Catch that curve

Continuing an upward trend that began in 1987, health club membership among people 55 and older has increased almost five-fold, the fastest growth among any age segment. That may add up to a mere 10 percent of the fifty-five and plus age group, but the figure is certainly going to expand, given, among other things, the general aging of the population-by the year 2050 it is estimated that the world as a whole will contain more people aged 60 and older than children under the age of 15. "It will be one of the most dramatic demographic shifts in history," says this United Nations report. Anyone making a career out of fitness (trainer, fitness center manager, etc.) will find these statistics comforting: the elderly tend to be more loyal, usually don't have schedule conflicts and have the money to pay for services that more and more scientific evidence is convincing them will make those "golden years" healthier and happier. There may be some gold in those years for you health fitness professionals as well.

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