How Does Resistance Training Work?

According to my research, the best resistance training program for someone with arthritis is going to include the use of dumbbells, elastic cords, and exercises that use my own body weight to tone, strengthen and build muscle strength.

The way it works is like this: When I'm using any equipment, or going through a series of exercises, my muscles will be pitted against the weight - and supposedly, over time, my body's cells adapt to the weight and the result is called hypertrophy - or the enlarging and increasing action of nerve cells to help contract the muscles. (That sounds a little complicated, and I'll explain it in more detail in another post, so stay tuned!)

Now of course before I start my resistance training, I'll consult with my doctor first - and so should you - especially if you have any medical conditions, or haven't been exercising or moving regularly. Also, according to my research, it's very important to learn to do the exercises properly - doing them the wrong way can actually hurt more than it will help and can cause damage to the muscles and tendons. So I'm going to talk to my doctor about going to a physical therapist, to learn which exercises are right for me, and how to do them properly. Something else I learned is that it's important to do warm up exercises first, to help get your body ready for the resistance training,.


Resistance training can also be done without resorting to exercise equipment. Doing push-ups is one good example of a resistance exercise that uses the body's own weight rather than any machines. For me, because of the arthritis in my wrists and shoulders, I don't think I can do push-ups, but there is another way to do them that I discovered I can do.

You use your kitchen counter. Stand about 6 inches (or whatever is comfortable for you) away from the counter. Put your hands about shoulder-width apart and lean your body in towards the counter - when it gets tough, or you're almost touching the counter, stop and hold for a count of 10, and then move back to your original position. Do this for 3 sets of 10 exercises each.

Here's a different way of doing this same exercise that my friend Rene swears works for turkey arms - you know, that little bit of skin that keeps wobbling when you wave to someone - even after you've stopped? (Ugh!)

Stand next to your kitchen counter, but this time facing away from it. Put your hands hip-width apart and slowly lower yourself down - as if you were going to sit down. Go down as low as you can, and hold for a count of 10 - or five, if it's too hard to do 10. Start with three sets of 5 and work your way up to three sets of 10 and do them twice a day. And you can wave good-bye to turkey arms!