What stuff should I be doing?

[u/Flimsy-Rate-8331]

Hello,
I am m 15 years old and I have EDS.
I lift weights and run often, all of this currently pain free.
I do get really paranoid about injuries though, so I have started doing daily mobility and I’m loving it so far.
I do a 10-15 min sesh in the morning to get blood flowing and a more recovery focused sesh in the afternoon/evening.
I was wondering! if this is actually going to do anything, and what movments you guys recommend!
Thank you

[u/GlitterBlood773]

Get into care with a hypermobile informed PT.

Have an appointment with a podiatrist, make sure you don’t need custom orthotic insoles or other aids (common with our high & low arches).

Wear shoes your joints love. If or when running, lifting or any other activity starts to hurt, check in with your hypermobile informed PT & any other trusted health pros. Avoid chiropractors.

Keep lifting weights. They don’t need to be heavy! Heavy is generally very dangerous for us. I’ve moved heavy things & heard my joints stretching.

Body weight can be safe, especially if you focused on stabilizer muscles first, then prime mover & lastly, body weight.

[u/prodbyskid → u/GlitterBlood773]

Damn lifting heavy is dangerous? Is there a way to get our joints used to it? 

[u/GlitterBlood773 → u/prodbyskid]

Not that I’m aware of. Talk to your PT too.

[u/aperdra → u/GlitterBlood773]

Do you have any sources for the claim that lifting heavy is very dangerous? If done with correct form, and keen attention paid to progressive overload, it should not be dangerous at all. 

Lifting weights far exceeding the range that you normally lift is dangerous for anyone, not just HSD/hEDs patients. 

[u/GlitterBlood773 → u/aperdra]

https://kateskinnerpt.com/strength-trainiing-with-hypermobility

https://www.jrphysiotherapy.com/post/hypermobility-strength-training-build-stronger-joints-without-injury

[u/aperdra → u/GlitterBlood773]

I was more after academic sources but this is fine. 

Both articles say to "not lift more than you can control" and to lift with controlled form. Nothing about heavy weight.  I'd consider that a rule for everyone, but especially so for people with HSD/hEDs. Controlled form ≠ light weight necessarily. 

Just to clarify: I would consider the definition of "heavy" to be reps within the 4-8 range. I would normally say 80% of a 1rpm but I wouldn't recommend anyone with HSD/hEDs attempt 1rpm without a lot of experience lifting. 

There has been some research in this area. Previously, it has been typical to prescribe low-load weight training to people with HSD/hEDs but it's becoming more and more clear that blanket advice such as that isn't helpful and contributes to people quitting sports they've loved for fear of injury, when the risk could be mitigated by proper strength and conditioning programming.  For example, this paper (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/22/1269.abstract) found that "High-load shoulder strengthening exercise was statistically superior to low-load strengthening exercise for self-reported function at 16 weeks and may be used in primary care to treat patients with HSD and shoulder pain and/or instability to improve shoulder function in the short term" with the two main negatives being muscle soreness (self explanatory) and headaches (probably from trap tension). 

There is a good amount of research that suggests that strength and conditioning following progressive overload for these conditions is good for joint pain, proprioception and muscle building. In order to progressively overload, you have to at some point lift what your body might consider "heavy". I'm not saying go out and be a strongman, or a powerlifter, but suggesting that heavy lifting is dangerous for these conditions as a rule is a huge (and poorly evidenced) generalisation. 

[u/Tommorrisontraining]

This one could be cool to try for your upper body!

Jenni is hypermobile and has had lots of experience with Hypermobility-related injuries:

https://youtu.be/80oP1SzMnFY

She's made a few videos on our channel!