Caroline Hooper. Chartered Physiotherapist

08/05/2026

Yesterday I tried out doing my zoom exercise class wearing a weighted vest & am proud to say I survived unscathed. Weighted vests can be a great alternative to using hand weights especially for lower body & core strength plus balance (that’s what I’m up to in the screenshot 😂). They can also help improve aerobic fitness by wearing them out walking, jogging or even doing housework.

It important that you increase the weight gradually over time as the body doesn’t like sudden change.

03/05/2026

We lose strength and mobility and balance from as young as 30. Here are some exercises, all of which we do in my fitness classes to help keep our legs strong, flexible and coordinated

12/04/2026

If we have an injury or pain in one part of our body we often completely stop exercising, when in fact even if that area is too painful if we can keep gently moving and the rest of our body fit it will benefit our whole body including injured/ painful area too.

This is something I explain, support and encourage in my role as a Physiotherapist and my fitness classes.

One of the most counterproductive things that happens to people with this condition is that they stop doing everything. Their elbow hurts, so they stop lifting, stop exercising, stop the activities that keep them healthy and sane.

There is a significant difference between activities that provoke severe elbow pain and activities that don’t. If you can run, ride a bike, do lower-body training, or swim without significant elbow pain, keep doing those things. Deconditioning is not a treatment. Maintaining your overall fitness, your metabolic health, and your sense of agency over your own body is part of recovery, not something to defer until the elbow is perfect.

I’ve now had this in both elbows. I kept working out, but I had to adjust certain movements. I couldn’t lift the dumbbells from the ground to bench press. But if someone handed them to me once I was lying down, I was fine. Adjust as needed. Don’t wait until this goes away completely.

You limit what you do based on what actually hurts not based on a general instruction to rest. That instruction is often well-intentioned and frequently wrong.

06/04/2026

Happy Easter Monday.

Easter is a celebration of life and new beginnings. What does this have to do with standing on one leg?

Well, the ability to balance on one leg measures your general strength, coordination and flexibility. Good balance is associated with a good functional quality of life. Poor balance is associated with frailty and the danger of falls.

If we don’t practice we can lose up to 1second a year, and it is recommended we do daily balance exercises from the age of 65. My view is to start from your 30s if you can as this is when we start to naturally lose strength. If you don’t practice, now is a good time to start.

We do lots of different strength, flexibility, balance and coordination exercises in my fitness classes, and I see everyone improve within weeks !

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B2RpPFTnj/?mibextid=wwXIfr

01/04/2026

Our fitness class focus this week was bone health. 1/2 women and 1/5 men will develop osteoporosis, and risk bone fractures. The good news is we can help ourselves by being
strong 💪steady ⚖️ - straight🧍‍♀️-and stomping 🥾
regularly.

Research shows that impact exercises and lifting weights can help to keep bones strong and even build them up

18/03/2026

Can you get off the floor?
This may sound easy but over time it can become a struggle so it’s important to practice

We have started to practice this in my Monday morning class & will make it a regular feature

These physios show 2 methods of getting on & off the floor

➡️ Your FREE Physio At-Home Workouts: https://bemobile.physio/start-exercise-free✅ Feel Stronger, Steadier & More Confident✅ Safe, Effective Exercises Design...

12/03/2026

This nicely summarises the essence of my fitness classes - fitness throughout our life depends on many components, not just the “latest trend”. No fancy equipment is needed just repetition and progression with a friendly group atmosphere for support.

As we age, we often focus on maintaining muscle strength but there’s another layer that declines even faster: power, balance, and coordination. These are controlled by the neuromuscular system, the complex network that allows your brain and nerves to communicate seamlessly with your muscles. Think of it as the software behind the hardware of your body. Even if your muscles are strong, if your nervous system struggles to send or coordinate signals, simple movements like stepping off a curb, turning quickly, or reaching for something on a high shelf can become risky.

The good news? These skills aren’t fixed. Training that challenges balance, agility, reaction time, and coordination strengthen the connections between your brain and muscles. Over time, this helps you move more confidently, reduce falls, and maintain independence. Small, consistent practice like controlled stepping exercises, light agility drills, or even daily intentional movement, compounds into a safer, stronger, and more capable body. Aging doesn’t have to mean losing control; it means learning to preserve and refine the communication that keeps every movement precise and reliable.

11/03/2026

This study by Bournemouth University highlights the importance of of having fun & the social element of group exercise. Dancing is a great way to move and socialise without overthinking. It’s natural and doesn’t require fancy equipment too

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg30w883kno?at_link_type=web_link&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_medium=social&at_format=image&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_link_id=864D01C8-1D1B-11F1-B74C-D5FE4EA6B202&at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_origin=BBC_Dorset&at_campaign=Social_Flow&fbclid=IwdGRjcAQeecxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEehVuK9_143JmjM43ZPkLu6-cb7CK5u6dc29mPgkk3YFKzGtwFmwC2f_3bOjs_aem_ugjhWg1I6MzHIA8Ldf7SfA

Bournemouth researchers looked to see if dancing could improve the condition.

08/03/2026

Today is International Women’s Day.

Over 70% of people suffering with Chronic Pain are women. Women are often diagnosed much later than men and struggle to be heard or get the multidimensional care and support they need.

I would like to acknowledge, empathise and give an International hug to everyone with chronic pain, recognising the extra struggle we women have.

I am one of the many, and also am a healthcare professional. I hope that my living experience helps me listen, understand and support in an informed & compassionate way.

More information on the disparities we women have with chronic pain experience, diagnosis and support can also be found here : https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/women-and-pain-disparities-in-experience-and-treatment-2017100912562

Chronic pain has a way of humbling even the most experienced clinicians. For many, it becomes time-consuming and exhausting — a crash course in self-advocacy, compassion, and open-mindedness.

Medscape Medical News spoke with doctors who have experienced chronic pain about what pain care often gets wrong and how becoming a pain patient has fundamentally changed the way they practice medicine: https://mdsc.pe/4aTN2gA

02/03/2026

An important message for us all -we start losing muscle at just 30!
The good news is that we can maintain and even build muscle at any age without a gym or fancy equipment through progressively loading our muscles just 2-3 times a week

We focus on how to do this in my weekly fitness classes.

Strength training rarely gets the credit it deserves. Many still see it as something for athletes or young people chasing aesthetics. But the science tells a different story. Regular resistance training is linked to a lower risk of death from all causes including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes even when done in small, consistent amounts. That should stop you for a moment.

After 50, muscle loss accelerates. Strength declines. Balance weakens. Blood sugar becomes harder to regulate. What feels like “just aging” is often preventable deconditioning. Muscle functions like a protective organ improving insulin sensitivity, supporting bone density, reducing inflammation, and helping you react quickly enough to prevent a fall. When muscle shrinks, vulnerability grows.

And yet many older adults walk daily but never lift. They stay active but avoid resistance. They stretch but don’t challenge strength. A few sets of chair squats. Carrying groceries with intention. Resistance bands at home. Two to three sessions a week can shift long-term health outcomes dramatically.

No extreme routines required. No gym obsession necessary. Just progressive load and consistency.

Strength built today becomes independence protected tomorrow. The ability to rise from the floor. To climb stairs without fear. To travel. To carry a grandchild. To remain steady when life moves suddenly.
Muscle is not decoration. It is protection.

If more people understood that, aging would look very different.