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Observation

Imagine you accepted a new job as an exercise specialist at your local hospital working in the cardiopulmonary rehab department. You have had minimal experience working with clients over the age of 55.  You are aware there are differences in exercise capacity in younger adults compared to older individuals.  Therefore, you decided to observe this age group exercising before starting your new job. Find a facility in your area- YMCA, nursing home, fitness facility, local exercise groups, or hospital. Contact the manager or other personnel and set up a time to observe one of the exercise classes. If it is not possible for you to observe a live class, please find an exercise class on the Internet of older adults participating in an exercise class.  Some places to look include  YouTubeFit, MSN, Wello, GymCube, iBodyFit.com, and Workouts On Demand.

Part One:

• Explain your observations- where did you go or what class did you observe, approximate age of participants etc.

Part Two:

• Evaluate changes that occur in the body as a person ages and the impact this has on exercise capacity in the following areas:
  • Muscle mass
  • Joint flexibility
  • Nervous system
  • Pulmonary System Function
  • Cardiovascular System Function
• Explain how regular exercise can decrease morbidity and mortality
• Explain the purpose of pre-participation screenings and the Graded Exercise Stress Test
• Evaluate two precautions you would take working with older clients compared to working with younger clients.

Your journal should be a minimum of three pages.