Chapter 6: How to Improve Your Strength

Safety

• Don't hold your breath during strength exercises. Breathe normally. Holding your breath while straining can cause changes in blood pressure. This is especially true for people with cardiovascular disease.
  
• If you have had a hip repair or replacement, check with your surgeon before doing lower-body exercises.
  
• If you have had a hip replacement, don't cross your legs, and don't bend your hips farther than a 90-degree angle.
  
• Avoid jerking or thrusting weights into position. That can cause injuries. Use smooth, steady movements.
  
• Avoid "locking" the joints in your arms and legs in a tightly straightened position. (A tip on how to straighten your knees: Tighten your thigh muscles. This will lift your kneecaps and protect them.)
  
• Breathe out as you lift or push, and breathe in as you relax. For example, if you are doing leg lifts, breathe out as you lift your leg, and breathe in as you lower it. This may not feel natural at first, and you probably will have to think about it as you are doing it for awhile.
  
• Muscle soreness lasting up to a few days and slight fatigue are normal after muscle-building exercises, but exhaustion, sore joints, and unpleasant muscle pulling aren't. The latter symptoms mean you are overdoing it.
  
• None of the exercises you do should cause pain. The range within which you move your arms and legs should never hurt.

Progressing

• Gradually increasing the amount of weight you use is crucial for building strength.
  
• When you are able to lift a weight between 8 to 15 times, you can increase the amount of weight you use at your next session.
  
• Here is an example of how to progress gradually: Start out with a weight that you can lift only 8 times. Keep using that weight until you become strong enough to lift it 12 to 15 times. Add more weight so that, again, you can lift it only 8 times. Use this weight until you can lift it 12 to 15 times, then add more weight. Keep repeating.