Announcements, Muscle Function, Physiotherapy, Wellbeing

Boosting Strength and Health: The power of resistance training for older adults

Posted on June 17, 2025June 23, 2025 by Nicole Cook

17
Jun

The decline in muscle mass often begins as early as 30 and can accelerate after 60. Without preventive measures, this can lead to a host of health issues.

Muscle weakness isn’t just about feeling less strong. It’s linked to serious health concerns such as disability, diabetes, cognitive decline, and osteoporosis, and can even increase the risk of early mortality. But there’s good news: resistance training can make a difference!

As we age, our bodies undergo various changes. One of the most significant being sarcopenia or better known as age-related muscle mass loss. Did you know that sarcopenia affects about 10% of adults over 60 and more than 50% of those over 80.

Why Resistance Training?

Current research highlights resistance training as a powerful tool to combat muscle disuse. By incorporating resistance exercises into your routine, you can fight against the loss of muscle strength and mass. This type of training not only helps reduce frailty but also improves physical function in several ways. Enhanced mobility, greater independence, better management of chronic diseases, improved psychological well-being, and a higher overall quality of life are just a few of the benefits.

Tailoring Your Training

To achieve the best results, resistance training programs for older adults should be tailored to be person centered. This personalised approach ensures that the training is safe, effective, and aligned with your specific goals.

For those interested in starting a resistance training program, consulting with an Empower Healthcare Physiotherapists or Osteopaths can be invaluable. Our team can help design a program that meets unique needs and help achieve fitness goals.

References:

Fragala, Maren S.1; Cadore, Eduardo L.2; Dorgo, Sandor3; Izquierdo, Mikel4; Kraemer, William J.5; Peterson, Mark D.6; Ryan, Eric D.7. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 33(8):p 2019-2052, August 2019. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003230

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Announcements, Community, Muscle Function, Wellbeing

Sore, But Strong: Why Muscle Soreness Shouldn’t Hold You Back

Posted on May 13, 2025May 13, 2025 by Nicole Cook

13
May

Understanding muscle soreness: causes and remedies

Have you ever felt that familiar muscle ache after a workout? That’s muscle soreness, a common experience for those who stay active. But what causes this discomfort, and how can you manage it?

Muscle soreness, felt as pain or stiffness, occurs post-exercise due to tiny injuries in the muscle fibers, known as micro-trauma. Typically, it appears a day after exertion, making muscles sensitive to touch and painful during movement, sometimes reducing strength for up to a week.

Symptoms of Muscle Soreness

• Dull ache

• Stiffness

• Tenderness

• Reduced range of motion

• Pain with stretching

• Temporary loss of strength

Why Does Muscle Soreness Happen?

1. Eccentric Movements: Stretching a muscle in the opposite direction of its tension can lead to soreness.

2. Infrequent Exercise: If you’re not regularly active, even light exercises can cause soreness due to poor muscle coordination.

Muscle soreness differs from the immediate pain of a tear, as it usually develops hours after activity or the next day. This delay is because pain receptors are in connective tissues, not muscle fibers. For activation, certain substances must be released, causing the soreness experienced.

Common Causes of Sore Muscles

• Introducing eccentric loads

• Restarting exercise after a long break

• Increasing workout intensity rapidly

• Trying unfamiliar movements

• Overusing muscles

• Exercising while unwell

Managing Muscle Soreness

• Use sore muscles gently in daily activities

• Avoid heavy lifting and intense workouts temporarily

• Engage in gentle stretching

• Try light exercises for sore muscles

• Apply heat for pain relief

Prioritising movement is key to staying active and feeling your best. While muscle soreness is a natural part of exercise, persistent or sharp pain shouldn’t be ignored. If discomfort is holding you back Massage Therapy can help and talk to our allied health clinicians who are here to help.

We’ll work with you to manage and prevent pain, so you can move with confidence and keep enjoying your fitness journey. Keep moving, keep thriving

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Exercise, Muscle Function, Office, Posture, Wellbeing

10 health and wellness tips for office workers

Posted on April 9, 2019November 20, 2023 by Nicole Cook

09
Apr

In case you haven’t heard sitting is the new smoking. Research has shown that sitting for extended periods of time, like sitting at a desk or in a car, can have serious health implications. Aside from developing musculoskeletal issues like neck, shoulder and back pain sedentary lifestyles increase our risk of developing obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even some types of cancer.

So here are our top 10 tips to getting you moving more in the workplace:

Stand up and change position every half hour
Take the stairs where possible instead of an elevator
Organise a group activity (Different exercise every hour on the hour i.e. 10 squats or star jumps)
Rather than sending an email walk over to a colleague to talk
Try standing or walking meetings
Park you’re car as far as possible or better yet walk to/from work or catch public transport
Try sitting on an exercise ball
Drink plenty of water
Use a stand up workstation
Use phone calls as a trigger to get up and walk around the office or better yet walk around whilst talking on the phone

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Children, Mobility, Muscle Function, Pain, Posture

Is your child’s schoolbag too heavy?

Posted on March 1, 2019November 20, 2023 by Nicole Cook

01
Mar

With the Holiday period coming to an end most parents are looking forward to their kids going back to school. But before the fun begins most parents find themselves making one last dash to the shops to make sure everything’s ticked off the back to school supplies check list – including a school bag. But how often do we stop and think about the importance of a school bags size and weight?

We’ve put together this simple checklist of considerations to reduce the physical stress on children’s bodies

Make sure the total weight of the bag (including drink bottles and lunch boxes) does not exceed 10 per cent of the child’s body weight i.e. a child weighing 40kgs should have a bag weighing no more than 4kgs
Bag heights and widths are also important – the picture below features a general sizing guide
Try backs made from lightweight materials

Make sure the bag has adjustable shoulder straps and encourage children to use both shoulder straps instead of just one to help evenly distribute the weight – I know one strapping is cooler but there’s nothing cool about a sore back!
Bags with padded bags are preferable
For High School kids that have to carry heavy textbooks and computers try a back with wheels so that the backpack can be pulled rather than carried
Wheels so that the backpack can be pulled rather than carried
Always pack the bag with heavier items first, that weigh (pun intended) heavier items are closer to the body’s centre of mass and their is more load on the stronger leg muscles than back

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Muscle Function, Pain, Physiotherapy, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

Shoulder Pain: Where is it really coming from?

Posted on February 8, 2019November 20, 2023 by Nicole Cook

08
Feb

One of the common causes of shoulder pain is scapulohumeral dysfunction. The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in your body – it relies on the synergistic movements of 4 different joints around you shoulder. The four joints are :

– Glenohumeral joint

– Acromioclavicular joint

– Sternoclavicular joint

– Scapulothoracic joint

It is important to identify the scapulohumeral deficiencies to allow smooth and coordinated movement. Dysfunction of the scapulohumeral junction is often the underlying cause for rotator cuff injuries, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis, impingement etc.

Once your physiotherapist has identified which part of the shoulder complex is deficient, the appropriate exercises and treatment will be prescribed. Talk to one of our team members to have a physiotherapist complete an assessment and treatment plan for you!

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