Strength Training for Hypermobility and How to Start with More Control
Strength training can feel intimidating when your joints move farther than expected, your symptoms vary, or past workouts left you sore for days. You may have been told to avoid exercise completely. You may also have been pushed into a standard program that did not account for instability, fatigue, or recovery.
There is a more useful middle ground. Strength work can be scaled to the person in front of the coach. The starting point might be simple, but simple does not mean ineffective.
What the evidence says
A 2022 systematic review found that exercise and rehabilitation may improve several physical and psychological outcomes for people with Ehlers Danlos syndromes. The authors also stressed that the evidence base is small and that more high quality trials are needed.[1] A separate review of resistance training in hEDS and HSD reached a similar conclusion: there is a sound rationale for strengthening, but condition specific research remains limited.[2]
That combination matters. It supports thoughtful exercise without promising that one program will solve every symptom. It also supports an individualized approach, because hypermobility, fitness, pain, and fatigue do not present the same way in every person.
Start with a repeatable baseline
Your first useful workout is not the heaviest session you can survive. It is a session you can perform with steady technique and recover from well enough to train again.
The Ehlers Danlos Society recommends starting with low repetitions, low weight, or short exercise periods, then progressing slowly. It also emphasizes movement control and strengthening the muscles that help stabilize joints.[3] A baseline can therefore be modest: fewer exercises, shorter sets, more rest, and a range of motion you can own.
Five practical principles for the gym
1. Control the range before adding range. Use the portion of a movement where you can maintain position and create muscular tension. More depth is not automatically better.
2. Slow the repetition down. A controlled tempo gives you time to notice joint position and reduces the temptation to bounce through the easiest path.
3. Progress one variable at a time. Add a small amount of load, a repetition, or a little more range instead of changing everything in the same week.
4. Use support when it improves the movement. A bench, cable, machine, wall, or stable stance can reduce balance demands while you learn to produce force.
5. Judge the session by the response. Note how you feel during training, later that day, and the next day. That information helps set the next dose.
Joint position and end range habits
Some hypermobile people rest at the very end of elbow or knee extension without noticing it. In strength training, that can shift the work away from the muscles and toward passive structures. Coaching may focus on finding a small amount of muscular tension before starting the repetition and maintaining it through the movement.
This is not a rule that every joint must remain bent at all times. It is a skill: learning when you are controlling a position and when you are hanging on it. Better body awareness, often called proprioception, is one reason slow, coached practice can be valuable. Current clinical guidance includes proprioception and joint stability among the aims of tailored exercise for hEDS.[4]
What about pain and fatigue
Pain is not a simple scorecard. A movement can feel challenging without being harmful, while sharp, unfamiliar, escalating, or injury related pain deserves attention. Fatigue can also change coordination and recovery. A trainer should ask about your normal baseline and adapt the plan rather than treating every day as identical.
If you have significant pain, repeated joint instability, dizziness, fainting, cardiovascular concerns, or a diagnosed connective tissue disorder with specific restrictions, involve the appropriate healthcare professional. Some EDS subtypes require special exercise precautions. A personal trainer should work within medical guidance, not replace it.[3]
A sensible first month
The first few weeks are for learning and calibration. We identify exercises that match your goals, practise a manageable range, and establish a recovery pattern. Progress may mean adding weight, but it can also mean smoother repetitions, better balance, less bracing, or more confidence with a daily task.
Consistency matters more than dramatic jumps. The GoodHope Exercise and Rehabilitation program for people with EDS and generalized HSD combines exercise, education, self management, and connection to other resources. Its model reflects the value of progressive training as part of a broader plan rather than a stand alone cure.[5]
Strength training that meets you where you are
At J Fitness and Training in Edmonton, I do not use a one size fits all hypermobility workout. We begin with your goals and current capacity. I coach the details, adjust the dose, and build the plan around what you can repeat with control.
Scope note This article provides general education and is not medical advice, diagnosis, rehabilitation, or treatment.
References
1. Buryk Iggers S, et al. Exercise and Rehabilitation in People With Ehlers Danlos Syndrome A Systematic Review. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation. 2022;4(2):100189. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9214343/
2. Zabriskie HA, et al. Rationale and Feasibility of Resistance Training in hEDS HSD A Narrative Review. Sports. 2022;10(9):125. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9397026/
3. The Ehlers Danlos Society. Physical Therapy. Accessed 28 September 2026. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/physical-therapy/
4. Hakim A. Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. GeneReviews. Updated 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1279/
5. Mittal N, et al. The GoodHope Exercise and Rehabilitation GEAR Program for People With Ehlers Danlos Syndromes and Generalized Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2021;2:769792. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/rehabilitation-sciences/articles/10.3389/fresc.2021.769792/full
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