Abstract

Fitness and Aging begins with an overview of aging, including demographic changes and the effect of aging upon society, and the economic impact of fitness in reducing health cost inflation. Chapters 2 and 3 deal with biological and psychosocial theories of aging. Intelligence, memory, personality, and human sexuality changes are considered in this section. Considerable attention is given to the human physique and functionality of the spine. Musculoskeletal, motor learning, balance and equilibrium, and sensory changes are discussed, with implications for human performance. Chapter 4 concentrates upon specific fitness modalities with a comprehensive analysis of muscular strength, flexibility, cardiovascular-respiratory efficiency, balance and equilibrium, senior sports, exercise, and relaxation. The practicing professional in the field will find a set of indications and contraindications of activities particularly useful in establishing exercise prescriptions for older adults. Chapter 5 contains principles and guidelines for the design and conduct of adult fitness programs in community settings. Chapter 6 is concerned with special health and finess problems commonly found among senior adults. Specific types of movement skills, based upon individual capacities and motor skill levels, are presented with adaptive guidelines. Arthritis, osteoporosis, sensory losses, nutrition, obesity, and special exercises for incontinence are discussed. An entire chapter (7) ist devoted to Drugs and the Elderly, because the consumption of prescriptive and nonprescriptive medicines is exceedingly high among older adults. Chapter 8 contains principles, guidelines, and specifications for facilities and equipment for fitness and recreation programs. Chapter 9 explores basic measurement and evaluation concepts germane to the application of fitness testing instruments, and the overall program elements presented in the preceding chapters. Verf.-Referat