Why I Love Strength Training

Exercise is important for your physical health and everyone who has the ability to exercise should make it part of their daily routine. Fitness is just as important for disabled people as it is for non-disabled people, but it is more difficult to find an accessible routine when you are disabled because fitness is not accessible. There is no specific workout that I think everyone should be doing because we are all so different, and there are many workouts with tons of health benefits. When you are disabled, it can be more difficult to get into exercising because your limitations prevent you from being able to do whatever routine you want, and sometimes you have to pick something based on your ability, even if it’s not your favorite thing. I will always face more barriers when I exercise than non-disabled people because of my disability, and I don’t enjoy doing hours of cardio but do love a good strength training session. Strength training is a little more difficult when you have a physical disability because you have to make accommodations that most people don’t. Why do it? In this post, I am going to talk about why I love strength training even though it’s hard sometimes.

It is the most accessible- When you are disabled, it can be very hard to find an accessible routine, and I have never actually done a workout that is completely accessible to me and I usually modify exercises to accommodate my disability. I love a good Pilates workout, and if I want to do a core workout, it’s the best option for me, but the reality is, it’s not accessible, and I am extremely limited to the types of moves that are physically possible. I love weightlifting because I don’t face as many barriers, and most strength training upper body moves can be modified. When you do a core workout, you can’t always modify the workout, and there are some things you can’t do. I love strength training because it’s one of the most accessible forms of exercise, and I highly recommend it for people with physical disabilities, because, depending on what disability you have, a lot of the time, it is possible. There are still going to be some strength training moves you can’t do with your disability, but you aren’t as limited, and I love doing workouts with less barriers.

It helps prevent falls– Disabled people fall more easily than non-disabled people because we don’t have as much stability as someone without a disability. Strength training has helped me prevent falls that could have been serious because when you have more muscle, you have more control over your body and are less likely to break a bone. I still fall sometimes because I can’t change my disability, and strength training doesn’t fix my mobility issues, but I do fall less often. Strength training isn’t only about the physical changes, and it also can help prevent falls because when you have more muscle, it is less likely you will fall and break a bone. Everyone who is able should be doing some kind of resistance training, whether you are disabled or not, because it builds strong bones, which becomes more and more important as we age. Preventing falls as much as you can is so important for disabled people, and there is no better way to do that than strength training.

It helps with weight management- Cardio can help you lose weight, but don’t neglect strength training, and I think doing them both together will give you more benefits. When you do a cardio workout, you will burn more calories than you would in a strength training workout, but don’t let that discourage you, because when you strength train, you continue to burn calories after your workout in order to gain muscle. Cardio does not build muscles like a strength training session does, and you stop burning calories after the workout is finished. Strength training is a great thing to add to your cardio workout because it can help with weight management. You don’t have to do hours of cardio to lose weight because adding a little bit of strength training can help you reach your weight loss goals. Strength training helps me stay at a healthy weight because the more muscles you have, the more you burn while at rest.

There is a lot of room for improvement- It is important for people with physical disabilities to do cardio, but it can be frustrating because you don’t have as many options. Cardio workouts are frustrating because they bring me no joy, and there is not as much room for improvement, and eventually, it gets to a point where I can’t make much more improvement. I started strength training because I don’t feel like my disability limits me as much. When you strength train with a physical disability, there is more room for improvement because you can always lift heavier or do more reps to improve your strength. It is more difficult to improve your cardiovascular health when you have a physical disability because I have limits to how long I can stand and can only improve so much, and I don’t have these limitations when I strength train. I am most motivated to do my workout when I can consistently see improvements, which I can’t see as easily when I do cardio. I still do cardio, but it’s not my preferred exercise choice because a lot of the time it gets to a point where I feel stuck.

It makes walking with crutches easier– When you have a physical disability and walk with crutches, sometimes people think that you don’t have to strength train because you are basically doing a little bit of strength training every time you walk. I can’t walk without using my arms, but I still strength train because walking alone does not build a whole lot of strength in my upper body. A strong upper body is so important when you have a physical disability because you use your upper body more than non-disabled people and can’t expect to improve your strength without resistance training.. Strength training can help make transfers and everyday life a little easier because when you have a strong upper body, it doesn’t take as much energy to walk. I keep my arms strong because when I have more strength, I have less pain, and everything in life is easier.

It can act as cardio- I hate doing cardio, and weightlifting is not a replacement for cardio, but if you lift heavy and do moves at a slightly faster pace, it can act as cardio. My heart rate does not get up as high in a weightlifting session as it would with a cardio workout, but it does give me a little bit of an added cardio benefit, and I am all about compound movements.

Weight-lifting is hard when you have Hydrocephalus because you have to think about things someone without Hydrocephalus wouldn’t have to, but it does get easier the more you do it. I do not love doing my strength training workouts, but I do love the benefits that strength training has given me. Strength training isn’t only about having big muscles, and it also can help prevent falls and put you at a slightly lower risk for joint problems. Strength training is not everyone’s favorite to do, but it has so many health benefits, and you will notice how much easier everyday tasks are when you make it a priority to improve your strength. When it comes to fitness, accessibility matters because if it’s too inaccessible, disabled people will not exercise. Strength training is not for everyone, and that is okay because the best workout isn’t the one that burns the most calories but it’s the one you can stick to. What is your favorite form of exercise? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.

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