Building Strength That Keeps Us Moving

How do we build strength in a way that supports us over time? It’s a question that continues to shape my own movement practice and what I teach at ORB Yoga.

Through years of practice, study, research and working with different bodies, I’ve come to appreciate how much the approach matters: finding an appropriate challenge, building gradually and allowing time for recovery.

My recent Yoga Plus for Bone Health training affirmed much of what already guides my teaching and added a more specific bone health perspective to the strength, stability and balance work we explore together.

One principle worth attention is how we increase the challenge. Our bodies need a reason to adapt, and time to respond to what we ask of them. Understanding that doesn’t make us immune to occasionally getting ahead of ourselves.

I had a recent reminder in my own practice.

A little reminder from my own practice

Recently, I decided my hamstrings needed more challenge and tried a Nordic hamstring curl, a demanding exercise that uses your own body weight.

My hamstrings seemed to handle it quite well. My knee was less enthusiastic. A week and a half later, I was still feeling discomfort around the joint.

I can’t say exactly what was irritated, but it certainly made me question the size of the step I had taken. There were several ways I could have built up the challenge more gradually before moving to that exercise.

It was a useful, if unwelcome, reminder that feeling strong enough to attempt something doesn’t necessarily mean we are ready for that particular demand. Apparently, knowing better and doing better still require the occasional conversation.

More challenge doesn’t always mean more weight

You may have heard the term “progressive overload.” It simply means gradually increasing the demands of an exercise as your body becomes better able to handle it.

Picking up a heavier weight is one way to do that. Depending on the exercise and your goals, you might also:

• Add a repetition or two.

• Gradually add another set.

• Slow down the lowering part of a movement.

• Add a brief pause where you would usually move straight through.

Think about getting up from a chair. Once that feels manageable, you might practise sitting back down more slowly, with control, before reaching for a weight. Your thighs will likely have something to say about that small change.

These adjustments still increase the demands on your body, so they deserve a gradual approach. Changing one thing at a time gives you an opportunity to notice how you respond, during the movement and afterwards.

Is yoga enough for bone health?

Yoga can be a valuable starting point for developing strength, balance and confidence in how we move. It also complements a broader strength training program.

As our bodies adapt, we need to consider whether the challenge is enough for our goals. Adding repetitions, another set or a controlled pause can help increase muscular work before we add more resistance.

When improving bone density is also a goal, the amount and type of loading deserve particular attention. For many of us, building further will involve adding resistance through bands, weights or other equipment, with a starting point and progression that suit the individual.

What this means at ORB Yoga

Strength, stability, balance and body awareness already have a place in how I teach. My recent training adds another layer as I develop more specific Yoga Plus for Bone Health offerings for our community.

We’ll continue exploring movements that support everyday life, including squatting, hinging, pushing and pulling, with opportunities to build the challenge over time.

I also want you to understand why we are doing something, so you can make informed choices in class and beyond. We can practise together without all needing the same version of an exercise.

For those of us in our fifties, sixties and beyond, an injury can interrupt our routines, confidence and the activities we enjoy. Some rebuilding may be needed afterwards, although a short break doesn’t erase our progress.

We can’t prevent every injury, but thoughtful progression and recovery help us work towards strength we can keep building on.

Right effort, done often, is enough.