As a caregiver, I’ve always felt that it’s my duty to keep my care recipients in the best health possible, so I try to encourage activities that promote health. I have always encouraged resistance training and weight-bearing exercises in order to prevent bone density loss, but recently after reading some new information, I’ve had to reconsider whether or not that’s the wisest idea; because apparently the positives don’t actually outweigh the negatives, at least not as it was once believed. With everything there’s obviously a chance of injury, and while I don’t believe on steering clear of things just because there’s a potential risk, there better be a good reason to take that risk. Apparently, with resistance training for bone density, the potential bone loss can only be increased by up to 3%, and the required exercises can result in serious spinal problems that can be more crippling than even the effects of reduced bone density or osteoporosis.

So as a caregiver, I’ve had to think long and hard to determine what’s better for my Phoenix senior. While doctors may say that resistance training is the way to go, others aren’t so sure. Of course, these decisions aren’t up to me alone; my senior has a mind of her own when it comes to her health, and her family is always looking after her well-being as well. But as her primary caregiver, I choose the activities that we do together, and it’s up to me to encourage or discourage activities like resistance training. After speaking with my care recipient’s doctor and her family, we’ve decided that we’ll keep resistance training as part of the routine, because the benefits are still there, and after years, the potential risks have yet to show themselves to us. But it is interesting, how as caregivers, we need to constantly re-evaluate techniques and methods as information and opinions are constantly changing.

Sources:

1. Suite101
2. Mayo Clinic

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