Meet Phyllis Rogers, Specialist in Senior Fitness since Spring 2000. Phyllis, who is in her early 60’s, was certified as a CFT in 1997 and developed a weightlifting class for seniors in Life Chiropractic University’s KT Senior Program in Marietta, Georgia. This class was so successful that when ISSA offered a senior certification, she signed up for it and completed the certification in a few weeks.

She resigned from her job selling advertising for a local magazine in April 2000 and began working at fitness full time.

Her first class was sponsored by a local OB/GYN clinic which was looking for a place to send their patients who needed an exercise program. This class is now a twice-a-week class which meets in the community room of a pediatric immediate care facility.

From that beginning, Phyllis has expanded to 9 classes a week, including a twice-a-week volunteer class at a local assisted living home. She is going to be adding more classes after the holidays and is looking for someone to help teach them.

"The stories I hear from those who have taken my class are unbelievable," she states. "I hear: I have more energy. I feel better. The arthritis in my knees is almost completely gone. I’m wearing clothes that had been too small for me. My shoulder which had been bothering me for years is much better. I don’t have as much lower back pain. I lost five pounds of fat in one month although I didn’t lose any actual weight. I can pick up 25-pound bags of kitty litter out of my car trunk and carry them into the house by myself." "My students range in age from 40 to 96," Phyllis says, "And they all love what weightifting does for their bodies."

Her classes consist of a two to three minute warm-up, 40 minutes of weight lifting, stretching, and a cool down QiGong routine (which is similar to Tai Chi).

"We do squats, biceps curls, triceps extensions, shoulder presses, side hip lifts, pectoral flyes, chest presses and much more," reports Phyllis. "I tell the students we do the same exercises as body builders because they know what makes muscles strong." She states that she encourages participants
to move up in weight as soon as they can easily do eight reps. In fact, she’s been called a slavedriver by her students. Her program is based on the research done at Tufts University, and she regularly keeps in touch with the researchers there.

"When grandma tells her grandchildren that she’s pumping iron, and begins to talk about reps and sets, her grandchildren look at her with new respect," Phyllis laughs. "They think she’s really cool." She also says that doing 8 or 9 workouts a week has her body in the best shape it’s ever been. "I have muscles now that I never knew were there," she reports, "I love it."

Phyllis encourages all personal trainers to consider becoming certified as a Specialist in Senior Fitness and will be glad to discuss the opportunities that are available. Her e-mail address is fitness9@mindspring.com. For more information on becoming a Specialist in Senior Fitness through the ISSA, call 1 800 892-4772.