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Stop Doing This If You Want to Stay Strong After 50
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Forwarded this email? Join 26,000+ other readers here. Hi Reader 👋! First off, Happy New Year! 🥳 Okay back to the newsletter 👇 There’s one big mistake I see over and over again in my patients—and it keeps them stuck in a cycle of weakness, immobility, and pain. Six months ago, I was working with a patient named Jane. After our first session, she was doing fantastic. Her back pain was slowly resolving. She was walking three times longer than before. And she was making great progress with the exercises I gave her. So naturally, I progressed her program and added a simple leg strength exercise—the chair squat. It’s something I give to many of my over-50 patients. The following week, Jane came back into my clinic. And guess what? Her pain was WORSE. She felt weaker than when we first started. And she could barely walk. So what happened? The Biggest Exercise Mistake People Over 50 MakeWe call it the boom-and-bust cycle. Jane did what many motivated people do when they start feeling better— overdoing it. Like most of my patients, Jane had fallen into the trap of: Boom: doing too much on good days Bust: doing too little—or nothing—when pain flares up (for extended periods) The good news? We caught it early. Because I was following up with her regularly, we adjusted her program. We cut her chair squat reps and daily steps by 50%. I asked her to try that version and simply see how her body responded. And it worked. We found a new baseline—one her body could actually tolerate. What Happened After Correcting This MistakeA couple of months later, Jane is thriving. She’s stronger, more confident, and moving better than she has in years. And here’s the key lesson: There is no magic number for how much exercise you should do. Everyone’s body—and capacity—is different. As physiotherapists, we can give general guidelines. But until you try something and observe how your body responds, we don’t truly know what works for you. So here’s the simple rule I give most of my patients: The 10% Up, 50% Down RuleIf you’re starting a new exercise and you’re prescribed something like 2 sets of 10 reps:
✅ If it feels good → increase reps by 10% next week ❌ If it flares you up → reduce reps by 50% and try again From there, progress becomes simple: steady, slow, and sustainable. No crashes. No setbacks. Just onwards and upwards 🚀 P.S. I’d Love Your Help! Over the last 6 months, I’ve been quietly building an all-in-one health program for adults over 50. If staying strong, mobile, and independent matters to you, I’d really value your input! This 2-minute quiz will directly shape the program—so it’s practical, realistic, and genuinely helpful for people who want to stay active and independent for years to come. Thank you so much!
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Shrey Vazir - Physiotherapist for Over-50s
Short, science-backed tips to help you stay strong, active, and pain-free—sent right to your inbox. Trusted by 450,000+ on YouTube.
Hi Reader 👋! I expected John to be weak, slow, and unsteady. I couldn't have been more wrong. In my first year as a physiotherapist, I met an 82-year-old patient named John who had just undergone a hip replacement. When I called his name in the waiting room, he practically sprang out of his chair. No cane.No walker.No assistance. He walked into the treatment room faster than I did. I was stunned! Later in the session I finally asked him: "John, what's your secret?" His answer was surprisingly...