Hello!! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and for subscribing! I have to say, I have learned a lot from dealing with my own asymmetries, which was a motivation for this post. I'm glad it makes sense and I love your approach! Thanks again! -Dr. Carla
Hello! Thanks so much for your comment and for subscribing. It's almost too obvious... life is asymmetric, so shouldn't our "training for life" be also? The fitness space - for better or for worse - is flooded with so many exercises and so many different ways to train. But when we are training for longevity, it helps to step out of the "forest" and look at the simplest, most basic things that are accessible for everyone. :)
Such a strong and very clinically relevant case for unilateral training! In practice, a lot of “aging problems” are really asymmetry problems: one hip that won’t stabilize, one ankle that’s stiff, one leg that can’t generate power, and then the brain quietly rewrites gait to protect it. That compensation is how we end up with falls, back pain, knee overload, and the slow loss of confidence with stairs and uneven ground.
Unilateral strength work is a smart antidote because it trains three things at once:
1. Force production (true strength per limb),
2. frontal-plane control (hip abductors/core, the fall-prevention muscles),
3. and proprioception/balance (the nervous system’s “where am I in space?” map).
I also appreciate the “functional” emphasis. Single-leg patterns (split squats, step-ups, single-leg RDLs, carries) are basically rehearsal for daily life(walking, climbing, getting out of a car) so they translate directly to healthspan.
Clinical add-on: start with stability first, then load progressively; use a support when needed, keep reps shy of failure, and let quality dictate progression. For midlife/older adults, this is one of the highest ROI strength investments you can make!
Hello!! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and for subscribing! I have to say, I have learned a lot from dealing with my own asymmetries, which was a motivation for this post. I'm glad it makes sense and I love your approach! Thanks again! -Dr. Carla
Hello! Thanks so much for your comment and for subscribing. It's almost too obvious... life is asymmetric, so shouldn't our "training for life" be also? The fitness space - for better or for worse - is flooded with so many exercises and so many different ways to train. But when we are training for longevity, it helps to step out of the "forest" and look at the simplest, most basic things that are accessible for everyone. :)
Such a strong and very clinically relevant case for unilateral training! In practice, a lot of “aging problems” are really asymmetry problems: one hip that won’t stabilize, one ankle that’s stiff, one leg that can’t generate power, and then the brain quietly rewrites gait to protect it. That compensation is how we end up with falls, back pain, knee overload, and the slow loss of confidence with stairs and uneven ground.
Unilateral strength work is a smart antidote because it trains three things at once:
1. Force production (true strength per limb),
2. frontal-plane control (hip abductors/core, the fall-prevention muscles),
3. and proprioception/balance (the nervous system’s “where am I in space?” map).
I also appreciate the “functional” emphasis. Single-leg patterns (split squats, step-ups, single-leg RDLs, carries) are basically rehearsal for daily life(walking, climbing, getting out of a car) so they translate directly to healthspan.
Clinical add-on: start with stability first, then load progressively; use a support when needed, keep reps shy of failure, and let quality dictate progression. For midlife/older adults, this is one of the highest ROI strength investments you can make!