When to increase weights in a senior workout.

I have been working on arms and legs with weights. I increased my ankle weights from 2 lb. to 4 lb. Yesterday my upper leg muscles began to ache. Do I go back to the 2 lb or do something else?

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When to increase weights in a senior workout.

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Jun 25, 2011
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Increasing weights for seniors
by: Douglas Schrift

“Listen to your body” is the first thing we should think of when we experience soreness or pain after exercise. It is saying,”Hey, something is going on and I want you to know about it!”

We have a saying in fitness training: “Our body reacts to a large change, but responds to a small change.” What does that mean? Well when we make a change to our exercise program that is more than our body can tolerate, it will react with pain and deep soreness.

On the other hand, if we gradually increase the stress, it will respond with increased strength and endurance with little discomfort.

On a radio there are knobs that control volume, treble, balance etc. In our bodies these knobs are known as frequency, duration and intensity. Frequency is how often you exercise, duration is how long you exercise, and intensity is usually how much resistance you are working with.

In your case it was probably too much resistance or weight. Try going back to 2 pounds and work on increasing your sets before you increase your weight. Good luck.

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Disclaimer: Please note: The authors comments are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute personal medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. Please consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program or otherwise increasing your activity level.

Hi! My name is Doug and I'm a Physical Therapist, geriatric specialist and senior fitness coach. Take a look around. I've got a lot of great free senior fitness information including videos and exercises. I want to help YOU get stronger, more independent and more balanced.