Healthy & Powerful Aging

Join Professor Evelien Van Roie and Bram Swinnenin this comprehensive course designed for physiotherapists, personal trainers and rehabilitation professionals who want to elevate their expertise in strength, power, and functional aging. This course offers a unique combination of cutting-edge science and highly practical training methods, ensuring that every participant leaves with actionable strategies to improve the health, mobility, and independence of older adults.

Professor Evelien Van Roie, PhD, is an internationally respected researcher in healthy aging, resistance training, and neuromuscular adaptations. As a professor in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Hasselt, her work focuses on how strength, power, cognition, and physical activity interact during the aging process. With a strong publication record and extensive experience in both research and clinical translation, Evelien brings exceptional scientific depth to the course. Her expertise perfectly complements Bram’s practical and neuromechanically driven approach to performance and rehabilitation.

Together, Bram and Evelien present a curriculum that blends theory and hands-on application, covering muscle function, power assessment, resistance and eccentric training, motor-cognitive interference, dual-task methods, HIIT, and small-group training for older adults. The program is structured to give clinicians and trainers the tools they need to design evidence-based interventions that improve strength, mobility, cognitive function, and overall quality of life in aging populations.

Whether you work with active seniors, fall-risk individuals, or older adults pursuing healthier aging, this course will empower you with science-driven, practical techniques to deliver meaningful and measurable outcomes in your daily practice.

Course Highlights

1. Aging & Assessment

1a. Theory

• Aging physiology: changes in muscle mass, strength and power
• Principles of assessing muscle function and power in older adults

1b. Practical

• Velocity-based training for the elderly
• Hands-on assessment of strength, power and functional capacity

2. Resistance & Power Training

2a. Theory

• Evidence-based resistance training for older adults
• Power training principles to improve functional independence

2b. Practical

• Eccentric training methods for elderly populations
• Safe progression, regressions and technique coaching

3. Motor-Cognitive Interference

3a. Theory

• Motor-cognitive interference during aging
• Executive function, attention, and dual-task constraints

3b. Practical

• Neurocognitive training approaches
• Dual-task balance, gait, and coordination training

4. Cardiorespiratory & Psychosocial Factors

4a. Theory

• Cardiorespiratory capacity in aging
• Psychosocial determinants: motivation, fear of movement, adherence

4b. Practical

• HIIT protocols adapted for older adults
• Small-group training design for elderly populations