When Vered German, 61, of Herzliya decided to take yoga classes, she looked for a studio near her home, convenient hours, and an experienced yoga instructor of the "appropriate age." The appropriate age, says German, was not "a teacher who could be my youngest son." She found a nearby studio that offered classes that suited her schedule, and an instructor of the "appropriate age" - Clara Shatzman, age 80. Two years later, German no longer does yoga, but Shatzman is still teaching at the same place.

Not everyone who seeks a yoga, fitness or running trainer finds one older than himself. As a growing number of seniors turn to fitness training and sports for leisure, a growing number of young people turn to fitness training and sports as a profession. As a result, many trainees are significantly older than their young trainers. How do they feel receiving orders from instructors the same age as their children, or even their grandchildren?

Inger Lapidus, 74, of Kfar Sava, has been working out with trainer Guy Baum at the gym Great Shape for three years. When they met, Baum was 20. "He's a great kid," Lapidus says. "The fact that he's young is an advantage, because he isn't overbearing and apprehensive like an older instructor can be."

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Baum's young age can be seen in the atypical activities he offers his client, like playing soccer. "She's an excellent kicker with both legs, which is something you don't frequently see, even in men," Baum remarks. Lapidus laughs and says Baum is merely flattering her. "I really don't kick that well. He's only trying to encourage me. But I really enjoy playing soccer with him."

These "matches" take place in the club's studio after hours. When the studio is empty, Baum also leads another 65-year-old woman in step aerobics. "I don't know what it would be like to train with an instructor who is older than me. So I don't know what would be better," Lapidus says. "I do know that his young age injects a great deal of spirit into our training, and that makes everything easier. He truly is a wonderful kid."

Baum particularly enjoys training seniors. "Older clients are more respectful. It's pleasant to teach them, and the training is smoother when there are no arguments like those you have with younger clients who think they know everything." His older charges are accustomed to his orders, and he is accustomed to their remarks. "Whenever I get a new tattoo, and I do that frequently, they immediately comment, 'Oy, Guy, another tattoo ...'"

These older clients are not atypical gym members. Recent research in the United States indicates that clients age 40 and older comprise the largest group of health club trainees. The number of gym members in this age group grew by more than six times in the past decade. Clients age 35-45 represent 35 percent of gym clients (an increase of 176 percent since 1987), and those age 55 and older represent 25 percent of trainees. This is also the age group that experienced the swiftest increase in recent years, according to the International Association of Sports Clubs.

The picture in Israel is similar. Statistics indicate that seniors are the most loyal gym members, and that they use the majority of gym services.

Niv Harel, marketing director of Holmes Place, found, "A third of the chain's members are between 45 and 60; about 25 percent of them train with personal trainers; those age 45-60 spend an average of two hours in the gym per visit; 55 percent are women and 45 percent are men."

The burgeoning success of sports and health clubs has driven more people to seek careers in the industry. A growing number of young Israelis enroll in training programs in this field following their military service. "Kids," as German puts it, frequently find themselves training people who could be their parents or even their grandparents. Ma'ayan Nova, age 22, lives with his parents in Ramat Hasharon, and trains private clients at his local country club.

How does a senior manager with a villa and a Mercedes accept your authority?

"I use a lot of humor, intentionally mention my age and don't try to appear older. I don't call my 70-year-old client 'bro,' and I don't tell him, 'Based on my vast experience, do this and that.' My clients feel comfortable with me and tell me about their business, their daughter's messy divorce, and their grandson's problems in the army. Some try to teach me about life - they lecture me and give me advice."

Who do you prefer to train? Older people or younger people?

"Regardless, I enjoy training guys my age. But that's only because you see results faster."

Age gaps are particularly palpable in yoga classes: "The image of a wise, experienced sage who instructs younger people as they embark on their path is just an image," notes Ronit Eisenberg, director of the yoga school at the Reidman College of Complementary Medicine. She also leads the yoga instructors program there. "Most of the students who enroll in the yoga instruction program are very young. They are people who began doing yoga when they were adolescents and soldiers. As adults, they feel they are prepared to become teachers. On the other hand, many older people turn to yoga because they have health problems or don't feel well, and they are, in fact, beginners in the field. In most classes, older participants encounter younger instructors."

A good teacher, even if he is young, must be attentive and aware of his clients' limits, says Eisenberg, who has older clients in her classes. "In the first few sessions, older clients may be alarmed by younger, more flexible instructors who model positions they stand no chance of achieving."

At Habayit Biramat Hasharon, the age gap between instructors and their older clients is taken for granted: This assisted-living facility has a comprehensive health club with equipment for strengthening aging muscles and provides aerobic activity appropriate for seniors. Both instructors there are young. Gilad Jashek, the club's director, explains that residents faithfully attend training sessions and happily comply with teachers' instructions. "At 6 A.M., the place is already full. If only the clients of every health club took their training this seriously," he says.

Residents talk with Jashek and his colleagues about "their backgrounds, their families, their love lives, where they spent Passover, and even what they ate at Seder."

When German quit yoga, she began training in the gym. She is now devoted to training, as well as to her new, young trainers. "I arrive at the gym at 10 A.M., after all the busy, younger members finish their morning routines and rush off to their offices. During those hours, the place is relatively empty, except for a few older clients and a few kids who instruct them. It was strange at first, but I quickly developed a common language with my instructors. It is very nice, as well as entertaining and refreshing, to talk to members of the 20+ generation, when I am usually surrounded by people my age - in other words, boring old-timers."