Let's Get Movin'
Workout Smarter Not Harder
If you’re keen to get movin and level up your training you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to kick start your movement journey and set you up with some workout tips & tricks guaranteed to inspire consistent and sustainable training. But before we jump into the exercises, we thought we’d share some workout pearls of wisdom - because everyone can benefit from working out smarter and not harder.
Train at different intensities - It’s easy to get carried away with exercise when you are first starting out. This is partly because you may not know your capabilities yet. Building up to a high intensity is the best approach because it allows your body to adjust to the stress of the exercise. In fact, studies have shown that even professional athletes have better performances when they train at different intensity levels. A good guide to go by is the 80/20 rule. Exercising 80% of the time at a manageable and ‘easy’ exertion rate, and only 20% of the time at a high intensity rate. This will also help with minimising injuries (because you’ve conditioned your body to adjust to a certain level of intensity before elevating to a higher intensity), and it can also help with motivation - because let’s be honest, no one wants to workout full tilt on the reg.
Pick an exercise you enjoy - For exercise to be sustainable, it’s imperative you enjoy it! If you aren’t sure what you like yet, no problem. Try a bunch of different classes and give yourself the space to discover what works best for you. Whether it’s getting out in nature paddle boarding & hiking, or trying self defence & boxing classes - there’s a form of exercise out there that feels good for you and your body, you just need to find it.
Keep consistent & accountable - It may seem obvious, but just like meal planning and doing the laundry, exercise works best when you’re organised with a plan. Once you find what you like, commit to designating time to your workouts and write them down in a calendar so you keep accountable. If life gets busy and you start to lose momentum, don’t stress because there’s always tomorrow. Just ensure you slowly increase your intensity again if you do find yourself back at square one. Once you are on a roll, set some short term and long term goals. Treat them more as loose guidelines rather than definitive benchmarks. That way if you don’t reach your goal by the set date, there’s no disappointment. Remember - it’s all about staying motivated and consistent, and there’s nothing more deflating than feeling like you’re not achieving your goals. So make sure when you set them, you have the mindset of a guideline only, and that the goal posts can be easily moved if it’s starting to feel too ambitious.
Include strength training - To our fellow aerobic friends, the time has come to hear some hard news… Strength training really is important to include in your regime. Even if it’s just a small amount, every bit counts. Strength training is vital for developing muscle mass and bone density - which is really essential to maintain as you age. If you aren’t sold on pumping iron (we hear ya), it can be as easy as one low risk resistance training session a week, like pilates. Mat pilates is great if you are just starting out. But if you are feeling adventurous, a pilates reformer is also a fantastic option for intermediate to advanced level workouts.
Recovery - Workouts aren’t meant to start and stop with just the exercises. In fact, that’s only half the work... The other half is in the warm up and recovery, which should be prioritised and never skipped (sorry guys, we are all about a shortcut - but not in this instance). Stretching before and after exercise will help again with injury prevention. But also managing DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) which is muscle pain experienced after a workout. If you do experience some muscle soreness, our suggestion is of course a relaxing sauna to help alleviate the pain. If this isn’t accessible to you, a warm bath with epsom salts should do the trick. Essential to your recovery practice is also a good night's sleep and hydration, pass the water thanks.
Nutrition - Believe it or not, nutrition plays a key role in supporting your workouts. A balanced diet is really all you need - but make sure to pay special attention to your protein intake. This will help with muscle recovery and repair. If you feel like protein might be lacking from your diet, we offer a range of protein supplements (some of which are plant based) to help in this area.
Our Top Exercises
Crab Walks - Grab a resistance band and place them around your ankles (for higher resistance) or around your knees (for lower resistance) and crouch down in a squat position with your feet apart and your knees bent. Keep your back neutral and your bum tucked slightly - so there’s no natural arch in your back. Begin to walk across the room in a line leading with your knee, and make sure not to bring your second foot into your leading foot. Maintain the distance between your feet while you walk as what you had in your starting position. Do 30 reps of this exercise and have a break. Repeat 3 times.
Glute Bridge - Lay on your back and bend your knees up right above your ankle. Press your lower back into the floor to engage your core. Raise your pelvis while keeping your core engaged and your glutes fired up. Be sure not to over arch your back. Increase difficulty by raising one leg. Do 30 reps of this exercise and have a break. Repeat 3 times. To increase the difficulty once more, you can rest a weight to your pelvis.
Squats - Start in a stance with feet slightly wider than hip width and rotate your toes out. Hinge your hips backward and bend your needs slightly. Keep a neutral spine and your head plus chest straight. Do 30 reps of this exercise and have a break. Repeat 3 times. To increase the difficulty, hold a weight in your hands.
Bulgarian Split Squats - Grab a bench around the height of your knee (lounges usually work well). Position yourself facing 2-3 feet away from the bench and place one of your legs back on the bench. Your hips and torso, chest and head should all be inline with the leg remaining on the ground. Bend down onto your supporting leg and press back up through your heel as you return to standing. Ensure your weight is being absorbed through your supporting leg. Do 30 reps of this exercise (on each leg) and have a break. Repeat 3 times.
Push Ups - Lay on your stomach and put your hands shoulder width apart. Push up on to your knees and ensure your body is in a straight line from your knees to the top of your head. Tuck your stomach in, activate your glutes and keep a neural spine and neck. Bend your elbows and lower down to a few inches off the ground, then push back up. Do 30 reps of this exercise and have a break. Repeat 3 times. Change from knees to toes to increase difficulty.
This blog should be considered as general advice only. For personalised exercise advice, please refer to a professional who understands your medical history and mobility capabilities.
