Two weeks into the programme and you should be starting to notice a gain in energy levels and your body is feeling a little more supple and nimble from all the stretching. It might be a good idea to start a diary, jotting down your schedule and statistics, this keeps you on track and will help with goal setting later. Now it?s time to increase the effort and get those muscles working. Enjoy!
Week 3: Resistance (Strength & Stability)
Resistance training is very important for both men and women and should be encouraged in any exercise regime, ladies it won?t turn you into a body builder but look at the benefits it will give you: it increases bone strength and density (avoiding osteoporosis, women can easily lose 30% of their peak bone mass by the age of 60), enhances joint stability (resulting in less injury and falls), increases lean body mass (muscle is more metabolically active than body fat and needs 10 times as many calories than fat to live. So resistance training leads to immediate calorie expenditure but also helps us to keep burning calories even after our fitness training is over. Bonus!), and finally improves our posture.
Switch on your Core
Core training has become extremely popular over the last 10 years both in gymnasiums and in Pilates classes. So what is the core? Quite simply, if the arms and legs were removed, the core is what remains. Not only does the core provide a fundamental platform and cross-roads for most movements in the body but it?s also an important stabilising system for the spine. Our increasing sedentary lifestyles do little to promote optimal function of the core, consider our habitual seating positions and the use of back rests that reduce the need for core activation. Even professional fitness trainers are prescribing far too many machine based exercises that eliminate our need for core function.
In order to ?switch on your core? the trunk should be thought of as a cylinder consisting of the abdominal walls, diaphragm and pelvic floor. Compression of this cylinder results in a far stronger structure that is able to better withstand the stresses placed upon it and the lower spine. In order to compress the cylinder, or activate the core, you should think of yourself primed ready to receive a punch to the stomach or stopping your urine in mid flow. An ability to turn your core on and off at will takes time but is vital for overall functional fitness. Try to switch on your core during the exercises below.
The following exercises form a good foundation for the overall body, helping you to increase: bone strength, joint stability, lean body mass, improve your posture and challenge that core. Perform the exercises 15-20 times one after another in the following order: Squats, Press-ups, Lunges, Plank, Bridge, and Cobra. Rest for 1-2 mins and repeat. Complete this resistance program 3 times a week with a gentle 5 min walk before and afterwards, complete the stretching routine after that. If on an aerobic workout day walk / run after these exercises. Allow a days rest in between to recover from those sore muscles you will experience.
A Cautionary Note
No exercise program should be painful, there is a difference between being tired and in pain. If you feel pain at any time then stop and consult a doctor. Pain indicates either incorrect technique or a medical problem. If you have any doubts about your current state of health then consult a medical professional before embarking on any fitness program.
Summary
Weeks 1-2 (3 x week)
5 Min Walk Warm up
2 x Complete circuits 15 x per exercise
5 Min Walk Cool Down
Stretching routine from last week
Weeks 3-4 (3 x week)
As above but 3 x Complete circuits 20 x per exercise
Next week: Nutrition
