as touching lighted pods with the correct hand while balancing.
• The story ends with questions to ask when choosing a trainer: where they train, their qualifications, their experience with older adults and their cost.