I am interested to know the philosophies found here. Most gyms encourage the use of the weight machines to build and restore muscle mass after a prolonged illness. I went to one recently that discouraged their use. One trainer brought out these huge rubber bands…

What is the mindset of the authors here? Specifically as it pertains to a 40 year old mother who has never really had upper body strength and has an old neck injury that is irritated from time to time.

Thank you for your insights.

     

Injuries that continue to cause pain long after the incident or onset should be taken care of by a physical therapist, not a personal trainer. The trainer you mentioned was right in spirit, though, as physical therapists usually have their patients use resistance bands for certain injuries to rebuild strength and flexibility on the smaller-scale tissues.

Before you step foot in a gym I highly recommend seeing a physical therapist. Most actually have a doctorate in the field and they will all have a degree, they have studied this field for years and will know more about the human body and physical training than a personal trainer. I am in the medical field myself (although at a much lower level, lol) so I sincerely hope that you have insurance or live in a country where healthcare is provided by the state so you can have the neck problem addressed by a professional. If not, I would hunt around for some sort of online knowledge hub or community dealing with physical therapy, I wish I had a good example but I really don’t.