Women's Fitness Program Development

Book excerpt: Meet the unique needs of all females, young and old, in health and fitness settings. Women's Fitness Program Developmentintroduces a groundbreaking model for women's health and fitness. - Build a solid theoretical basis for girls' and women's health and fitness programming. - Develop programs that take into account how females see the world. - Find touchstones that motivate clients to achieve a lifetime of fitness. - Design your classes around women's physical, psychological, social, and emotional needs. - Learn about appropriate exercises and positions for females at different life stages. Written by a fitness expert with more than 30 years' experience teaching dance and exercise to girls and women, this book is thoughtful, research-based, and packed with insight. It is a practical resource for instructors, trainers, health care providers--any professional working with girls and women in a health and fitness setting. Women's Fitness Program Developmentis divided into four sections: Adolescence, Pregnancy, Postpartum Period, and Menopause. Each section defines terminology; suggests how to set goals and priorities; and provides appropriate exercise components, prescriptions, modifications, and program evaluation strategies. The text includes the following special features: - 60 photos illustrating appropriate exercises and positions for different life stages - Instructions for female-focused exercises, such as strengthening the pelvic floor and centering the body - Sidebars with practical instructional tips - 30 forms for screening, assessment, participant worksheets, evaluation, and other program needs - Examples from current programs focused on girls and women Ann Cowlin provides information relevant to all stages of the female life cycle. She includes a 10-week creative physical activity curriculum for adolescent girls, detailed explanations of contraindications for exercise and conditions requiring assessment and warning signs in pregnancy, plus exercise guidelines for pregnant women. Cowlin also includes insightful ideas for working with pregnant and parenting adolescent girls. She addresses approaches for dealing with physical conditions resulting from pregnancy, birth, and the extended postpartum period; and she offers sample group fitness sessions for midlife women.