Allison Walker, Generation to Generation
Older adults who have a tough time using exercise equipment may end up doing nothing at all. But experts say more and more manufacturers are creating senior-friendly machines.
Active aging expert Colin Melner said most fitness equipment makers do not consider seniors needs when designing their products.
"They've been very used to having great success with the younger audience, and why change, but the population is changing," Melner said.
The population is changing so much that, according to the Administration on Aging, by 2050, seniors will outnumber kids 14 and under for the first time in history.
Melner said the tendency of creating exercise equipment for young people is starting to shift. Equipment is becoming more senior-friendly.
Although most of the equipment you will see in any old gym is not catered to the average aging person, there are some exceptions, like a chair that swivels toward you, so if you are in a wheelchair, you could just back right up into it, pull up the lever and you are all set to exercise.
Another machine for seniors is called the NuStep recumbent cross trainer. It simulates a natural walking motion but is supposed to be easier on the joints. It also complies with The Arthritis Foundation and ADA standards.
"Say if I've had a stroke. I can use one arm," Melner said.
Melner said rehabilitation centers, senior centers, and YMCAs across the county are using the cross trainer. If your fitness center doesn't, Melner expects the trend to catch up.
"It's really beginning to ramp up now," Melner said.
Click here to find out where you can find places that have senior-friendly exercise equipment.
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