FHP 007: Dan Ritchie Of The Functional Aging Institute

Dan Ritchie PhD, has a broad background in the fitness industry including training and management in commercial and university/hospital-based fitness, for-profit, not for-profit and educational facilities. His primary areas of expertise are in personal training for special populations: athletes, pregnancy, blind, stroke recovery, Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimers, etc.

He has worked with Division I athletes some of whom have been professionally drafted. He has also worked on state funded research on exercise for severe dementia alzheimers type. He regularly presents at national and regional conferences and has been active on committees for the American College of Sports Medicine.

3 KEY POINTS:

1. Prioritize ability over age when training your clients.

2. We live in an ageist society. To be old is NOT to be sick. It’s a privilege to age and aging is an amazing opportunity.

3. The longevity economy is going to explode over the next 5-10 years.

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

In this episode we talk with Dan Ritchie of the Functional Aging Institute about the fact that age is just a number and that we’ve got to learn how to train people based on their ability and not their age. We discuss the importance of learning how to train people as they grow older so that they can continue to move well and feel great and remain independent and able to live life to the fullest.

Dan Ritchie points out that we live in a very ageist society where we think of getting older as a bad thing when, in reality, it is a privilege and an amazing new opportunity. And that as trainers it is our responsibility to learn how to properly train people of all ages and help people live their healthiest, happiest lives no matter their age!

ASHLEY’S FAST FIVE FITNESS FACTS

Q: What’s your favorite exercise?

Sled Push

Q: What exercise do you hate…but love at the same time?

Dumbbell Burpees

Q: What is the best book you’ve ever read?

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

Quiet Strength – Tony Dungy

Q: What is your favorite Pump Up Song?

Anything from the Rocky IV Soundtrack 

Q: If you could train with one person (alive or dead) who would it be? 

Nelson Mandela