Strength training is about more than looking good.
Strong muscles make your daily activities easier and help keep your body
injury-free.
It can also improve your metabolism and help you stay at
a healthy weight.
But if your gym is still closed or you're working out at
home to reduce your risk of COVID-19 exposure,
your strength training routine may need a reboot.
"Making the transition to weight training at home
can be a challenge, but it doesn't take much to get going, and you can get a
good workout even with a small amount of equipment," says Wellness
Specialist Evan Thoman.
Check with your doctor to see if you're fit enough to
train with weights, and then follow this advice to get started.
You don't need a whole set of weights
Demand for weight training equipment has increased
during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, hand weights can be hard to find.
But one set of weights can be enough to make a difference.
"Don't worry about finding the perfect set of free
weights. Get what is available or use what you have now," says Thoman.
"It could be a set of five-pound dumbbells or a set of 20-pound
dumbbells."
You also can use household objects like cans of food, or
gallons of milk. These items require more care as they can be more difficult to
hold.
No matter how heavy or light your weights are, you can
make variations to your routine to ensure you are getting an effective workout
based on your fitness level.
Your body will tell you if you're
training at the right level
Weight training exercises are done in sets of three,
with a rest in between. People usually start with between 10 and 12
repetitions, or reps, of the same exercise in a set. You can do less or more
reps in each set based on your fitness level and goals. Listen to your body to
determine how many reps to do.
“When you first start weight training, you'll think to
yourself, 'Wow, this is hard, and I feel like my muscles are working,'"
says Thoman. "But after a few weeks, you will likely notice that the
exercises don't feel as challenging. Over time, your body will adapt, and when
that happens, it's time for a change.”
It's important to know when and how to keep moving
toward your goal when you hit a weight training plateau.
You can progress with only one set of
weights
Let’s say building muscle is your goal, and you started
out doing 10 reps for a specific exercise and now find yourself doing 15 reps
for the same exercise to stay challenged. In that case, it's time to change one
of your weight training variables: intensity, volume or rest time.
For endurance, do higher reps, and take shorter rests
between sets. To build muscle, choose a starting weight that is challenging but
will allow you to perform 10 to 12 reps while maintaining good form. Take a
90-second rest before you start again.
"Whichever combination you choose, strength
training will improve your daily life," says Thoman. "Stronger
muscles will help you avoid injuries that might come from bending over to pick
something up, carrying groceries in, or picking up your children or
grandchildren."
Start with these five exercises for
maximum impact
The farmer's walk strengthens your arms, so carrying
groceries is easier.
To do the farmer’s walk, hold dumbbells in
each hand with a tight grip, allowing your arms to rest along the side of your
body. Decide how far you will walk, this could be across your room or yard.
Then walk with your back straight and head up. Once reaching the end, turn
around and return to the starting point.
If you like to lift your child up in the
air, the dumbbell curl and press is for you.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold
a pair of dumbbells at your sides. With elbows close to your sides and palms
facing each other, curl the dumbbells to your shoulders. Press the straight
dumbbells overhead. Lower the dumbbells down to your shoulders, and reverse
curl back down to the start position.
The dumbbell row can support you as you
empty or fill a dishwasher.
Pull the dumbbell upwards, bending your
elbow and pulling your upper arm backward. Keep your arm close to the side of
your body and continue pulling the dumbbell upwards until you are unable to
lift any further without rotating your torso. Lower the dumbbell to your
starting position while maintaining a flat back.
Practicing the goblet squat can help
when you squat to do garden work or play with children.
With your feet about shoulder-width apart,
hold a dumbbell in a vertical position directly in front of the chest. Keep the
elbows close to the rib cage and the back straight while lowering into a squat.
Continue lowering until thighs are parallel to the floor, then return to the
original standing position.
The Romanian deadlift helps with picking
things up from the floor.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, a
slight bend in your knees, and your back straight, slowly push the hips back as
far as possible, keeping the weight in contact with your legs until you feel a
stretch in the hamstring. Do not bend the knees or let the lower back round
over during the lowering phase.
As with all exercises, stop training
and talk to your doctor if you experience pain or other symptoms.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or
by calling 1-844-262-5766.
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