Registered Dietitian & Nutritionist and Disease specific Coach
HCPC registered and member of the British dietetic association (BDA)
Body and mind in balance
Training Programs
We all have different goals, dieting histories, and lifestyles and there is no one size fits all when it comes to our nutrition.
In an evaluation of 8 studies that included older adults with osteoarthritis, the researchers found that strength training programs reduced participants' pain by 35% and increased their lower limb strength and function by 33% compared to control groups.
Strength training can also help you lose weight, which can greatly improve your symptoms if you have osteoarthritis in a weight-bearing joint, such as the hip, knee or ankle.
The benefits of strength training are not only true for people with osteoarthritis. Strength training has also been shown to help those with systemic, inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. Indeed, a two-year study of recently diagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis found that strength training increased muscle strength by up to 59%, along with increased physical function.
Arthiritis Fundation
Weight Training for osteoarthritis
There is significant evidence that physical activity, especially aerobic exercise like running, fast walking, and cycling, can help with weight loss. However, studies have found that resistance exercises not only have a positive effect on reducing body fat, but also lead to an increase in muscle size and strength.
In addition, resistance exercises can be effective for long-term weight control. This is because muscle size plays an important role in determining the resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is how many calories your body requires to function at rest. Resting metabolic rate accounts for 60-75% of total energy expenditure in non-exercising people, and fat is the body's preferred source of energy at rest.
Resistance exercices for weight loss
An aerobic training program is unlikely to improve a patient's ability to do heavy arm work. Recent investigations on high-intensity resistance training effects on quality of life parameters in cardiac rehabilitation patients. 38 patients added high-intensity resistance training or flexibility training to their exercise routine. The resistance-trained patients improved their self-efficacy for strength-related tasks and for jogging, compared with the flexibility-trained controls. In addition, resistance-trained patients also improved in quality of life parameters, such as total mood disturbance, depression/dejection, fatigue/inertia, and emotional health domain scores.
Many patients with MI are more limited by an unsuitable perception that they cannot perform an activity than by an actual physical limitation. Resistance training may allow patients to lead a more normal lifestyle and improve their lives.
Publish by the National Library of Medicine
Resistance training for patients after a cardiac event
There’s increasing evidence that exercise contributes to beneficial changes to specific functions in the nervous system, including in the brain. Essentially, exercise directly influences how we experience pain by reducing our sensitivity to potentially harmful stimuli. This phenomenon is called exercise-induced hypoalgesia.
In research on pain-free adults, a single bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise (such as cycling or running for 15 minutes) can trigger these pain-relieving effects for about 30 minutes afterwards.
The pain-relieving effects are supported by the release of endocannabinoids, adrenaline, noradrenaline, endorphins and serotonin in the nervous system and circulatory system. These chemicals not only reduce pain, but also improve mood. This is an important benefit, as thoughts and feelings are known to influence pain, and our control over pain.
