SPORTS MEDICINE

Dr. Steve Badolato

Strength training is an essential part of any fitness program.

IT IS IMPORTANT to virtually every man and woman regardless of age.  Long gone are the days when strength training was only for the muscle-bound bodybuilder, power lifter, or football player. Today, strength training is for everyone from the teenager trying out for the high school football team, to the baby-boomer wanting to look and feel young again, to the senior in a nursing home as part of a program to prevent falls.

Think you’re too old to start a strength training program? Well think again! Strength training is just what your body needs to fight loss of bone mass, muscle mass, and strength that comes with the dreaded aging process.

Everyone, no matter how young or old should be engaged in some form of regular strength training program.  The setting can be at a fitness center, gym, or even at home using very little equipment. Aside from the typical machines, dumbbells, and barbells, you can use resistance bands and balls or even your own bodyweight can be used in designing a weight training program.

KARYN BRANTLEY, a personal trainer, practices what she preaches. Today, strength training is for everyone from the teenager trying out for the football team, to the baby-boomer wanting to look and feel young again, to the senior in a nursing home.

Benefits of Strength Training
So what is the point? If you never participated in a strength training program in your life, why start now?  A strength training program will make a significant difference in your quality of life, besides just making you look good in a bathing suit at the beach, it does much more:
• Build muscle strength: Adults lose an average of 5 pounds of muscle every decade after age 20. Strength training will help prevent this loss and rebuild what you have already lost.
• Decrease risk of osteoporosis: Inactivity and aging can lead to decrease bone density.  Studies have shown that strength training can increase bone density and help prevent osteoporosis.
• Reduces blood pressure:  Strength training can be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure.
• Weight Loss/Fat Loss: Strength training increases the body’s metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day. This results in a decrease of fat and increased lean muscle mass.
• Improved Balance and Stability: Increased strength and coordination obtained as a result of strength training improves balance and stability. This helps keep you safe by decreasing risk of falls or accidents during daily activities.
• Decreased risk of back injuries and back pain: Studies have shown that proper  strength training will actually decrease risk of back injuries and alleviate certain sources of back pain.
• Decreased risk of developing certain diseases: Studies have shown that strength training can improve glucose (sugar) tolerance associated with development of     diabetes and cause positive effects on lipid (cholesterol) profiles for individuals who participate in a regular strength training program.
• Psychological benefits: Not a surprise, studies have shown that  people who strength train regularly report improved body image, greater self esteem, elevated confidence, and a significant improvement in mood.
The above are just a handful of beneficial effects of strength training. The time spent at the gym or home can literally help you turn back the clock to look and feel younger each day.

Getting Started
Before starting any type of strength training program it is best, especially for beginners, to seek information, guidance and expert advice. The internet is an excellent place to start for a fundamental knowledge of strength training. The development of a strength program by a professional trainer is optimum for best results. Certified fitness/strength training professionals are available through memberships in local gym/fitness centers or as independent personal trainers.

Identifying a friend or family member to join you as a workout “buddy” provides mutual support and peer pressure to maintain a regular workout routine and schedule, and an even more compelling incentive to meet your goals.

General Tips for Beginners:

• Remember to warm-up. This gives the body a chance to deliver nutrient rich blood to areas to be exercised.
• Stretch to increase or maintain muscle flexibility
• During the first two weeks of starting a program, keep it light. Pay important attention to technique and good body mechanics and slowly work up to heavier resistance/weights.

JACK ALLEN, a retired New York City police officer, trains regularly with weights. Strength training is what your body needs to fight loss of bone mass, muscle mass, and strength that comes with the dreaded aging process.

• Go through the complete range of motion; focus on breathing properly and never sacrifice form to add more weight or repetitions.
• Strength training sessions are generally recommended to last one hour or less.
• The intensity of your workout depends on a number of factors, including number     of sets and repetitions, the overall weight lifted, and rest between sets.  You can vary the intensity of your workouts to fit your activity level and goals.
n As a general rule, each muscle that you train should be rested one to two days  before being exercised further in order for the fatigued muscles to rebuild.
• The minimum amount of strength training recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine is 8-12 repetitions (reps) of 8-10 exercises, at a     moderate intensity, two days a week. You will get more overall gains with more days per week, sets and resistance, but the progression should be individualized.
• “No pain, no gain” is a false statement and can be dangerous. Your body will adapt to strength training, and will have reduced body soreness each time you     workout.
• Listen to your body; your intensity and duration of exercise should be based on your sense of exertion for the particular body part you are training.

These general tips are primarily for beginners. For some novice and most advanced strength trainers these tips may seem routine. However, these guidelines should be recognized by beginners as a foundation upon which to build.

Medical Clearance for a Strength Training Program
Before starting a strength training program, some people should be given clearance by their doctor.  The best time to get started is now. Do it for your health, for your fitness and for a new you.  The next time you feel like picking up a can of beer, a donut or the TV remote, pick up a dumbbell instead. Your body and mind will be happier you did.

A Florida native, Dr. Badolato received his medical degree from the University of South Florida School of Medicine and did his residency training at St. Vincents' Medical Center in Jacksonville. Dr. Badolato is Board Certified and has fellowship training in sports Medicine with a specialization in non-operative musculaskeletal medicine. Formerly a team physicians at Ohio State University, he was also the medical director for the world-renowned IMG Bollettieri Sports Academy in Bradenton, Florida. You can reach Dr. Badolato at 321-253-2169, or log on to PremierUrgentCare.com

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