My mom has recently show an interest in resistance training. Which is awesome and of course wants her son to teach her. I am however concerned about a few things because of her medical background.
1.) COPD: I’ve read a couple studies on the impacts of resistance training regarding sedentary COPD patients, to which I’ve gathered that such training can be safely performed without the fear of COPD related issues. Her pulmonologist has given her a machine that to me seems like resistance training for her lungs. Is there any more light that could be shed on training with COPD? Or programming recommendations/considerations.
2.) Underweight: currently she is 4’11” and 92 lbs. she’s 56, and an adenocarcinoma lung cancer survivor (remission going on 2 years). We also own a farm so even during that process and all throughout chemo she would be outside throwing hay bales and running fence with us. Getting her weight up is the goal only issue is her feeling full for excessively long periods of time, she can eat a salad and be full for the entire day. Recommendations?
3.) Finally my biggest concern: her 10,11,12th ribs on her left side were removed because of the cancer spreading. Her doctor has cleared her to continue normal activity, and to me resistance training isn’t her normal activity. She can throw around 50lbs feed bags and other tasks related to farm life and has been doing the same tasks for going on 40 years now. She admits to and I’ve noticed that she tends to guard that side of her body more regarding physical activity. I told her to schedule an appointment with her PCM just to see what he says specifically about resistance training given his current knowledge of her daily activity. So we are waiting on that. However, if given the okay I don’t even know where to start with that. I feel like there would be special considerations. Or would it be like any other coaching? Where I would manage load, fatigue, etc.?
Usually I would run with something like Dr. Jordan’s thinking where you are okay until which time when you are not and then adjust accordingly (Not a direct quote). Maybe I’m adding to those social/ psychological nocebo factors, my mom has never complained of pain in the area of her ribs but like I said she guards it pretty heavily, avoiding doing anything strenuous on that side. In my head, putting a belt on her and having her squat seems sketchy.
Her goals are to build more cross sectional muscles and to become stronger. In her context of strength, she is interested in the big three lifts with no intention on competing. It would just be something to bond with her son with. Lengthy post I apologize but she had me scratching my head when she started asking about wanting to train with me.
This is great news. You are correct that COPD patients can benefit from resistance training. There are no specific programming considerations I’d recommend prospectively (meaning I’d use the standard approach of start training and adjust based on how she’s feeling and how she responds). If she has severe COPD and is on oxygen, you’d just have to start out even more conservatively.
High calorie-density, low-fiber foods (think peanut butter, regular ice cream, etc), liquid foods (shakes / smoothies), and plenty of protein (target should be about 1.6 g / kg / d).
If her normal activity involves throwing around 50 lb feed bags, why are you worried about her squatting an empty bar or pressing a training bar?
If she’s been cleared for activity, I don’t see why there would be “special considerations” here.
I suppose my biggest concern would be putting a belt on her, not so much the act of squatting or deadlifting. Since her ribs are gone my lack of experience dealing with this type of scenario is where this stems from. For right now I’m going to run with having her try the movements with a belt, if something (hopefully not) goes wrong, then I’ll have the information at that point to decide to use a belt or not.
use an ole Boolean expression.
Does squat feel good with belt?
if yes, carry on
else,
lift less weight
else,
take off belt
else,
change movement.
