Healthy Body, Healthy Mind!

Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.

Denis Waitley

Hello!! Sorry I’ve not been here for a few weeks, let’s just say real life has been a little hectic! Thanks for all the lovely messages it means a great deal to me! So, how are we all doing? I hope you’re all managing to stay healthy and safe! If like me you’re missing the gym and you’ve managed to put on a couple of kilos, *coughs*. During challenging times, maintaining a fitness routine becomes more essential than ever, there are obviously all the health benefits of maintaining an exercise programme but also the psychological element of having a routine is highly beneficial. When normal activity is reduced, we also need to make sure that we keep the body more mobile, especially if we are likely to be seated more.

By way of a disclaimer, I’m not fitness guru however, there are a few websites I’ve followed for a while that have really come into their own over the past month. Here’s five exercises I find really useful!

Banded Glute Bridge

Muscles it Targets: Hamstrings and Glutes

How Many Reps: 15-20 reps, slow and controlled on both sides, two to three times

How to do it:

Can be performed with or without a resistance band
Lie face up on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your arms at your side with your palms down.
Lift your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line.
Squeeze the glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
Hold your bridged position for a couple of seconds before easing back down.

Arnold Press

Muscles it Targets: All three heads of the deltoids and also improves posture

How Many Reps: 10-12 reps, 2-3 times

How to do it:

You’ll need to spread out
Hold a pair of weights in front of your shoulders, palms facing your body, elbows bent.
In one fluid motion, raise the dumbbells above your head, arms straight and rotate the palms of your hand as you do so that the weights face forward.
Pause and then reverse the move and repeat.

Quick Tip – If you haven’t got any dumbbells you can use two bottles of water or food cans

Air Squat

Muscles it Targets: quads, hamstrings, glutes, helps with balance, strengthens your core and helps circulation.

How Many Reps: 8-10 reps, 3-5 times

How to do it:

Stand with feet hip width apart.
With weight in your heels bend knees and lower hips.
Raise your arms over your head.
Pause at bottom then drive up to standing position.

Quick Tip – Make sure you keep your back straight and your chest up throughout the movement to maintain good form and prevent injury

Push-Ups

Muscles it Targets: chest, shoulders, abs and triceps

How Many Reps: 8-10 reps, 2-3 times

How to do it:

Start with your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, your legs straight behind you with your toes tucked under.
Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground keeping your back straight.
Slowly push back to start.
Engage your core throughout

Quick Tip – If you can’t do a full press-up on your toes, do it on your knees instead, I promise it’s not cheating!

Bear Crawl

Muscles it Targets: abs, shoulders, arms and glutes

How Many Reps: 50 seconds, 3 times

How to do it:

Start on all fours and lift your knees so they’re at a 90-degree angle and hovering an inch off the ground.
Keep your back flat, your legs hip-width apart and your arms shoulder-width apart.
Move one hand and the opposite foot forward an equal distance while staying low to the ground.
Switch sides, moving the opposite hand and foot.
Repeat the movement while alternating sides.

Quick Tip – For a more challenging workout, you can also move backwards

Okay, that’s it for this week, if you like it, I’ll do another five next week! Stay Well and Safe Everyone!

What’s on this week?