Work that booty…
“The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow” Jessica Ennis
We all know that a gruelling class involving dead lifts, squats and lunges makes us grimace and groan, however we also know that after that class the feeling of achievement is second to none!
Working on maintaining a strong lower body will see us reap the benefits in strength, muscle tone and stability as well as making daily tasks like walking the dog, running for the bus and climbing the stairs much easier. Studies show that working our legs increases calorific burn and forces our glands to produce the muscle developing hormone which play a vital role in human cell growth and multiplication. It also increases our resting metabolism which means we burn more calories whilst resting - win win!!
As we get older it is more important than ever to build and maintain muscle strength. Working on building leg and glute strength will create a strong lower back which will in turn prevent lower back pain and injury as well as reducing body fat reducing the risk of heart disease and strokes.
Whether your exercise of choice is running, aerobics or swimming, it is important to be aware of the differentiation between cardio and strength training. Cardio exercise is primarily fat burning whilst strength training is muscle building which also burns fat. It is important to have a good balance between the two and focusing on strength training will in turn maintain the stability we need in order to perform the higher impact cardio workouts.
You don’t HAVE to pump iron….
If you are working out at home there are a myriad of exercises that can be performed using our own bodyweight but it is really important to take care to maintain a good technique to prevent injury. Adding weights to our lower body workout will add extra resistance but adopting a good, solid technique is the priority.
Five key points to bear in mind to prevent injury whilst working on the lower body:
Abs pulled in
Shoulders down
Knees tracking over toes
Body weight central not too far forward
Pelvic floor engaged
Structuring a varied workout is the key to sticking with any exercise plan. Working on different muscle groups each day for 20 mins will keep our muscles and our interest engaged and will show results!
Which workout to choose?
It’s vital to enjoy any workout (well at least the effects afterwards!), otherwise we won’t commit to it. Variety is the spice of life as they say so mix it up!
Dancers legs? Dancers train from an early age and as a result their muscles are strong, long and lean. It’s not a coincidence that the popularity of barre classes is increasing. Using a chair or barre as a support means that we are able to intensify the movement and perform more repetitions whilst targeting the deep gluteal and leg muscles.
[link to https://www.danceflo.me/classes-list/#barrefit]
Mat based? If you prefer the security of the mat, using a blend of pilates and toning based exercises might be your bag. Not for the faint hearted though! Exercises performed using the mat and your own body weight for resistance can be tough - repetition is the key and adding bands or balls can add additional resistance as well as another element to vary our workout.
[https://www.danceflo.me/classes-list/#butt-blast]
Weights?
If you prefer the dumb bell route then there are many classes that use kettlebells and bar bells. For example, Les Mills Body Pump is an all encompassing workout that is set to music to inspire us to push for that extra rep using a selection of different weights depending on the body part that you are working.
The glutes are the largest muscle in the body as they have the job of holding the body upright. It’s vital to ensure that we maintain the strength and flexibility in our lower body especially as we get older - the work you put in now will see you have better muscle tone and less aches and pains later! To perform some sort of daily lower body routine even for 10-20 mins is worthwhile. Change up the body part and make your exercise regime work for you - Learn to love the lunge!