Simple beginner program with autoimmune

slaite1

Hello!

I am trying to put together a simple strength routine for my mom (she has a number of health issues). She is VERY deconditioned, but not at all overweight (she's tiny). I'm a trainer and I have tons of equipment at my house. I'm just having a mental block on this.

We are going to do it together. I walk with her 2-3x week. And we will be strength training 2-3x week as well in my home. I have a range of dumbbell/barbells/kettlebells/bench/pull-up bar etc. I have tons of ideas, but need to pull it together into a solid program.

Anyone have any suggestion on resources, particularly when it comes to lupus/arthritis/osteoporosis? Or plans you have used for someone older in very poor shape? Obviously I will modify it based on her health needs. Just looking for some inspiration. Thanks!

Tried30UserNames

I can't speak specifically to your mom's issues which may be quite different than mine, but I find I do quite well with strength training as long as there isn't too much cardio involved. When I'm doing something that gets my heart rate up or involves me moving around a lot, I tend to need to spend the rest of the day in bed. If I'm just kind of holding still working a specific muscle, I'm fine the rest of the day.

Quite a few months ago, I hired a trainer. He had me doing lots of planks and things where I was stepping up and down. I had a bad recurrence of all my symptoms and couldn't do any exercise for months. If I'd just been doing arm curls or using weight machines or similar, I would have been fine.

slaite1

Tried30UserNames wrote: »

I can't speak specifically to your mom's issues which may be quite different than mine, but I find I do quite well with strength training as long as there isn't too much cardio involved. When I'm doing something that gets my heart rate up or involves me moving around a lot, I tend to need to spend the rest of the day in bed. If I'm just kind of holding still working a specific muscle, I'm fine the rest of the day.

Quite a few months ago, I hired a trainer. He had me doing lots of planks and things where I was stepping up and down. I had a bad recurrence of all my symptoms and couldn't do any exercise for months. If I'd just been doing arm curls or using weight machines or similar, I would have been fine.

Thanks for the response!! Sorry to hear about the recurrence. It certainly is a tightrope between staying healthy and overdoing it.

She does great with walking. When it comes to strength, it's a different story. It has to be short sessions and can not be too heavy. She fatigues quickly and if we overdo it the fatigue doesn't go away. But i know if we progress she will actually do better over all.

I do not want to set off a flare of course. But I do want her to get a little stronger. Not just lift some random weights and never progress (like she's been randomly doing).

Cherimoose

slaite1 wrote: »

I'm a trainer and I have tons of equipment at my house. I'm just having a mental block on this.

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you have a good trainer certification, their manual should explain to how create a program for those with limitations. NASM has an easy system for this. If your cert doesn't explain what to do, there's a simple program in my profile that can be modified to almost anyone. It's probably a good idea to first warm up the target joints for 5-10 minutes. A rower or elliptical works well for this, since it moves all the joints.

Azdak

It's best to focus on mobilization first and not be concerned with "strength training". You need to find the absolute minimum she can tolerate and work up from there. I have also had success starting off with elastic bands--the resistance is more gentle, can be adjusted easily, and tends to reach "Maximum" in movement positions that require an almost isometric hold. This seems to be tolerated well.

I have also found success with low-level body weight movements--sit/stand, low (4"-6") step ups, incline push ups. I also like modified squats (restricted ROM) with bands as resistance to be helpful, and also having the person "push down" a band that is attached to a bar or something at head height.

Like I said, find the minimum she can tolerate and then let the body's adaptability do it's thing.

My experience is that there is so much variability between individuals that structured "programs" (e.g. "arthritis" or "lupus" programs) are pretty useless. Just think in terms of general, functional movements that would are easily tolerated, don't require a lot of skill, and that would improve her general quality of life. Then it will be a matter of trial and error. Structure every workout to be a "win"--something she will walk away feeling positive about.

lorrpb

It sounds like you will need very light weights & KB, 5-10 lb for starters. Resistance bands are good too because you can adjust the resistance based on where you stand. From there, you need a whole body workout, all major muscle groups and compound movements, plus some stability and balance work.
Make a sheet that lists the major muscle groups, stability, & balance, with space between each heading. Then just start listing out the different exercises & equipment bouncing around in your head under each category. The result will be an organized program with lots of variety. You could look at NROL4Life. It takes a similar approach and offers a template with different types of exercises to choose from for each category of exercise.

slaite1

Thank you for the input guys! I'm actually certified through ACSM, and also am certified as an inclusive fitness trainer; which does spend a little bit more time looking at special populations.

I think I'm just struggling with it because it's my mom. I did finally make a simple program for her to start on next week, and we will see how she does. Reading through your feedback helped tremendously. I KNOW the right things to do, but it became overwhelming as I was over thinking it. I made her an incredibly simple program that is very easy to modify, and we'll be doing it together so that will help.

Thanks again. I needed the kick in the butt to stop trying so hard.

Azdak

slaite1 wrote: »

Thank you for the input guys! I'm actually certified through ACSM, and also am certified as an inclusive fitness trainer; which does spend a little bit more time looking at special populations.

I think I'm just struggling with it because it's my mom. I did finally make a simple program for her to start on next week, and we will see how she does. Reading through your feedback helped tremendously. I KNOW the right things to do, but it became overwhelming as I was over thinking it. I made her an incredibly simple program that is very easy to modify, and we'll be doing it together so that will help.

Thanks again. I needed the kick in the butt to stop trying so hard.

It's not always easy to work with a family member. I'm not sure why, but it is. I was trying to work with my wife a couple of years ago. It took a bit for me to see her as a "client" and not a wife. But once I got into "professional mode", she had an even more difficult time accepting me as a "trainer" rather than a husband. Essentially, she wasn't comfortable with me telling her what to do (what wife is?) ;-)

canadianlbs

slaite1 wrote: »

I do not want to set off a flare of course. But I do want her to get a little stronger. Not just lift some random weights and never progress (like she's been randomly doing).

i think the best thing to do is aim for consistency, monitor her system's responses closely, and adjust based on the way that it goes. auto-immune is so case-by-case. even another person with exactly the 'same' thing as me could have a totally different life and a completely different pathway with the disease.

speaking as someone with rheumatoid arthritis who bike commutes and also lifts, all i can say is YAY that you understand the most important thing: how to watch her day-to-day state and respect what it means.

slaite1

Thanks guys!!!

My mom is open to me training her. The boyfriend... not so much

I'm excited to start her program. Fingers crossed