Functional Fitness for Older Adults is an illustrated guide for activity professionals working with adults over the age of 65—especially those who are unable to complete activities of daily living because of poor functional fitness levels. The guide includes a variety of specialized activity programs that are developed to meet the specific needs of older adults. They are designed to improve upper- and lower-body strength, balance, range of motion, and functional performance. Each exercise program is approximately 20 to 30 minutes long and works easily with busy schedules, a variety of participants’ needs, and institutional budgets. Specific guidelines are included for working with older adults with arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, or stroke. Extensive research has verified that the guidelines and programs are safe and will result in significant functional gains for most participants.
The exercise instructions, abundant illustrations, and program guides put all the information you need to teach exercises and lead programs at your fingertips. Functional Fitness for Older Adults is the most comprehensive guide you’ll find to build your repertoire of programs for elders who want to improve their overall quality of life by increasing their physical abilities.
