Why even your Grandma should lift weights

I love lifting weights.
It keeps me fit, helps my posture and makes my clothes fit better! I’ve learnt to move properly, using my hips instead of bending my back; everyone knows they should lift correctly, but knowing it‘s useless unless you do it automatically.

Short, intense bursts of activity make me really focus and keep it interesting; I think anyone who says the gym is boring either just spends 45 minutes on an exercise bike or is going through the motions. You need to get present when you’re holding a heavy weight over your head!

There's something primal and deeply satisfying about using all your strength to move the world around.

It puts you in touch with your body’s abilities and is very empowering. And it doesn't matter if you're not lifting 100s of kilograms - everyone, even old ladies, can gain massive benefits from strength training.

Having stronger muscles not only helps keep your back healthy but also makes you 40% less likely to die of cancer. Helps control your blood pressure too.

It’s a misconception that lifting weights will automatically give you big muscles, for that you need to eat a lot of food; most of those enormous guys you see are on steroids. So if you’re a woman don’t be put off; muscle is denser than fat, so you get a lean, toned look. Check out this video of a Swedish female weight lifter to see what I mean, nothing butch about her!

It’s all about technique and it’s crucial that you do it right, so get a few sessions with a personal trainer to learn the ropes. Also keep a log of the weight, repetitions etc. that you do, so that you keep making progress.

Now go pump some iron!

Exercise and Back Pain - What's the Right Thing to Do?

Although many people with back pain are scared away from exercise, in many cases it's an essential element to recovering and getting strong enough to avoid repeated relapses.
Firstly, get a proper assessment with your Chiropractor. Alongside your care plan, they can help you out with the right exercises and the right timing. This often starts with gentle mobility exercises and advice to keep active. After that specific exercises to strengthen weak muscles. I like to keep it simple and stick with one or two, rather than give exhaustive lists that most people will never do.

The problem with stretching

Stretching your back is not always a good idea. It's a common thing that people do as they assume, or are told, that the problem is "muscular". The muscles might be tight, but often that's because they are weak or just reacting to the joint dysfunction below them. Far better to strengthen those muscles and give your back the support it needs. A proper core strengthening programme will develop stiffness around your core and teach your body to move properly - with better hip movement and less back bending. Check out this excellent article by core strength expert Professor Stuart McGill.

Pumping Iron??

Free weights: barbells, dumbells, kettlebells - As well as strengthening the major muscles, these also train the stabilizing ones that machine-weights neglect. These mostly involve simple, natural movements, but you do need to learn to do them properly. It's worth asking a personal trainer to show you these, and always start with a light weight.
"I'm not a gym person", is a common phrase muttered by people who have never been into a gym and given it a chance. But if gym's really aren't for you then find something else; if you don't enjoy it won't last very long!

Cardio

Running might be a problem until you have a strong core, as it's high impact. There are many other cardio (heart and lung) options such as cross-trainer, bike (inside or out), stepper, even weight-training when done at a higher intensity.

So don't let aches put you off, you don't need to be pain-free before you exercise (but you MUST avoid anything which causes sharp pain) and always get checked out properly before you start. See it as a journey and set yourself goals, you'll enjoy it and the rewards will be fantastic!