Am I “too old” to strength train? The short answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Many of us have heard the saying “motion is lotion”; but what about on the other side of the spectrum? How many of us have been told “just rest” or “take a break and you’ll feel better” or “your back or your knee have so much arthritis and degeneration in it you shouldn’t be doing exercise”? And how many times did that advice not help? Humans are living machines, we are designed to move – and move regularly. That being said, motion is lotion AND rest is rust! Exercise in and of itself is a natural form of pain relief. Evidence suggests that regularly moving joints through their full range of motion and under varying loads is the best way to both treat and prevent degenerative joint conditions.
At Empower Physical Therapy, we are changing the way we treat older adults. Whether you’re having back pain or knee pain, or just feel like your strength and balance are weary, you are capable of and in need of strength training. Through research and evidence based treatment approaches, we have found that the older adult population needs heavy loading even MORE than younger adults. We don’t mean performing seated stretches or lying down and pumping your ankles back and forth for half an hour. We mean picking up and lifting heavy things, pushing and pulling heavy things. It may sound scary or intimidating… “you want me to lift WHAT?!”… trust us when we say you can do it! And you should! Even small doses of high intensity exercise can have an enormous impact on not just your pain levels, but your overall health.
While there are many forms of treatment to help reduce pain. Heavy loading is the best of the best, with lasting long term benefits to keep you stronger and pain free longer. Among many things, heavy load and small doses of high intensity exercise have been shown to increase bone mineral density (makes your bones stronger, more durable), decrease blood sugar levels, increase balance, improve mobility, decrease risk of falls, and reduce pain.
We’re not trying to turn you into a competitive weight lifter, our goal is to help you reach your goals. Do you want to be able to get up and down off the floor easier so you can play with your kids/grandkids? Want to be able to pick up and carry that basket of laundry you’ve been procrastinating on? Or perhaps bring the groceries in without needing several trips? Want to live a longer, healthier, stronger life and do everything you want to do with greater ease? Our physical therapists at Empower Physical Therapy are up to date on the latest and most effective forms of treatment for various conditions and we are constantly challenging ourselves on how we can help improve our patient’s quality of life. When you come to our clinic, expect to be educated, encouraged, challenged, and pushed to become a better version – a stronger version – of yourself!
Resources used: Institute of Clinical Excellence – Clinical Management of the Fitness Athlete
