Suspension Exercise for Older Adults

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Suspension Exercise for Older Adults by Christian J. Thompson, PhD Client Share Save to Library

Use a multimodal approach to help aging adult clients regain key functional abilities. Suspension exercise (SE) is a popular way to get fit for many people, and it’s no secret as to why. This method of exercise, where an apparatus attached to a single overhead anchor point supports the hands or feet, offers numerous benefits. Due to its popularity and the results people see from performing SE, programming has evolved to a point where fitness professionals are introducing it to their older-adult clients in the 65–80 and older age range. The American College of Sports Medicine’s annual survey of health and fitness professionals listed body weight training as one of the top three fitness trends for 2013 and pointed to the continued emergence of SE as a primary reason (Thompson 2012). There are many suspension systems in the fitness marketplace. This equipment is adjustable, lightweight and portable, and supports a wide range of athletic, fitness and rehabilitative exercise options. A primary benefit of this specialized equipment is that users can modify body position, base of support and stability. Fitness professionals can create programs that range from simple movements where the SE system unloads the body and offers external support to dynamic movements that challenge both the neuromuscular and metabolic systems. Users can also manipulate speed, range of motion and training volume. Individuals rehabilitating from musculoskeletal injuries, clients who have significant functional limitations and athletes preparing for competition can all benefit from SE (Halvorson & Sonnemaker 2010). This article looks at research that supports SE as a solid training method and expounds on its usefulness, benefits and practicality in training older-adult clients from a multimodal approach.

Suspension Exercise Research Studies have demonstrated that SE is effective for injury rehabilitation, improved functional capacity and increased athletic performance (Cheatham & Kolber 2012; Dudgeon et al. 2011; Willardson 2007). SE systems create both static and dynamic conditions that help develop stability and balance in concert with other objectives, such as muscle strength, joint mobility, sensory enhancement or gait enhancement. When a movement involves an unstable platform or weight, the body is forced to compensate and recruits more muscle fibers to maintain stability—particularly core muscles (Anderson & Behm 2005), which facilitate whole-body neuromuscular control. Core activation is a central component of many fitness and wellness programs, and SE effectively trains the core. Abdominal muscle recruitment has been shown to increase intra-abdominal pressure, which reduces load on the lumbar spine. The transversus abdominis is the first muscle activated during unexpected self-loading of the trunk, including both upper- and lower-extremity movements in any direction (Hodges & Richardson 1997; Anderson & Behm 2005; Pastucha 2012; Willardson 2007). The core muscles fire prior to movement, anticipating changes in the center of gravity and providing a more stable base (Anderson & Behm 2005; Pastucha 2012; Whitehurst et al. 2005). Schoffstall and colleagues (2010) determined that the abdominal-musculature EMG activity during an isometric prone V-up using a TRX Suspension Trainer was similar to the activity during other isometric abdominal exercises, indicating that SE is effective in isometric training in addition to dynamic exercise. Core stability improves both balance maintenance and balance recovery, making it essential when training older adults with an elevated risk of injurious falls (Skelton & Dinan 1999). SE systems safely challenge stability and balance during dynamic functional movements, and this, combined with the


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Suspension Exercise for Older Adults by The GI and Bariatric Nutrition Center - Issuu