Geri-Fit instructor certification program starts national tour in Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. - Dec. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- _________________________________________________________________________


CONTACT:

Peggy Gonder, 303-246-0511, peggy@gonderpr.com

Andrea Brito-Amador, 303-817-0241, andrea@gonderpr.com

Francesca Fisher, 951-694-6873, 1-888-GERI-FIT x 8, Fran@gerifit.com

Geri-Fit instructor certification program starts national tour in Boulder

Fitness program for aging Americans addresses fall prevention through strength training

Boulder, CO – The Geri-Fit® Company (http://www.gerifit.com/) is holding an exercise instructor certification workshop (http://www.gerifit.com/store/classdet.asp?ProductCode=43620&cloc=Colorado+Boulder+INSTRUCTOR+CERTIFICATION+1%2F24%2F15)

at the West Boulder Senior Center on Saturday, January 24. The company, based out of Temecula, California, has officially launched its national expansion plans and the Boulder location is the first of an eight-city tour in the U.S.

The Geri-Fit® program, short for “geriatric fitness,” is designed to build back strength that has been lost through the aging process. It also helps improve the rigors of daily living for older adults so they are able to enjoy life well into their golden years.

The evidence-based exercise program concentrates on building lower body strength in order to return the body to a more functioning state. In addition to the strength training component, Geri-Fit also focuses on flexibility training, range of motion movements, and balance exercises done in a chair. There is no choreography, dancing, or floor work involved.

“Unlike Silver Sneakers, another popular Medicare fitness program for senior citizens, the Geri-Fit program does not have any aerobics,” said Francesca Fisher, creator of the Geri-Fit workout program. “Not having to learn choreography and the one-on-one coaching appeals to a lot of seniors. They want to sit down and do a more toned-down workout, like Geri-Fit, that decreases their chance of falls and one that will concentrate on building back strength. It’s an exercise program for older adults that should be done their entire life. It makes the aches and pains go away and helps seniors get around a lot easier.”

About Boulder Workshop (http://www.gerifit.com/store/classes.asp?cloc=Colorado+Bo...)

·      8-hour clinic will educate group fitness instructors, personal trainers and healthcare workers

·      More than 50 strength training exercises and stretches for older clients who have lost strength and functional capacity

·      Balance and gait exercises – fall prevention techniques

·      Personal training techniques recommended for senior adults over the age of 75

·      Open to the public

This program presents a unique opportunity to develop professional skills in a growing market. Candidates with degrees in exercise physiology, kinesiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing and other healthcare professions are encouraged to participate.

The $315 certification fee includes the Geri-Fit Exercise Program Training Manual and two DVDs that must be reviewed in advance of the workshop.  Home study and exercise practice should take about 20 hours to complete.  Attendees who pass the practical and written examination at the end will become certified in the Geri-Fit program and will be able to teach the program at licensed gyms and facilities in the Boulder / Denver area.  The one-day workshop will be presented by Jane Rauscher, M.OT, Geri-Fit’s Director of Continuing Education who is also a resident of Boulder.

Geri-Fit certification will be held on Saturday, January 24 from 10 am to 6 pm at the West Boulder Senior Center located at 909 Arapahoe Rd. in Boulder.  The deadline to register is December 16.  To register contact the Geri-Fit Company at 1-888-GERI-FIT or visit Geri-Fit online registration. (http://www.gerifit.com/store/classdet.asp?ProductCode=436...)

About Geri-Fit

The Geri-Fit® Company has been in business since 1994 and offers Medicare insurance-based exercise classes and accredited instructor training workshops throughout the U.S.  Online distance learning classes are also available to instructors that are certified by ACE and NSCA.  The Geri-Fit program achieved Title III-D status in 2013 by meeting the highest criteria as a disease prevention program set by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and Administration on Aging  (AoA)  [does not imply endorsement], and was placed on the CDC’s Future Possibility List in April of 2014.  For more information on licensing and training programs, contact the Geri-Fit Company at 1-888-GERI-FIT or visit www.gerifit.com.