Introduction
Clients in special population groups are required to supply their trainer with a written physician's clearance. Personal fitness trainers are not doctors and (in most cases) are not physical therapists. As part of a team with other professionals, however, certified personal trainers can contribute significantly and uniquely to helping you improve your health and life through a monitored and challenging fitness program. While it is necessary to take your condition or position into account, we will not to treat you as a "sick person," a "patient" or an "older person." You will be pushed and you will be motivated. It is essential, however, for your fitness trainer to coordinate your training and nutritional program and with your doctor, physiatrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, chiropractor, special nutritional counselor, and/or alternative medicine healthcare provider(s). It's particularly important for your trainer to know if you have any conditions for which exercise, or a particular type of exercise, is contraindicated..
Cardiac Patients
Heart attacks are the major cause of death in the United States. Many years ago a cardiac patient was confined to bed and doctor's insisted on complete inactivity. Now cardiologists are getting post heart trauma patients onto a stationary bike or treadmill as soon as they can stand. All cardiac rehab programs include exercises designed strengthen the heart muscle and increase oxygen consumption and beneficial HDL cholesterol. These protocols have been clinically studied and shown to reduce the occurrence of a second heart attack.
Diabetics
Exercise is essential for people with diabetes. A regular program of cardiovascular training and light-moderate weight training can improve the body's response to insulin, help control glucose levels in the blood, reduce the risk of heart disease, lower bodyfat, cholesterol levels, blood pressure. It is important that diabetics sustain a regular program in order to get the benefits listed.
High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
High blood pressure forces the heart to work abnormally hard. This makes the heart and circulatory system vulnerable to damage, resulting from the heart's need to pump harder to deliver adequate blood and oxygen to the body. As a result, heart enlarges and weakens. Often high blood pressure is the result of plaque having built up in the arteries which comes from high LDL and triglycerides in the circulatory system. The ensuing elevated blood pressure in turn wreck havoc on the arteries which become scarred, hard and lose elasticity. The risk of heart attack is increased, as is the possibility of stroke, congestive heart failure, renal failure, and atherosclerosis. Studies find that most obese people suffer from hypertension. This population is particularly as risk for heart attack and CVA (stroke).
Exercise, particularly cardiovascular performance can greatly reduce high blood pressure especially by increasing the body's natural oxygen consumption, elevated HDLs (the good cholesterol) which helps keep the arteries clean of plaque. Regular, sustained aerobic conditioning lowers heart rate and blood pressure in most people.
