FUNCTIONAL TRAINING
MULTI- FUNCTIONAL
Good programming and well-trained staff can unlock the potential of functional training areas for special population groups. Kath Hudson reports
and mysterious-looking equipment. The kit isn’t as intuitive as an exercise bike or rower, so is in danger of being bypassed by the self-conscious gym user. Of course, this doesn’t need to be the
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case. With their focus on training the body to cope with everyday movements, functional zones are perfect for all types of special population user groups. At present, suppliers are not generally
positioning their equipment with special populations in mind – neither are many operators using it to cater for this market. Nonetheless, the following case
GRAVITY training with its patients • The Merlin MS centre uses
studies show how powerful functional training areas can be in impacting the strength and fi tness of elderly people, children, those with limited mobility, illnesses and weight issues.
• SAQ offers an air-fi lled functional training mat suitable for use by children
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS The Merlin MS Centre in Cornwall, which treats people with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions, uses GRAVITY training on Total Gym equipment to instigate muscle reaction, turn on core muscles and train functional movements. The variable resistance of Total Gym
equipment enables those with limited muscle control to work with as little
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or the uninitiated, functional training zones can appear to be playgrounds for the fi tter member, with balls, pulleys
as one per cent of their body weight, so strength can be maintained for as long as possible in the face of the degenerative effects of MS. Confi nement to a wheelchair
compounds muscle degeneration symptoms, as patients cannot engage their lower limbs, but exercising in a low resistance environment allows patients to use their muscles again: GRAVITY training allows for hundreds of different movements to target specifi c areas. Dynamic squats on the Total Gym equipment have even enabled some patients to regain enough muscle strength to transfer to and from their wheelchairs unaided. Exercise therapists at the centre have
Level 4 qualifi cations in exercise therapy, postural stability and fall prevention. GRAVITY training is also required to use the Total Gym equipment and apply the method to the special population. “Treating the physical symptoms of
neurological conditions is easy once the physiological and medical effects of the condition are understood,” says Helen Tite, exercise therapist at the Merlin MS Centre. “Balance is often lost due to these conditions, but also as a result of medication. If you understand and consider the symptoms when devising a programme, the physical issues that can be treated with exercise are the same as for any able-bodied person.”
January 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
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