Never thought I’d say this, but…

…I’ve been a bit obsessed with weight training recently!

Never, ever thought I’d write those words! I’ve always hated the gym experience (the 2 times I went!) and thought that lifting weights was totally boring. 

I also had chronic neck and shoulder pain for years, partially perhaps, from undiagnosed Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Then 2020 Happened! (I think a lot of recent stories start like this...)

In 2020, I started teaching online as my in-person classes shut down due to COVID-19. All of a sudden, I was doing way more mat Pilates, and adding in 1-2 lb weights. Actually, I was using the 1lb weights solely for the first few months. 

After about 6 months (and working up to 2lb weights), I noticed that I no longer had chronic neck and shoulder tension. To be clear, I don’t attribute this only to adding in the hand weights. My lifestyle had changed dramatically, including less spring changing and bending over clients, and more general Pilates movement as I worked out during a few online classes each week.

But even in 2021 when we went back to in-person sessions, back to changing springs and bending over clients, my neck and shoulders still felt great. That I attribute to progressively adding more weight (5-10lbs). 

So here we are in 2022 and my neck and shoulders recover quickly from strain (like installing 5 sets of window blinds in 1 day!), and mostly only feel cranky if I’m anxious and stressed about something (the nervous system runs the show!). And, I don’t have to go to a gym or buy crazy-heavy dumbbells! 

Purple = 1lb, Yellow = 2lb, Grey = 3Lb, Dumbbells= 5-25lb

Aging

If you're a person who is aging, you may have also heard that in your 30s most bodies begin to lose bone density and muscle mass (this accelerates during the menopause transition!). I want to continue doing the activities I love, so maintaining & improving my bone density and muscle mass have become very important to me.

But where's the fun in just lifting a weight up and down? Boring! 

This was my thinking before I started using loads that are heavy for me - and the key is heavy for ME. Each body has a unique experience of heavy and light.

Heavy loads stimulate the brain and body in novel ways - you’ve probably experienced this when you’ve picked up something that was heavier than expected. All of a sudden you’re focused on how it feels - how to lift the load higher or put it down if you need, how the object feels against your hands, and how the new load makes the rest of your body feel. It wakes your system up! We can call this an ‘embodied’ experience, where we’re totally aware of all the sensations and feelings that our body is experiencing in the moment.

Why should we care about an embodied experience?

Embodiment is what makes the weight lifting experience a game-changer for many people. For those with decreased body awareness and proprioception, the extra load encourages you to be aware, in a progressive manner.

As we increase body awareness through embodied experiences, we can adapt our movements to what comes up in the moment during our daily lives. For example, a person who’s been walking for a certain distance could be aware that today their body is tired and they need to not walk quite as far or they won’t be able to do anything else that day! But maybe the next day they’re aware that they have more energy and strength and could walk a little farther. 

Here is where progress with strength, stability, and mobility really begins to take off. The body is telling you what it needs and you’re listening! And ideally acting on it too (LOL)! Here’s where the reductions in injury risk, aches, pains, and flare ups come in, so you can continue to do the activities you love.

Keeping the FUN in functional fitness!

Variety, challenge, giggles, and community in movement keep me (and my clients!) showing up to classes and to life. Pilates and strength training are easily adaptable for any level of ability or body shape or injury.

Want to learn more about adapting weight training for your body?

Join my free online webinar on Tuesday May 3rd at 9:00am: Strengthen Those Hypermobile Shoulders! This is great even if you aren’t hypermobile but you need to make some adaptions to your movement and load during exercise.

In this webinar, I’ll share with you how to:

• prepare your body for movement & load

• adapt shoulder exercises using bands or weights or objects from your home

• support your shoulders during movement

• determine what heavy or light load means to you

For more details and to register, click here!

The webinar will be recorded so even if you can’t make it to the live session, you’ll get a link to watch the recording as long as you are registered!

I love to answer questions so drop a comment below or email or text me any time!

-Nicole