Course Description:

This intermediate-level course is designed to educate occupational and physical therapy practitioners on the implementation of exercise prescriptions in older adults. This course will review the multiple age-related systemic changes that take place in the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, interstitial and musculoskeletal systems and describe how exercise may mitigate these changes. This course will also provide recommended exercise programs according to the most recent American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for older adults and discuss common barriers for exercise participation in older adults. It will also describe how changes after an exercise intervention can be measured by providing several clinical measures that can routinely and easily be implemented in clinical practice. Finally, this course will discuss special concerns, such as the need for medical screening prior to establishing a new exercise program, and special considerations when recommending exercise for individuals with comorbid conditions common in older populations, such as osteoarthritis, chronic pain, diabetes, dementia, and obesity. At the end of this course, practitioners should be able to comfortably recommend, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive exercise program for older adults.