Make like an Olympian and get moving
by Peter Edwards,
- February 9, 2018
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The 23rd instalment of the Winter Olympics in South Korea involves athletes competing in over 100 events across 15 different sports! These athletes have dedicated their lives to their sport, putting in countless hours of training to get themselves as strong as they can to compete for gold.
While many Aussies know that getting at least 30 minutes of cardio each day is good for our health, less of us are aware of how important it is to get in some resistance training as well! Resistance training (also known as strength) exercises are those that get our muscles and bones stronger. National guidelines recommend that, for good health, adults do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week. However research suggests that less than 1 in 5 (18.6 per cent) Aussie adults are reaching this target.
When we think of strength or resistance training we often think of lifting weights in a gym and expensive memberships that are hard to get out of. Interestingly, research suggests that exercises performed using your own body weight (without specific equipment or gym passes) are just as effective as gym-based training!
We've come up with a series of “Living Room Events" similar to your favourite Winter events that you can do to move more and get stronger along with your Olympic heroes!
Bridge: A great exercise for your glutes, the largest muscle in your body! Lay on your back, lift your hips up, clench your glutes and hold for as long as you can!
Plank: An exercise that will get your trunk shaking and abs burning. Get down close the ground on your hands, elbows and toes and hold for as long as you can! For beginners, drop to your knees instead of toes.
Single leg deadlift: Figure skaters need exceptional balance to execute their amazing skills. For the rest of us, we need great balance and stability to prevent injury and keep strong! Try balancing on one leg, lean forward and hold your leg out behind you. Hold that pose for 5 seconds, then switch legs.
Squats / squat jump: In events like the ski jump, having good control of the muscles around the knees and hips is essential to land well and prevent injury. While the squat jump is a fantastic exercise to build good strength, if you’re trying for the first time, try some regular squats first. Try for 10 squats to start with!
Sweeping: A daily chore, or an opportunity to move? Whip out your broom and sweep furiously for 30 seconds just like the curlers do. It’s guaranteed to get your heart rate up!
Lunges: Lunge on the spot or try “lunge walking” around your house! Try for 10 times on each leg.
Enjoy watching the Games and trying some of our "Living Room Events"! A little healthy competition with family and friends never hurt either. Get the whole gang involved and go for gold!
