My first weekend without any plans. No nights away. No drinking far in excess of what I’m suppose to according to my pharmacy prescriptions. No long walks or sightseeing. Time now to do a bit of housework and a lot of reflection.

I now have twenty-two ticks on my 60 for 60 list. I’m a little ahead of myself. The last tick was a big one. I finally completed my Level 3 qualification in Exercise and the Older Adult. I’d passed the exam an age ago. I just needed to complete the worksheet and the case study but procrastination became my best friend. But I was given a deadline for completion so I had to knock it out. And what a feeling to get the congratulatory email.

So what did I learn? The course looks at why older adults should exercise and why the majority don’t. The implications of an inactive lifestyle on each of the systems of body. How various medical conditions associated with ageing (arthritis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis) can impact on activity but most importantly how the process of ageing can be slowed down by regular activity. This is particularly pertinent where protecting muscle mass is concerned. It really is use it or lose it. And once it is gone so does your independence. Try sitting on the loo without using your glutes and quads.

A significant part of the course focuses on why older people don’t exercise and what can be done to overcome this. A lot of the reasons stretch across all age groups such as time, money, ability and motivation. But older people are also subjected to societies view that people should slow down as they get older. Most worryingly is that this is a view held by some members of the medical profession. I was told by a pharmacist at my annual medication review that I should only do moderate exercise or I will wear my body out. Completely flying in the face of the evidence which I did point out to him.

The main component of the qualification is developing a training programme for an adult over seventy years old. This includes the assessment process and identifying short, medium and long term goals. The challenge is putting together a programme that has the correct balance of cardio, strength and flexibility training all the main muscle groups. And is enjoyable. It needs to be challenging enough to achieve results but not overly difficult that the client gives up.

Of course the particular challenge of delivering training to older adults is that it is a homogeneous group. Many seventy year olds are are fitter and stronger than people of half their age. The evidence would suggest that as long as injury or disease doesn’t intervene our ability to participate in exercise and sport can continue into our eighties. We will be slower and not so strong but it is all still possible. I have a mad notion that I will one day be an Ironman.

So I now have the qualification but what to do with it. I’m a qualified personal trainer that can specialise in training the older adult. Apart from a training plan that I set up for a friend and the odd conversation with friends and colleagues plus (I mustn’t forget) this blog I’m not using it. And use it or lose it. The challenge, of course, is finding the time between working full time, my own training and living a life. But I need to do something to ensure that I don’t waste what I have learnt. So the thinking cap is on.

Finally back to my 60 for 60 aspirations. The Great North Run is four weeks away (I now have my number) but I have managed to sustain a hamstring injury. I first felt a twinge a couple of weeks ago but all seemed to be well a few days ago. But yesterday I had to limp home after it ‘went’ half way up an elevation. Not even a hill. An ice pack, Epsom salt bath and a night’s sleep later it remains tender. So I may have to defer. So disappointing.

So a week of two halves but that’s life.