NEWSLETTER Your Resource for Health, Wellness & Caring For Your Body
In the past, many people associated strength training with oiled-up, musclebound bodybuilders — and, as such, decided strength training wasn’t the workout for them. But that idea couldn’t be farther from the truth! In a way, we get it. Strength training can be incredibly intimidating if you’re coming at it cold: you have to grapple with unfamiliar equipment, uncertainty about proper lifting techniques, and confusion about which exercises to perform. But once you find your footing, strength training is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellness. At Physiotherapy Center LTD, we want to help make strength training accessible to all, regardless of age, health history, or ability level. To help you see the many benefits of strength training, we thought we’d share the stories of two patients: Alisha and Michelle (we’ve changed their names). Both of these patients are ordinary women in their late 50s. Neither were hardcore athletes, but both discovered the health benefits of strength training. Alisha: A New Hobby in Middle Age Alisha first came to see us after she slipped and fell while exploring a particularly rocky beach, hurting her back. Like most older people, Alisha’s muscle mass had been steadily decreasing, and the resulting weakness had ultimately led to her accident. We provided her with a customized treatment plan, including dedicated strength training focused on strengthening her core, back, and lower body. We wanted to enhance her balance and stability in addition to addressing her injury. She was surprised by how much she enjoyed the exercises, including how great she felt after completing them. How Strength Training Can Improve Your Health
As her rehabilitation neared completion, Alisha asked her physiotherapist for more information about strength training. She didn’t want to give up her island-friendly active lifestyle and figured she should continue improving her strength, balance, and stability. We were more than happy to help Alisha out and developed a general strength training program using barbells and dumbbells. We walked her through each exercise, assessed her lifting form, and guided her on gradually increasing intensity. The result? Alisha found a new hobby. She became an avid weightlifter, hitting the gym three times a week. Even better, she restored some of her lost muscle mass, making it much easier for her to hike the beach, paddle board in the ocean, and enjoy all the fun our island offers.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm •https://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejp.1796 •https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9339797/
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