How The Kettlebell Can Help You Train An Older Population of Clients

Fitness is for everyone: younger and older; men and women; people who are inactive, de-conditioned, and athletic; anyone at any age in any situation can benefit physically, mentally and yes even spiritually.

So, why is it becoming so difficult for the older generation to get active, stay active and get all of the benefits. Specifically when it comes to strength training.

In reality, our bodies are made and designed to move. To push, pull, crawl, walk, jump, squat, hinge, throw, turn, twist, stretch, kick, run, hop, roll . . . we are made for this—but when was the last time your mother or father or grandparents did any of those things? (Be honest!)
A survey by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health revealed that adults spend an average of approximately fifty-five hours a week sitting in a chair, whether they’re watching television, using a computer or tablet, driving, or reading. Now, lets take a look at how long our grandparents stay seated. What about our parents? It shouldn’t be that the older you get the more you sit and the less you move- that is in reality counterproductive to the very essence of longevity.
Through the many years I have spent in fitness, I have found that smart program design, strength training with a purpose and with a plan and mobility and movement is the very source of longevity. And, also, believe it or not – so is the kettkebell!

Kettlebell Kickboxing is a mixture of martial arts motion and kettlebell education and proper exercise programing. And I will tell you first hand that through this program, and with the research leading up to building the KB brand, we have seen masters deep into their seventies and eighteies still practicing the motions of martial arts, and swinging and lifting kettlebells, safely and effectively.
Since longevity is often overlooked in trendy, high- intensity routines, I find it important to circle your training back to what matters most—building, strengthening, and preserving the body, not breaking it down. And for the older practitioner to make that a focal point.

Now, the kettlebell is by far one of the very best tools to do that; get your older subject active and moving, getting the cardio-respiratory benefit without any impact issues (the kettlebell is known for that), and also get the to lift weights, helping bone density and muscle atrophophy, and also reaction, timing, balance and physical strength and confidence.

Now, as we all know as trainers and fitness educators, there are two reasons to follow an exercise program:

Performance enhancement: a solid exercise program is meant to improve your ability in a specific sport. This is why triathletes, basketball players, tennis players, swimmers, and all other professional athletes take part in a regular, regimented, and prescribed strength and conditioning routine.

Injury prevention: as you train, work out, or exercise (all interchangeable terms), you are fortifying and balancing your body. Correct exercise should never lead to injury. While minor injuries can be common when playing a sport, it is absolutely not okay to get hurt lifting a weight or a kettlebell or doing a push-up; the latter (the exercises) are made to fortify your body and aid injury prevention.
Now, if we can apply this concept to the older population, we can see that by correct training we can actually help them:

1. move and live better – performance enhancement
2. prevent injury – from falls, weakness, instability and sedentary inactive muscles

Now, the question often becomes – how do I introduce exercise for an older population. We need to make sure they can get all of the benefits:

• coordination
• reaction and timing
• balance
• strength
• respiratory and cardiovascular health

However, you need to progress, go slow, make things attainable, not risk injury or an over induced state of recovery.

So enters the kettlebell, one of the very best tools to get all of those variables in a single workout.
The kettlebells unique gris can help train the body fingers to toes. Enhancing the smaller parts of motion like wrists and grips and balance, while also getting cardiovascular and strength benefits.
The kettlebell swing can easily help a person bring the heart rate up, but avoid any high impact motions like running or jumping.

The unique grips can help anyone at any age find the best point of holds and the most variety for basic lifts, helping avoid uncomfortable areas of positions and holds an older person cannot go.
The kettlebell can help weight progression by incorporating ballistics.
And ofcouse, the kettlebell is a very rich in coordination based exercises (think swing switch).

The Kettlebell Kickboxing certification and KBIA kettleblell education will help anyone understand how to use and diversify the kettlebll told for strength, cardio, mobility, coordination, athletic performance, SAQ, weight-loss and countless other variables and goals.
We will teach you how to identify goals, and outline a complete programing with the kettlebell and with Kettlebell Kickboxing’s unique martial arts mobility series.
With the incorporation of the kettlebell training a larger more varied population like an older group of individuals or private clients, or professional athletes, and people with various or multi goals will become easier and more attainable. Plus the kettlebell and the KBIA certification will give you a vast variety of concepts and ideas and tools to add t your trainers tool box.