Above: Sam Torrence pictured with the Ryder Cup 2002 Right: Nifty After 50: This US chain has developed its offering specifically to cater for an older client base
with the top athletes in football to sup- port the longevity of their careers.”
Older amateurs While competition and ‘personal bests’ are usually the motivation of elite vet- eran athletes, research has shown that protection against sickness and disabil- ity are increasingly listed as the primary motives for participation among older athletes within the general public. Amanda Ellison, badminton coach at
Sobell Badminton Club in north London, says: “We’ve definitely noticed an increase in the average age of players at our club, as well as an increase in the number of older players who are taking up badmin- ton as a recreational sport. Badminton lends itself well to older players as it pro- vides a fun, social and safe environment – while not being too physically challeng- ing – the equipment is very lightweight. “Not only that, most older people are
far more used to playing a sport to keep fit rather than going to a gym to lift weights,” she says. Ellison identifies the social offering
that sport can provide as an important aspect for veteran athletes in the gen- eral public too: “Playing a sport not only provides physical benefits, but allows
veteran athletes the opportunity to spend time interacting with others with similar interests,” she says. Leisure centres with sporting facilities
are already tapping into this opportunity, but more can be done – by maximising off-peak capacity via ‘silver surfer’ tennis- and-social sessions, for example. And for those older members who
do venture into the gym, sports-specific conditioning programmes could be de- veloped to help ensure they’re able to continue with these life-enhancing ‘sport and social’ activities for longer. These should of course take into consideration the implications of ageing on sporting ability, with aspects such as developing/ maintaining core strength and flexibility at the heart of the programmes. Fitness equipment manufacturer Keiser
also has expertise in the area of exercise and ageing, with the Keiser Institute On Aging (KIOA) set up in 1999 – a web- based information site that integrates the efforts of researchers, practitioners and health professionals – to provide old- er adults with the knowledge and tools they need to help them maintain an optimum level of health. As part of the KIOA, Keiser also devel- oped the acclaimed Strength Training
Exercise Programme (S.T.E.P), which pro- vides information on how exercise can help conditions such as arthritis, osteo- porosis, diabetes and hypertension. It has also developed a number of exercise programmes for older populations, in- cluding circuit strength training classes and sport-specific programmes tailored for senior athletes.
Spreading the net Given the pace at which the veteran sports conditioning field is develop- ing, might we one day see 60-year-old athletes still holding their own against up-and-coming young stars? Sporting accolades are certainly no longer limited to the young, and our traditional per- ception of what constitutes an athlete is becoming ever more broad. The sport and fitness industry needs to
acknowledge and cater for an ageing pop- ulation and the smarter brands are those which are already seeing the opportuni- ties and reaping the rewards. As Majakas observes: “We’re increasingly looking at how our equipment can be used in loca- tions outside traditional fitness settings to increase opportunities for all members of the population, at all stages of develop- ment and for all ages and abilities.”
Strength Resistance Training and Conditioning Systems,
Utilising the unique patented BBCT technology providing increased athlete strength and power whilst reducing the risk of injury.
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