Exercise should prevent injuries, not cause them

 “I have a fake knee, I have a fake hip, I’ve got a lot of metal in my back – it’s a field day at the airport. My body hurts almost all the time.” ~ Jane Fonda. Jane, longtime aerobic exercise innovator, finds it hard to do yoga.1 

While heredity is a factor, years of repetitive use from aerobic exercise will eventually wear out your joints, regardless of your genes. The key is to not overdo it. As a preventative measure it would help to safely strengthen those joints that are prone to injury; one day a week substitute low-impact circuit strength training instead of high-impact aerobics. It’s more cardiovascularly demanding than most aerobic exercise, and your aches and pains will subside.

At our Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Personal Training  locations we have clients who can no longer do aerobics, but they have no problem strength training using our protocol. 

With our protocol we:

·      Eliminate high-impact jerking movements that create forces that lead to injuries.

·      Limit movement to a pain-free range of motion.

·      Sufficiently work muscles to a deep fatigue to stimulate a positive adaptation with one exercise set instead of multiple sets.  We seek to determine, no how much exercise you can withstand, but the least amount you need to continuously improve.  This lowers the probability of repetitive-use injuries.

·      Use MedX equipment with medical rehab features that are more easily tolerated by the joints.

Done correctly, low-impact circuit strength training will give you a measure of protection from injuries and bring relief from chronic pain.  Your body doesn’t have to “hurt almost all the time”.

Breaking the cycle of arthritis pain and immobility

For arthritis pain sufferers improper exercise leads to more pain, more joint inflammation, and restricted mobility.   However, the right exercises with the right equipment can produce totally unexpected results.

In 2012, I had injections for arthritic shoulder pain. At the time, the doctor proposed the idea of getting shots every few months. Although he told me, "It's no big deal," I made it my mission to avoid those shots.  I avoided the injections for five years.

Unfortunately, I had a serious fall resulting in injuries to my shoulders and arms. The x-rays indicated that nothing was broken; just inflamed arthritic joints. Injections in my shoulder and arm gave me no relief.  My mobility was becoming increasingly restricted. 

After four weeks of no improvement in my condition, I decided to exercise. My trainer restricted my movements to a relatively pain-free range of motion, certain movements were eliminated, but overall we proceeded as normal. My expected outcomes were either:

· the pain would be no worse, and that would be a victory.

· the pain would be worse and would cause me to plot another path to recovery.

After the workout, I was breathing hard for several minutes. It was an exhilarating feeling after the weeks of idleness. Four hours after the workout, my blood pressure (BP) was 102/63. I've been on high blood pressure medication for 36 years. Those are extraordinarily low numbers for me.

The breathing and the BP numbers are indicative that the workout had produced a systemic effect beyond just tired muscles. A systemic effect produces a hormonal response including pain-mediating endorphins and anti-inflammatory myokines.  I slept well and woke up refreshed – no tossing and turning to find a position where I was not in pain.

I was amazed to find I could lift my arm over my head – not possible before the workout. Pain associated with arthritis can lead to immobility and weakness. This leads to more pain – rinse and repeat.

At Austin strength trainers and New Orleans strength trainers we work with pain sufferers to reverse that cycle. We have an extensive line of MedX equipment with medical rehab features that are gentler on the joints.  This allows us to safely work the body to a deep fatigue.  For arthritis pain sufferers this leads to stronger muscles, increased mobility, and protection of the joints that facilitates a life un-compromised by pain.