most common cause of dementia
There is much uncertainty about the future for people living with Alzheimer’s disease. But this much is certain: You can make today better for patients, caregivers, or those seeking to optimize the experience and enjoyment of physical activity.
Often overlooked is the emotional health of both patients and caregivers as well as the role that social isolation plays in decreasing cognitive stimulation and accelerating the progression or the onset of disease. This course will equip you to address the subjective enjoyment that comes from presenting physical activity in accessible, enjoyable, and interactive ways to connect people.
Explore the current understanding of the most likely causes of Alzheimer’s and hear stories from patients and caregivers to illustrate the experience of living with Alzheimer’s for student
This is an online, self-paced course delivered by Medfit.
All materials are delivered digitally – through a variety of digital mediums, including written material, video narrated slide presentations, videos of sample exercises, sample forms, and more.
Comprehension of the material will be measured via a mandatory competency assessment requiring a minimum of 80% correct responses.
Course Author: Jonathan Ross
Course Length: 20 Hours
Course Overview
The Alzheimer’s Disease Fitness Specialist online course blends current science with common sense to present cutting-edge ideas to optimize the impact that fitness can have in the lives of those you serve who are concerned about or diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
With numerous lifestyle factors mediating this disease rather than genetics, you can bring a message of hope to enhance quality of life. All physical activity is good for the brain, but the inclusion of specific elements such as coordination, reactivity, partner interaction, attention and memory challenges integrated with physical activity make it even more beneficial.
Module 1: Alzheimer’s Disease By The Numbers
- Introduction: Course Overview
- Lesson 1: Alzheimer’s Disease By the Numbers
- Lesson 2: Can Exercise Treat, Slow, and/or Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?
Module 2: Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Lesson 3: Differentiating the Dementias
- Lesson 4: Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Lesson 5: Brain Regions Involved in Alzheimer’s Disease
Module 3: Mechanism of Disease, Treatment, Causes, and Contributing Factors
- Lesson 6: Mechanism of Disease and Causes
- Lesson 7: Contributing Factors – Genes and Environment
- Lesson 8: Treatments – That Mostly Do Not Work
- Lesson 9: Treatments – The Best We Can Do
Module 4: Behavioral Risk Factors We Can Modify
- Lesson 10: Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Lesson 11: Stress and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Lesson 12: Social Isolation and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Lesson 13: Nutrition and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Lesson 14.1: Part 1 – Exercise and What Complete Fitness Looks Like
- Lesson 14.2: Part 2 – Avoiding Inactivity
- Lesson 14.3: Part 3 – Specific Elements to Include in Exercise and Physical Activity
- Lesson 14.4: Part 4 – Secondary Fitness Topics
Module 5: Living With Alzheimer’s – Lost Connections
- Lesson 15: Patients
- Lesson 16: Caregivers
- Lesson 17: Emotional Fatigue and Remedies – Play, Music, Fun, and Fitness
Module 6: Exercise Examples
- Lesson 18: Introduction to the Exercise Library
- Lesson 19: Walking
- Lesson 20: Aerobic Training
- Lesson 21: Auditory Reactivity
- Lesson 22: Visual Reactivity
- Lesson 23: Memory, Attention, and Problem Solving
- Lesson 24: Partner Interactivity
- Lesson 25: Friendly Competition
Module 7: Business Module
- Lesson 26: The Business Side
- Lesson 27: Concluding Remarks
Prerequisites & renewal
The completion of this course, including the competency assessment, leads to a Certificate of Specialization. This online course delivered through Medfit Classroom is considered advanced level education, and are meant to be taken by fitness professionals who have previously acquired education and experience as a professional within the health and fitness industry.
In order to receive the Certificate of Specialization, upon completion of this course you will be asked to provide proof of the following:
- Evidence of a bachelor’s or master’s degree in fitness or health related field AND/OR possess a certification from a nationally-recognized certification, NCCA or ANSI/ISO accredited program AND
- Evidence of professional liability insurance.
*If you do not meet the requirements for a Certificate of Specialization, you can request a Certificate of Completion.
This Certificate of Specialization is valid for a period of two years. To keep the certificate current, you must complete 10 hours of continuing education, on relevant subject matter, and formally renew the certificate prior to the date of its expiration. As with many certifications and specializations in our field, professionals should anticipate some costs to continuing education and renewal of this certificate.
course author
His “800 Pounds of Parents” directly inspired Jonathan’s prolific fitness career. He is a multiple Personal Trainer of the Year Award-Winner (ACE, IDEA, and PFP Magazine), creator of Funtensity, brain fitness visionary, blogger and master trainer for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
As a speaker he captivates while inspiring change with an approachable, accessible personality and common sense insights to commonly confusing fitness topics. His book, Abs Revealed, delivers a modern, intelligent approach to abdominal training. He creates serious fitness without taking it too seriously to ensure it is an effective, enjoyable, engaging experience. His methods create unshakeable brains, “unfakeable” smiles, and unforgettable fitness. A former astronomer, Jonathan used to study stellar bodies – now he builds them!
