Trainer's Blog

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that in the US in 2009, 20% of adults of all ages and 50% of adults 65 and older reported having doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

It also tells us that “by 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans ages 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

What is arthritis exactly? Well there are two kinds. The first is rheumatoid arthritis and is defined as "a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints." The second is osteoarthritis. It is defined as "a progressive disorder of the joints caused by gradual loss of cartilage resulting in the development of bony spurs and cysts at the margins of the joints."

So what can be done to counter the effects of arthritis that doesn't involve a doctor and meds and their accompanying side effects such as increased chance of heart attack and stroke, ulcers and bleeding, and serious skin and allergic reactions (all having the potential of leading to death)?

Answer - strength training.

Study after study confirm that progressive strength training, or training that is designed to produce greater and greater strength as time goes by, has a positive effect on our joints when done correctly and in a manner that provides productive stress rather than distress on the joints in question.

Not only that but all the participants that practiced this form of training in the aforementioned studies...