STRENGTH TRAINING
Last week we introduced manual therapy as one of the foundational pillars of the OMPT approach to empowering our clients to live and feel their best. This week we are highlighting arguably our favorite and the most effective pillar of our model: strength training.
COUNTLESS BENEFITS
Last week we discussed that manual therapy, a passive treatment, is part of our process. However, we noted that active interventions (mobility drills, balance activities, and strength training) drive long-term change in terms of injury recovery and improved movement.
Strength and conditioning expert Dr. John Rusin reiterates this; "While passive treatments can be advantageous for getting people out of pain, especially in the early stages of recovery, our job is to prevent injuries as rehab practitioners, and the only way to do that to the best of our abilities is to load sound foundational movement patterns, period."
We believe that if you have a body, you are an athlete. And as athletes, we can all benefit from strength training regardless of our chosen daily activities, recreational pursuits, or competitive athletic events. Here are a few of the vast benefits of strength training:
Improved muscular strength and endurance
Improved bone density, strength, and reduced risk of osteoporosis
Improved brain health
Improved metabolism and weight management
Improved mobility/flexibility and posture
Improved body composition and protection against chronic conditions such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, arthritis, back pain, depression, and obesity
Improved mood/energy, resistance training may boost self-confidence/improve body image
Improved heart health
Decreased risk of injury
Improves balance, which can help maintain independence in aging
Decrease pain and help with pain management
For more info, check out our blog highlighting some of the benefits of strength training: OMPT Strength Training Benefits. Or read some research here!
Strength training (with support from a protein-rich, healthy diet) is the only way to build muscle mass and increase overall strength. At OMPT, we utilize strength training to empower our clients to recover from injury and train for life! We tailor our strength training programs to each client's unique needs and goals. Whether recovering from injury or training for a particular event, each training program is designed to meet the needs of the individual.
At OMPT, strength training typically begins gently, especially for those recovering from injury; the focus is on getting the body moving and performing higher reps of movements with no or light loads; the focus of this phase is restoring mobility. Next, we begin to decrease the reps slightly and challenge the body tissues by adding more resistance or more load; this is where we learn to build muscular endurance. The last phases of strength training focus on building strength with high loads and low reps or building power with fast, explosive reps with lots of control at high intensity. These programs take time and consistency; it takes our tissues about 6-8 weeks to adapt to new movement patterns and increase strength relative to external stress (load).
We believe that for you to live and feel your best, your physical therapy training should look like your life or your sport to best prepare you to perform those challenges safely and with confidence in your abilities and body.
Owner of Shane Physiotherapy, Jason Shane, concurs, "strength training falls under the category of building up tissue tolerance. Most injuries happen because clients' tissue tolerance is less than the demand they are putting on said tissue. Through strength training, we are able to build up their tissue tolerance to allow them to perform their activities of choice."
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Stay tuned as we dive further into strength training principles and strength training applications in future installments of Wellness Wednesday. In the meantime, if you are ready to add some strength training into your routine, reach out; we are here to help.