One of the things I love about exercise science is that it continues to evolve. As new research emerges, we have opportunities to refine what we know and, perhaps more importantly, how we apply it to everyday life.
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Last week, we explored research suggesting that approximately 90–120 minutes of resistance training per week may provide the greatest long-term health benefits.​
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As encouraging as those findings were, I found myself thinking about a different question.
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What about the person who isn't there yet?
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What if you're just beginning?
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What if you're living with a chronic health condition, recovering from an injury, or simply trying to figure out where resistance training fits into your week?
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What if ninety minutes still feels like too much?
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These are the conversations I have every week with clients. Most people don't question whether resistance training is beneficial. They're wondering how to get started in a way that feels manageable.
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That's why this newest study immediately caught my attention.
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​Researchers recruited adults over the age of 65 who were inactive and already experiencing difficulty walking. Instead of prescribing lengthy workouts, participants completed a brief, home-based functional strength routine each day for 12 weeks. The exercises focused on everyday movements like standing up from a chair, stepping up, pulling, and pushing.
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The results were encouraging.
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Participants improved lower-body strength, balance, and functional mobility—abilities that help us get out of a chair, climb stairs, and remain independent as we age. Even more encouraging, participants completed the program on more than 80% of the days during the study. To me, that speaks to something just as important as the results themselves: the program was realistic enough that people actually did it.
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To be clear, the researchers aren't suggesting that a few minutes of exercise replaces the current physical activity guidelines. Rather, this study reminds us that even a small amount of well-designed functional resistance training can improve the movements that matter most in everyday life.
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That was my biggest takeaway.
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Sometimes we become so focused on what is ideal that we forget to ask,
"What can I do today?"
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For some people, today's answer might be ninety minutes spread throughout the week.
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For someone else, today's answer might be a few purposeful minutes.
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Both answers move you forward.
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​If you'd like to try the routine used in this study, I've recreated the exercises as a downloadable PDF inside the MedFit Movement Studio.They're simple, functional movements that provide a practical place to begin if you're looking to incorporate resistance training into your own routine.

​Remember, we don't have to wait until we have more time.
We don't have to wait until we feel stronger.
We simply begin where we are today.
One small step still counts.
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Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa

It's interesting how more and more research is emerging around resistance training.
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Just a few weeks ago, I shared some of the updated recommendations around resistance training. Now, hot off the press, another study is adding to what we know about the role resistance training plays in our long-term health.
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What caught my attention wasn't simply that resistance training was associated with better long-term health outcomes.
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It was the amount.
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​Researchers followed more than 140,000 adults for up to 30 years and found that approximately 90 to 120 minutes of resistance training per week was associated with the greatest health benefits.​
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When I first read that number, I immediately started doing the math.
That's only about 15 to 20 minutes per day.
Not hours.
Not daily gym visits.
About 15 to 20 minutes.
Suddenly it feels much more achievable.
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Most people don't start resistance training because they're thinking about longevity.
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They start because they want to move better, feel better, reduce pain, stay independent, or continue doing the activities that matter to them.
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Yet what we're learning from the research is that the activities that help us stay strong and capable today may also influence how well we age over time.
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Many clients ask me:
 Am I doing enough?
 Do I need to spend hours in the gym?
 Do I need to lift heavy weights?
 Is what I'm doing making a difference?
This is something I hear a lot.
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Many people feel like they're falling behind because they aren't exercising enough. They believe they need longer workouts, more days per week, or a gym membership before resistance training can make a meaningful difference.
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Resistance training, sometimes called strength training or muscle-strengthening exercise, is any activity that challenges your muscles against a form of resistance.
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This can include:
 Bodyweight exercises
 Resistance bands
 Hand weights
 Weight machines
 Functional strengthening exercises at home
 Structured exercise classes
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For years we've been told that if exercise is good, then more exercise must be better.
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But what we're seeing more and more in the research is that this isn't always the case.
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From a movement perspective, this makes a lot of sense.
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Exercise is medicine when it is dosed correctly.
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Too little may not provide enough stimulus for change.
Too much can become difficult to sustain or simply become another source of stress in an already busy life.
What we know from the research is that there appears to be a sweet spot.
Enough resistance training to challenge your muscles, support your health, maintain muscle, and help preserve function as you age.
The goal isn't to do the most.
The goal is to do enough consistently.
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Ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes per week can look very different depending on your lifestyle and preferences.
It might be:
• Three 30-minute sessions per week
• Four 20- to 30-minute sessions per week
• Short movement snacks spread throughout the week
• A combination of classes and home exercises
We can work with this.
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The best resistance training program is often the one you'll actually do.
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So I want you to consider:
Where is resistance training already showing up in your life?
What counts that perhaps you've been overlooking?
What is one small way you could add 15 to 20 minutes of muscle-strengthening activity this week?
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You don't have to push through.
You don't have to be perfect.
You don't have to wait until you have more time.
One small step still counts.
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If you're looking for a place to start, I'd love to invite you to join Move Now, the complimentary community inside the online MedFit Movement Studio.​
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Inside you'll find free movement resources, educational content, and two simple 20-minute bodyweight resistance training workouts that you can do at home with little to no equipment.
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Research can tell us what works.
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Community often helps us put it into practice.
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​Let's rethink resistance training.
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You may need less than you think.
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Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa
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P.S. As I was reading this research, it got me thinking about how many people would benefit from a simple, practical introduction to resistance training at home.

