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 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 that you can, but isn’t necessarily your friend. I will always face more barriers when I exercise than non-disabled people because of my disability, and my preferred choice of exercise is strength training. Strength training is a little more difficult when you have Hydrocephalus, so why do it? In this post, I am going to talk about why I chose to make my strength my main form of exercise.

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 for people with physical and I usually modify them 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 barriers like I would in a Pilates workout. A lot of strength training moves can be done in a seated position and modified in some way. 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 a 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 can catch yourself more easily than someone who never exercises. 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 strength training, whether that is with weights or resistance, 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 is one of the best ways you can lose weight, but do not neglect strength training. 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 you continue to burn calories after your workout in order to gain muscle, unlike cardio, where you stop burning calories after your 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 it makes me more mindful of the foods I eat to maintain my strength goals.

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 there aren’t a whole lot of ways you can get cardio. 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 it’s unachievable. I started strength training because I felt that reached a point in my cardio workouts where I couldn’t improve anymore and lost motivation to do it all. 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 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 even though I technically could consider that strength training because it helps make walking a little easier. A strong upper body is so important when you have a physical disability because you use your upper body more than non-disabled people do. 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 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 cardio and anytime I can get a two for one I am all for it.

Weight-lifting is hard when you have Hydrocephalus because you may experience neck pain that someone without Hydrocephalus wouldn’t experience, but it does happen less often 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 changing your body, 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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