Aging and Exercise - Where to Start?
The physical effects of aging can be frustrating.
Many people take it for granted that they’ll experience aches and pains, develop osteoarthritis in their joints (OA), and lose strength and stamina. Though some changes are inevitable, how we manage them is within our control. They do not have to take over your life!
Amongst other factors including mindful nutrition and quality sleep, an appropriate exercise program can change how we age. Remember, age is just a number.
At Kinected Strength, we recognize starting a new exercise program can be intimidating, especially if you’ve experienced pain or injury in the past.
Current research suggests that appropriate, progressive strength training has positive effects on pain, confidence and function in individuals with OA. This is great news but where do we start? Working with a kinesiologist may be a completely different experience than working with a personal trainer.
A Methodical Approach
We pride ourselves on assessing your body to gain an understanding of how you move. From there we build an individualized program with exercises that target your specific needs. We are very methodical in our approach and form is of the utmost importance. We do not load a pattern until you have shown that you can master that movement.
Functional Movement Patterns
We utilize functional movement patterns: movements that you use in your daily life. These include things like sitting up and down, picking up and carrying an object, or placing an object on a high shelf. Every exercise has some relevance to what you do outside the gym. We aim to make your daily tasks more manageable, leading to more efficient movement with less pain and more confidence.
Age is Just a Number
Many of our clients are over 50 and all have a history of injuries and pain of some sort. We work with individuals who have arthritis and have gone or are on the list for replacement surgery. We even have a good number of clients in their 70s and 80s! Remember, age is just a number.
Assessment
Taking the time and care to assess a client to build the right program is crucial to success. We have created an assessment process that is administered during the first session. We take a detailed history, then look at posture, range of motion, core stabilization strategies, function and capacity for functional movements. A thorough assessment allows us to identify strengths and imbalances to ensure the program is relevant, effective, and enjoyable!