We have now reached the fourth part of this series – your opportunity to have a closer look at our classes as we take you up and over our metaphorical hill.
We’re at the summit! Give yourself a pat on the back!
Now that your heart is pumping plenty of blood and oxygen around your body from the previous Cardio routines, your muscles are nicely warmed up, and you’ve loosened up your joints, it is the ideal time to focus on muscle strengthening.
So, what are these exercises, why do we include them in our classes, and how do they benefit your workout?
Start with the Warm Up blog if you have not yet seen the earlier instalments.
Why do we need muscle strengthening exercises?
We need our muscles to move, simple as that. Weak muscles can leave your joints and tissue vulnerable to injury because they cannot brace them as effectively as strong ones. As with other types of exercise, muscle strengthening exercises improve mobility and balance, which reduces the risk of injury.
They bring a number of other benefits, notably greater efficiency – as your muscles become stronger, you become less tired when you exercise. They also can delay the onset of arthritic conditions.
How do they work?
Muscle strengthening exercises build up our muscles, and each muscle group requires a different type of exercise. The exercises we include in our strengthening routines will focus on those groups in turn or even a couple at a time.
Weights ‘Can’ Help
Our strengthening routines are all about ‘resistance’ – for instance, clenching our fists to active arm muscles and imagining we are lifting shopping bags. They can also be done using light weights – there’s no need to purchase any special equipment. For those participating in our Zoom classes, we regularly suggest grabbing a couple of cans from your kitchen cupboard (e.g., tuna, sweetcorn for lighter or beans, soup for heavier). We have even invited people to bring cans to our onsite classes.
Examples of muscle strengthening exercises
Bicep curls – clench your fists (or use your weights) and sit tall with your tummy tight. Imagine you are lifting heavy shopping bags, and remember to lower slowly, still keeping the resistance.
Triceps – keep your elbow against your body; straighten and bend the arm from the elbow. Imagine you have a five-pound note tucked under your armpit.
Shoulder presses – sit tall with your tummy tight, push your arms as high as it feels comfortable, then lower and repeat.
Pull and grab – Grab and pull back. Remember you are pulling from the shoulder blades.
All movements are slow and controlled. The key is resistance.
Making it relatable and functional
From telling you to lift imaginary shopping bags to pushing up as high as you are able using cans from your kitchen cupboard as weights, we believe in making our classes as relatable to everyday functions as possible. We can all benefit from exercise and movement being part of our daily lives. What better way than to relate it to lifting shopping or reaching for something from a high cupboard?
Onsite group classes
There are many benefits to joining one of our online classes, exercising in the comfort of your own home, convenience and flexibility being some, but there are equally as many benefits to exercising in a live group class. …… our ‘Social Cafe’ after each class being just one. We really are so much more than exercise. Come and find out for yourself.
See what seated chair exercise classes we have coming up.
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