Resistance training prevents back pain - and more.

Written by Chiropractor Adam Logan

You probably already knew that exercise has a wide variety of health benefits but do you know what the 3 major subcategories of exercise are?

The 3 major categories of exercise:

  • Aerobic exercise – sometimes referred to as cardio.

  • Flexibility – this is worked on through stretches and yoga.

  • Strength & resistance training – mostly done through weightlifting.

Lets talk about Strength and Resistance training!

Unless you’re an avid weightlifter, this could well be the very thing you’ve been missing from your exercise regime. A study by Westcott in 2012 showed that resistance training may be effective for reducing low back pain, easing discomfort associated with arthritis and fibromyalgia, and has even been shown to reverse specific ageing factors in skeletal muscle.

Why does it matter?

The ongoing 1970 British Cohort Study recently reported that more than one in three British adults are suffering from two or more chronic health conditions in middle age, such as recurrent back problems, mental ill-health, high blood pressure and diabetes.

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Health conditions that can be improved with resistance training:

  • Obesity

  • Type 2 Diabetes

  • Mental Health issues

  • Loss of bone density/Arthritis

  • Muscle atrophy

  • Reducing risk of falls

  • Cardiovascular health

  • Blood pressure

  • Chronic mechanical lower back pain

“More than one in three British adults are suffering from two or more chronic health conditions in middle age”
— The 1970 British Cohort Study
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Tips for getting started with resistance training

  • Start light, your own body weight may be enough to begin with so you can load up whilst maintaining good form.

  • Favour machines over free weights to begin with, its easier to control your form whilst you get used to lifting heavier loads.

  • Talk to your local personal trainer or ask someone at your local gym, they can help you get started and provide helpful advice.

Weightlifting and resistance training offers so many health benefits in addition to regular cardiovascular training that it should be a staple of all training programs especially for those over the age of 40. And resistance training is not just limited to lifting big heavy objects, bodyweight exercises and things like Pilates all help challenge our muscles and make our bodies stronger.

So next time you’re in a gym and feeling curious ask your local professional to take you through some fun basic exercise to get you started!

Book your next appointment with Adam >

Sources

Chang, W.D., Lin, H.Y. and Lai, P.T., 2015. Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain. Journal of physical therapy science, 27(3), pp.619-622.

Westcott, W.L., 2012. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Current sports medicine reports, 11(4), pp.209-216.

Chris Wood