How Do I Start Weight Training? Explain it to Me Like I'm Five.

[hexagonal]

Resistance training will improve general joint and mobility issues. Tons of studies on this. It's a bit more mixed on specifically improving arthritis (study quality isn't great for a lot of them), but there's no indication it makes it worse, no indication that the other benefits of it are particularly impacted, and in some studies the subjects reported less arthritis-related pain.

If you can't pick up a barbell or get access to a machine, start with body weight, resistance bands, light dumbbells, etc. Swimming or some other form of cardio is also super important to health, but it doesn't take the place of resistance training and there's no reason most people can't start slow and steady on resistance training even if you have disadvantageous conditions like arthiritis

(Edit: The forum seems to be translating the links into russian, but they're just google scholar searches for "resistance training improve mobility", "resistance training improve joint pain", "resistance training improve arthritist")

Академия Google

scholar.google.com

Академия Google

scholar.google.com

Академия Google

scholar.google.com

 

[John316]

That's a bit misleading. Weight training is very safe for beginners specifically because you're not strong enough to lift anything heavy enough to hurt yourself yet.

Some resistance bands and a set of small dumbbells are good to start with. like 3, 4, 5, and 10lbs. You can do higher reps with low weights to work on the movement patterns until you get more comfortable.

If you want to join a gym a lot have those circuit training areas with machines. If you have no idea what to do at all you can just do a round with the machine circuits. Like 3 sets of 12 for full body every other day or twice a week. You don't need to spend much time, even 20-30 min sessions are better than nothing.

There are also good apps for training for beginners. You can get the fitbod app and put it on total beginner and even set it to all body weight. RP strength also has an app you can use.

I’ve been weight training for over 40 years and what Viki said is perfect

 

[Grannuaile]

One. I would not start with weights - I too am confused, do you not have a local why where you can go swimming - it is so good for anything to do with healing. My son had pulled a muscle in his neck when he fell at the trampoline park, and the ER allowed him to go swimming, even though they took him off the ice for hockey. One afternoon in the pool with his friend, and the muscle was all healed and he was back on the ice. For me, the pool steam and the chemicals makes me wheeze and of course, with asthma, expect eczema - a public pool does terrible things to my skin. I would love to be a swimmer.

Two, with your arthritis, you will feel some aches and pains as you go - here is the most important part – learn how to nurse those and treat yourself like a professional football player and take care of yourself so you can keep going. I think most people agree, it’s 20 minutes of heat and 20 minutes of cold alternating for sore muscles. Find out if you can tolerate the smell of the cayenne, tiger balm, bengay gunks.

I meant to me I guess it’s less about the working out, and those of us who are busy, just don’t have time for all the self-care necessary to keep going.

 

[yelloeyes]

I would suggest at first going to a cheaper gym that has someone to show you how all the stuff works. Some of those places like Planet Fitness are really cheap so if you don't use it all that much you still get the benefit of occasional weight training without the "I paid so much for this so now I have to use it" mentality. You may be like me and just find that you hate gyms, but love being outside. A pair of running shoes and bodyweight exercises are a hell of a lot cheaper than a gym. Eventually you'll find that you enjoy some kind of exercise but have to find out which one.

But like Bacchus said, the best form of exercise is one you enjoy. For years I just ran and didn't do anything else because that's what I loved. As time has gone on I just kinda feel like lifting weights more so I am doing that. Now i run and lift weights so I have a treadmill and a whole gym in my basement! I just do whatever I feel like, but I make myself get started doing something. Any consistent exercise is good and will help maintain functionality and muscle if you get plenty of protein and train smart. And training smart comes with learning, and the learning comes with enjoying the exercise and engaging in it, watching youtube videos, stuff like that.

And Planet Fitness also has a 30 minute whole body circuit... so if you are starting out it will acclimate you to the machines that are available.

 

[hexagonal]

Swimming and similar cardio activities are great things to do, but they do not confer the same advantages as resistance training.

There's a lot of general health benefits to lifting, but I think his video covers a lot of interesting points about just being self-sufficient as human beings well into our 80s and the impact that strength training has on it. Language can be a bit crass at times, but I think the fundamental message is important for people to hear.