I'm considering offering a virtual resistance band workshop series designed to help people build strength, confidence, and consistency without needing a gym.
If that sounds interesting to you, email me directly ([email protected]) and let me know.

Your feedback will help me decide whether to move forward with it.

​As we move into the thick of gardening season and spend more time outdoors tending to our yards, flower beds, and vegetable gardens, it can be helpful to ask ourselves a simple question:
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How am I preparing my body for these activities?
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For many people, gardening is a labour of love.
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We look forward to the warmer weather, the longer days, and the opportunity to get our hands in the dirt.
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What we don't always look forward to is how our bodies might feel afterward.
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A few hours of weeding, digging, planting, or hauling bags of soil can leave us feeling stiff, sore, or simply more tired than expected.
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One reason for this may be that we often jump straight into gardening without preparing for the movements we're about to do.
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When we think about warming up, many of us associate it with sports, exercise classes, or going for a run.
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But gardening is a physical activity too.
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This is something I see every spring.
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After spending much of the winter moving one way, we suddenly head outside and ask our bodies to spend hours kneeling, bending, reaching, carrying, and working close to the ground.
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It's no wonder things can feel a little uncomfortable afterward.
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That doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.
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More often, it means our bodies appreciate having a chance to ease back into these movements.
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If you've spent most of the morning sitting, driving, or working indoors, gardening can feel a little like asking your body to go from zero to sixty.
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That's why I like to think about warming up a little differently.
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Not as injury prevention.
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As a rehearsal.
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A warm-up gives us a chance to practice the very movements we're about to do.
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It helps us reconnect with bending, reaching, kneeling, carrying, and all the other tasks that gardening asks of us.
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In this week's Real Moves for Real Life Garden Edition video, I share seven simple movements that can help prepare your body for gardening season.
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Think of it as a few minutes of preparation that could make your time in the garden feel a whole lot better.
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And the best part?
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You likely already have the equipment.
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Using a broom handle, rake, shovel, or dowel, we move through a series of exercises designed to prepare the shoulders, hips, spine, hands, and legs for the demands of gardening.
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Together, we practice:

• Shoulder mobility for lifting, carrying, and reaching
• Hip hinging for bending forward more efficiently
• Gentle neck and upper-body mobility
• Lunging and kneeling patterns for getting closer to the ground
• Rotation and side-bending movements
• Hand and grip preparation for pruning, digging, and yard work

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None of these movements are complicated.
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In fact, that's the point.
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Simple, intentional movement before gardening can help you feel more prepared and more confident heading into your outdoor tasks.
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And perhaps just as importantly, it gives your body a more gradual transition into activity rather than asking it to do everything all at once.
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So before you head outside this week, consider taking a few minutes to rehearse the movements you'll be using.
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Your garden will still be there.
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And your body may thank you for it.
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I'd love to hear from you:
Which of the seven movements surprised you the most?
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Watch the video and comment below to let me know.​
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Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa

Have you ever said…
"My right knee is my bad knee."
"My left shoulder is the problem."
"My good hip is doing all the work."
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I hear comments like this all the time.
And I understand what people mean.
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They're talking about the side that hurts.
The side that feels stiff.
The side they don't trust anymore.
The side that doesn't seem to cooperate.
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And every time I hear someone describe their body this way, I find myself thinking the same thing:
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What if we're missing the point?
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Because while one side may be painful, weaker, or more limited than the other, our bodies don't operate as separate parts.
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They operate as a system.
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The "good" side doesn't stop communicating with the "bad" side.
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In fact, it may be helping more than we realize.
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Recently, I attended a presentation highlighting the updated American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on resistance training.
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One of the concepts discussed was something called cross-education.
It's a fascinating idea.
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Researchers have found that when you strengthen one side of your body, the opposite side can become stronger too—even when it isn't being trained directly.
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Read that again. 
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If your left leg is limited because of pain, strengthening your right leg may still provide benefits.
If your right shoulder isn't functioning the way you'd like, training the left side may still help.
The exact details are still being studied, but we know this isn't just a muscle story.
It's a nervous system story.
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Your brain is paying attention.
Your nervous system is learning.
Your body is constantly sharing information from one side to the other.
And honestly, I see versions of this every day.
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Someone comes in with a sore knee.
We don't only look at the knee.
Someone comes in with a painful shoulder.
We don't only look at the shoulder.
Someone comes in with hip arthritis.
We don't only look at the hip.
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Because the body is always looking for ways to adapt.
Always looking for ways to help itself.
Always looking for opportunities to keep moving forward.
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So maybe we need to stop thinking about good sides and bad sides.
Maybe we need to start thinking about helping sides and supported sides.
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Because sometimes the side that feels strongest is doing exactly what it can to help the side that needs it most.
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If this idea has you thinking differently about the side of your body that feels strongest, I have a practical resource for you.

In this video, I share 9 isometric wall exercises designed to help build strength using your own body weight. Several of the exercises can be performed one side at a time, making them a useful option when one side of the body feels more capable, confident, or comfortable than the other.
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The goal isn't to ignore the side that hurts.
It's to continue finding ways to move, build strength, and support your body where you can.
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And I think there's something hopeful in that.
Not because it means the painful side will instantly feel better.
But because it reminds us that our bodies are remarkably connected.
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That even when one part is struggling, there may still be opportunities to build strength, confidence, and capacity elsewhere.
Sometimes that's exactly where progress begins.
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Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa
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