FSHP Academy
Geriatric Fitness — all lessons

Module 1: Foundations

Introduction to geriatric fitness and the specialist’s rolePhysiology of ageing: sarcopenia, dynapenia, osteopeniaAge-related conditions, multimorbidity and frailty

Module 2: Assessment & Screening

Health screening, risk stratification and medicationsFunctional fitness assessment: SFT, SPPB, TUG, gait speed, grip

Module 3: Programming

Principles of programming: FITT-VP, progression, periodisationResistance and power training for sarcopeniaCardiovascular and aerobic conditioningBalance, mobility and fall preventionFlexibility, functional mobility and ADL training

Module 4: Chronic Conditions

Cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions (HTN, CAD, HF, COPD)Metabolic conditions in older adultsMusculoskeletal: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, joint replacementNeurological and cognitive: Parkinson’s, stroke, MS, dementia

Module 5: Coaching, Safety & Business

Nutrition, hydration and recovery for older adultsBehavioural coaching, communication and adherenceSafety, emergencies and scope of practiceBusiness, settings and career pathwaysCase studies and sample programme templates

Physiology of ageing: sarcopenia, dynapenia, osteopenia

How ageing affects muscle, strength, power, bone, cardiovascular and nervous systems — sarcopenia, dynapenia and osteopenia — and how training counteracts them.

Intermediate Evidence: Strong evidence 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Define sarcopenia, dynapenia and osteopenia
  • Describe age-related changes across body systems
  • Explain why power declines faster than strength
  • Relate changes to training priorities

Before this lesson

Why this matters

Understanding ageing changes explains why strength and power training are priorities.

Sarcopenia case-finding pathway (EWGSOP2) Four steps from left to right. Find: suspect sarcopenia from symptoms or a screening questionnaire. Assess: low muscle strength, such as grip below 27 kilograms in men or 16 in women, suggests probable sarcopenia. Confirm: low muscle quantity or quality measured in a clinical setting. Severity: low physical performance, such as gait speed of 0.8 metres per second or less, indicates severe sarcopenia. 1. Find

Suspect: falls, slowness, weakness, weight loss — or SARC-F questionnaire

 2. Assess

Low muscle strength: grip < 27 kg (men) / < 16 kg (women) or slow chair stands

 3. Confirm

Low muscle quantity/quality (e.g., DXA, BIA) — clinical setting

 4. Severity

Low physical performance: gait speed ≤ 0.8 m/s, SPPB ≤ 8, TUG ≥ 20 s

 Step 2 positive = probable sarcopenia (enough to start resistance training) · Step 3 = confirmed · Step 4 = severe Based on Cruz-Jentoft et al. (2019). Trainers screen and refer; clinicians diagnose. Cut-offs differ for Asian populations.
Figure 1. EWGSOP2 sarcopenia pathway: find, assess, confirm, determine severity. — Original diagram, FSHP Academy (schematic, not to scale).

Key terms

  • Sarcopenia: progressive, generalised loss of muscle strength and mass; low strength is the primary indicator [cruzjentoft2019].
  • Dynapenia: age-related loss of strength, which mass alone does not explain [clark2008].
  • Osteopenia/osteoporosis: reduced bone density.

System changes

SystemChange
MuscleFewer and smaller type II fibres; motor unit loss
NervousSlower conduction, reduced rate of force development
CardiovascularLower max HR and VO₂ max
BoneDensity loss, especially after menopause
BalanceSensory and reaction-time changes

Training response

Older adults respond well to resistance and power training [fragala2019].

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

An 80-year-old struggles to rise from chairs. Her 5× chair-stand time is 18 s, and her grip strength is low. Twelve weeks of resistance and power training reduce her time to 12 s.

Further learning: video lessons

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Practical demo needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Physiology of ageing: sarcopenia, dynapenia, osteopenia

geriatric exercise specialists and physiotherapists (search)

You will understand: physiology of ageing: sarcopenia, dynapenia, osteopenia

Why: Clinician-led content; verify the specific video.
Introductory needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Exercise for healthy ageing

geriatric medicine educators (search)

You will understand: why exercise matters in later life

Why: Clinical overview.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. EWGSOP2 identifies probable sarcopenia primarily by…

Answer B. Cruz-Jentoft et al. (2019).

2. Dynapenia refers to…

Answer B. Clark & Manini (2008).

3. With ageing, power typically declines…

Answer B. Speed loss.

4. Osteopenia is…

Answer B. T-score −1 to −2.5.

5. The best countermeasure for sarcopenia is…

Answer B. Evidence-based.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Explain sarcopenia to an older client.
  2. Describe changes in each body system.
  3. Plan a programme targeting power loss.

Key takeaways

  • Sarcopenia is progressive loss of muscle strength and mass; EWGSOP2 uses low strength as the primary indicator.
  • Dynapenia is age-related loss of strength not explained by muscle mass alone.
  • Power declines faster than strength, affecting functional tasks.
  • Resistance and power training counteract many of these changes.

Connected topics

geriatric fitness

Resistance and power training for sarcopenia

geriatric fitness

Functional fitness assessment: SFT, SPPB, TUG, gait speed, grip

womens health

Osteoporosis

References

  1. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J, et al. (2019). Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing, 48(1):16–31. Guideline check pending
  2. Clark BC, Manini TM (2008). Sarcopenia ≠ dynapenia. Journals of Gerontology Series A, 63(8):829–834. Narrative review check pending
  3. Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, et al. (2019). Resistance training for older adults: position statement from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(8):2019–2052. Position stand check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.