Brain Health and Exercise for Older Adults

Cognition, Mobility, Safety, and Active Aging

Learn how to use evidence-informed exercise programming to support cognitive health, physical function, balance, motor learning, and independence in older adults.

Brain Health and Exercise for Older Adults is a practical 2-CEC continuing education course exploring the relationship between physical activity, cognitive function, healthy aging, and safe exercise programming.

The course explains how normal aging can influence attention, memory, processing speed, coordination, and motor learning without making dementia an inevitable part of aging. Fitness professionals will examine how aerobic exercise, resistance training, balance activities, and multicomponent programming may support physical and cognitive health.

Special attention is given to dual-task exercise, progressive cognitive-motor challenges, respectful communication, clients with mild cognitive impairment, and recognizing meaningful changes that warrant medical evaluation.

Fitness professionals will learn to build challenging but appropriate programs that support the whole person while maintaining clear professional boundaries.

Topics Include:

• Understanding brain health beyond memory

• Normal cognitive aging versus dementia

• Mild cognitive impairment and exercise participation

• Attention, processing speed, working memory, and executive function

• Cardiovascular, metabolic, and cerebrovascular health

• Neural plasticity and exercise-related brain-health mechanisms

• Aerobic exercise and cognitive health

• Resistance training and functional independence

• Balance, mobility, coordination, and fall-related safety

• Multicomponent exercise programming for older adults

• Motor learning, repetition, and purposeful movement challenges

• Motor-cognitive and motor-motor dual-task training

• Understanding dual-task cost and safe progression

• Tai chi, dance, walking groups, and social engagement

• Developing individualized brain-health fitness programs

• Communication strategies for clients with cognitive changes

• Programming considerations for mild cognitive impairment

• Exercise participation for clients with diagnosed dementia

• Recognizing neurological warning signs and emergency situations

• Professional scope, referral, and appropriate healthcare coordination

• Practical older-adult coaching scenarios

• The NFPA Brain Health Programming Process

Course Includes:

2 NFPA Continuing Education Credits

Self-paced PDF continuing education course

10-question Practice Knowledge Check with answer key and explanations

Practical older-adult programming examples, dual-task progressions, and applied coaching scenarios

Course Code: CEC-BH-201

Train the whole person—not simply the muscles.