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 over 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!
Australian adults look to be physically active for about 30 minutes per day (150 minutes per week) and to “sit less.” What is less known is that ON TOP of this
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, new research suggests that exercises performed using your own body weight (without specific equipment or gym passes) were just as effective as gym-based training!
As the 2018 Winter Olympics start in South Korea, Olympic athletes will compete to see if the many years of training will pay off—for their sake and the sake of their country.
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!
The Bridge: A great exercise for your glutes, the largest muscle in your body! Lift your hips up, clench your glutes and hold for as long as you can!
The 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 and hold that pose for 5 seconds, switching 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 jump-squat 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 down on the spot or try “lunge walking” around your house! Try for 10 times alternating 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!
