Fitness Equipment For Designing a Senior Retirement Community Fitness Center

Today’s Fitness manufacturers offer so many options in fitness equipment it can be difficult to determine the best options without consulting with a commercial fitness equipment dealer. We are seeing more fitness centers going into Retirement communities, Rehabilitation facilities and even nursing homes. The baby boomer market will eventually increase the need for fitness centers in these types of facilities. The real question is what equipment should you place in these types of facilities to insure a quality workout and avoid injures in the senior market fitness centers.

Safe Strength Training For Senior Fitness

One popular option is the hydraulic circuit fitness equipment; hydraulic fitness equipment has gained momentum with female fitness studios like shapes and other personal trainer facilities, as is an excellent choice for senior fitness. These circuits are perfect for short workouts as they can be arranged into a quick circuit where users can move rather quickly through the exercise routine. Hydraulic circuits can provide excellent metabolic, muscle and strength improvements for the user with less risk of injury since the resistance does not include weights or weight stacks. This can be very important for rehabilitation, as self-progression is slower and not likely to result in over exertion or re-injury of the affected area.

Cardiovascular Fitness Options for Seniors

While age does not prevent one from using any form of cardiovascular equipment there are some choices that seem more safe and or sensible for obtaining a good workout with little risk of injury. The Treadmill is still a good choice as walking provides a great form of calorie burning and conditioning of the heart and lungs. Most gyms will usually only order a few bikes or cycles and even less recumbent cycles but we have determined this to be a favorite among the seniors for cardio training. Recumbent cycles are designed with a larger seat and offer a backrest over the traditional upright bikes. Recumbent cycles offer a easy entry as the bike sits much lower to the ground and many of the newer bikes have a walk through frame design which prevents the user from having to step over the frame of the bike, they can simply sit down and peddle at their own capacity.

Recumbent cycles also offer little to no impact and can allow a user to exercise even if they have arthritis in the knees, ankles or back or hip injuries. Certainly a viable option for rehabilitation or nursing homes where users may have much less mobility. Some of the newer recumbent are also offering models that include upper body exercise arms so the user can work on a recumbent similar to upper body ergo meter or elliptical machines design working both upper and lower body. There are even a few manufacturers that develop rehabilitation exercise equipment specific to duplicate the sitting and standing muscles so that seniors can maintain their mobility and strength for daily activities.

What to Look For When Purchasing Senior Fitness Equipment:

Fitness Equipment that is safe for older or less experienced users
Fitness Equipment that allows for users who may have less mobility
Fitness Equipment that does not require full time spotting or Personal Trainer
Fitness Equipment that allows you to increase intensity at a safe progression
Fitness Equipment that facilitates the faster circuit training style workouts
Fitness Equipment that is easy to adjust for proper resistance and fit
Fitness Equipment that will improve the strength and not intimidate the user
Comfortable practical and make the user feel exercised but not exhausted

Hydraulic circuits and recumbent cycles can be perfect for those who are on the road to recovery from previous injuries, anyone looking for muscle toning without complicated resistance adjustments. The equipment is certainly safer and less likely to result in strains and joint impact to the inexperienced fitness equipment user while still providing a fast and efficient workout.