Derval O'Rourke: Creating our own ‘wellness potions’ - like this simple green smoothie
Pic: iStock
We all want the magic potion for lifelong health. That potion may not exist but that doesn’t mean that there are not loads of ways to help yourself when it comes to lifelong health.
This week I’ll chat about strength training and give simple ways to incorporate it at home. In recipes I’m sharing a greens smoothie that is perfect to supercharge your day.
Most of us want to age ‘well’ and when you think about what well means, a good place to start is that you can perform basic functions.
These functions are simple everyday tasks like carrying bags of shopping, getting up and down stairs or getting in and out of a chair.
Research suggests that after the age of 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% of muscle mass per decade.
What does this mean for you? Basically, less muscle means greater weakness and reduced mobility, both of which may increase your risk of falls and fractures.
Just because you may have lost some muscle mass does not mean that you cannot rebuild it and maintain it, but to do this you need a plan and to dedicate time to it.
This is where strength training comes into play. Strength training is any form of exercise that involves using weights or resistance to build strength in your muscles.
Strength training is also known as resistance training. How do you begin strength training in a healthy way?
What equipment do you need at home to begin strength training?
There are lots of bodyweight exercises you can do including push ups, calf raises, squats and bridges. My preference is to have a few basic pieces of equipment at home. I would recommend kettlebells, dumbbells, a medicine ball and resistance bands.
A circuit workout is an efficient way to knock out a strength training session and hit a bit of cardio at the same time. Research shows that with a 15 or 30 minute circuit you can build muscle mass and gain strength effectively. Aim to do a strength circuit three times per week.
Before starting your strength circuit ensure that you have enough space to complete the movements and that you do a warm up. Give yourself at least five minutes of light cardio activity, such as marching in place or walking around the area you are in. This is a good way to get the body warmed up and helps your mind shift from sedentary mode into movement mode. Spend a few minutes stretching your major muscle groups and any areas that feel a little tight to you.
Below are examples of strength circuits for a beginner, intermediate or advanced level.
For each level aim to do each exercise in succession without a break in between and to complete three sets. It’s important that you complete each exercise with good form and technique to avoid injury.
Minimal to no equipment needed.
- 20 Bodyweight squats
- 10 Wall Push-ups
- 10 Walking lunges (on each leg)
- 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight)
- 15 Second Plank
- 30 Jumping jacks
You will need a set of dumbbells to complete this workout. Aim for 10 - 12 repetitions per exercise.
- Bicep Curls
- Lateral Raises
- Tricep dips
- Bent over rows
- Wall Squats
- Overhead press
You will need a set of dumbbells to complete this workout. Aim for 10 - 12 repetitions per exercise.
- Dumbbell Overhead Squats
- Dumbbell Floor Press
- Shoulder Press
- Renegade Rows
- Weighted Crunches
Green Smoothie
The perfect accompaniment to a light workout
Servings
1Course
SideIngredients
200 ml apple juice (not from concentrate)
2 pineapple rings (ideally fresh but from a tin in their own juice will work)
1 small handful of Kale or Spinach (I find the frozen options very handy)
Method
Remove the hard stalks from the kale.
Pop all the ingredients in a smoothie maker, I use a nutri-ninja because it has a really strong motor.
Blitz the ingredients on high for about 20 seconds until the drink is smooth.
Serve straight away.
