Strengthening for over 60s program has been running for over 24 year and is designed by ST George physiotherapist and has undergone a RCT to provide the evidence base for the program.
The purpose of the program is to support people as they age to improve their strength and balance to keep and improve their posture, strength, balance and overall function and health. The program's training is made up of two sections, including approx 6 hrs of online and a 4.5hr face to face workshop, which takes the instructor through a range of topics to increase their knowledge of the issue sarcopenia and frailty; the of falls in older people and the physiology of balance; the chronic conditions many older people are managing, the medications they take and how that affect them in class; the importance of teaching safe exercise building the participants body awareness before increasing load, and training post-menopausal women particularly in relation to pelvic floor, muscle mass and bone density. Training older adults is often complex and it is therefore essential that instructors wishing to deliver the program are at least cert 4 and experienced in working with older adults and/or completed extensive training in this area. However, less experienced instructors including Cert 3 instructors can complete het training for increasing their knowledge and explore whether they wish to understand further study to work with this population group.