Workout with Derval O'Rourke: Focus on what's possible in your life right now — it all counts
Derval O’Rourke demonstrates a leg and ab exercise from her September reset exercise programme, exclusively created for the Irish Examiner. Picture Chani Anderson
This week's routine will have your legs and core working full-time to get that burn that lets you know you’ve done a quality workout.
O’Rourke invites everyone taking part in her four-week workout programme to tune into their body and work any area that feels a bit tight by doing some mobility work before getting into the nitty-gritty of the exercises.
We can all be guilty of not moving our bodies enough, so it's essential to loosen those tight muscles and prepare them for the burn they’ll feel with this week’s routine.
The Olympian acknowledges that there is “a lot going on” in this workout, advising people to tailor the movements to their fitness level and ability.
“Whatever level you’re working at, the challenge is you and [it's up to] you to get the most benefit out of this,” she says.
“A little secret,” she continues, “is that abs exercises are not my favourite. I always find them really challenging, but I know that these 10 minutes will be done soon, and I’ll be so happy I did it.”
She also acknowledges how hectic life can get, having come from a week of covering the World Athletics Championships with RTÉ.
“I've found myself really feeling for the athletes - the nerves, the adrenaline, the pride. It brings back a lot of memories,” she says.
On the days or weeks when she is juggling a lot, such as long days of prep and commenting on TV, she reminds herself that it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing approach.
“Let's be honest - when life gets hectic, the first thing to drop off the list is often the thing that supports us the most: movement,” she says.
“Even this week, I've had to remind myself that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I've been aiming to move most days - not perfectly, not always for long, but just enough to keep my body and mind ticking over.”
Assuring us that we don’t always need to do a full gym session to look after ourselves, O’Rourke says that tiny wins count. A quick 10-minute workout while dinner cooks, or simply putting on shoes and getting outdoors for a walk, can make a big difference.
“You just need to move a little, often, and with intention. You won't always have perfect conditions, but you can always do something that supports your health, however small,” she says.
“So here's your permission to let go of the ‘ideal’ routine and focus on what's actually possible in your real life right now. It all counts and it all adds up.”
- March on the spot.
- Raise your arms over your head. Raise one knee as you bring both arms down and behind the knee. Clap your hands or touch your hands behind the knee. Repeat for 45 seconds.
- With feet shoulder-width apart, roll your neck clockwise and then anti-clockwise to get a good stretch.
- Roll your shoulders backwards and then forwards.
- Move into some arm rotations, rotating your arms backwards and then forward.
- Circle your hips, clockwise and anti-clockwise.
- With knees slightly bent, place your hands on them and slowly circle both knees clockwise, then repeat anti-clockwise
Choose a weight that is appropriate for you, for example, such as 2kg, 4kg, or 5kg dumbbells.
- Start by holding one dumbbell in both hands (hold it lengthwise). Place your feet shoulder-width apart, and bend your knees and move into a squat.
- Push from your feet and bring one knee across your body as you come out of the squat, touching your elbow with your knee. Continue this movement by alternating knees each time.
- If you find the twists challenging, drive the knees straight up instead of twisting across the body.
- If you find squatting with a weight challenging, you can drop the weight and do the movement without it.
- Take two dumbbells in your hands. Move into an RDL [Romanian deadlift] movement, keeping your back straight, and hinge at the hips. Push your bum back as far as you can – focus on trying to touch the wall behind you with your bum.
- Keep the dumbbells close, lowering them in front so they stay nearly in contact with your legs throughout the movement.
- Come back up to a standing position. Then bend to the right, bringing your arm with the weight down along your right side, and then bend to the left side. Repeat the movement for 45 seconds to 60 seconds.
- Come onto your mat, lying down but keeping your shoulders up by resting onto your elbows, with your arms flat on the mat.
- Bend your knees and lift both legs, making a 90-degree angle with your knees. Begin tapping your heels on the ground, alternating legs for 45 seconds to 60 seconds. You can make this movement a little harder by clapping your hands as each knee comes up to the 90-degree angle or by touching your toes.
- Bring both feet flat on the mat, then come back up onto your toes, one foot at a time, alternating feet for 45 seconds.
- Between each round of exercises, jog on the spot for one minute, then come onto your tiptoes to get a good stretch in your calves.
- Jog on the spot. Add some arm rotations by rotating your arms backwards and then forward while jogging in place.
- Finally, stand back up, legs wide and arms wide and move into some windmills to loosen out the hips and shoulders.
Lifestyle writer Breda Graham is following Derval’s workout routine each week and sharing her account of how it makes her feel, as well as the physical and mental differences she notices week by week.
There’s a lot to be said for a day-to-day routine. My week hiking in the Dolomites, while an amazing trip, taught me just how much my body craves routine when it comes to training, food and sleep.
My morning routine, which sets me up for the day, has become one of my non-negotiables, but busy trips, especially active ones, can throw me off course.
Settling back into my training and sleep schedules has done wonders for my energy levels, and Derval’s legs and abs workout has played a core part in getting back on track this week.
After a week of overindulging in the creamiest carbonaras and the tastiest Tiramisus, I used week three of Derval’s four-week workout programme as the starting point for my own ‘reset’. Because here’s the thing, there are no fixed rules when it comes to this programme, and that’s what I love about it.
You can choose to do 10 minutes every day, every second day, or a few times per week, tailoring each exercise to your level and ability.
I began Derval’s workout programme to create a more structured morning routine that incorporated exercise. Not only did those 10 minutes quickly become the highlight of my mornings, but they also set me up for a more productive day.
Week two of the programme saw me switch things up a little by moving my morning workout to the evening, while still completing Derval’s arms and abs workout during a week of early morning hikes in the Dolomites. It turned out that the age-old excuse of ‘not having time’ while on holiday was just that – an excuse, and I did have time for just 10 minutes in the evenings.
This week, I’ve been getting back into the swing of my routine, committing 10 minutes of my morning to Derval’s legs and abs workout, which has left me feeling so motivated to get back on track that there have been days when I’ve chosen to do a second of her workouts in the evenings.
Although I share the same sentiment as Derval when she says that working abs isn’t her favourite, it’s one of those workouts where you know you’ve worked hard because you can feel it, and trust me when I say that feeling the burn for just 10 minutes does pay off.
This week, I recommend tailoring Derval’s workouts to your training goals and using all her tips to maximise the benefits of the programme. Next week, we wrap up with a full-body workout.
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