Getting back into it

Lucy O'sullivan gets you ready for the new year with some back-to-basics archery movements

Lucy O'sullivan hits the gym – as usual

Did you know that the number one cause of obesity and modern diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, is due to lifestyle choices? This means choosing a lifestyle of sitting at your desk at lunchtime, rather than going for a quick run.

Choosing to eat that; high salt, high sugar, high saturated fatty food, rather than a nutritious high protein, good carbohydrate (low GI), and good fat (non saturated fat) foods will affect your body.

It is your choice to be healthy or unhealthy, either reducing, or increasing the risk of obesity and modern diseases.

Of course, one of the many great things about archery is that you have already chosen to be more active than those people sitting in front of the TV. You are actively walking a lot per archery session, using your upper body and core too, and after that session hopefully you are choosing good nutritious foods to help increase your performances for next time.

Those of you who are active regularly will also have an improvement in self-confidence, body awareness and health. Another benefit is that exercise also releases endorphins (the happy hormone) so you have more enthusiasm, excitement and motivation. Therefore, regular exercise is the fountain of youth and the tonic for happiness. You've probably heard this advice many times. It's worth hearing it again.

The World Health Organisation says you should do 150 minutes of high-intensity activity a week. Ten minutes of cardio is a good starting point, and muscle strengthening sessions should be done at least twice a week.

Many people make a resolution to return to the gym in the new year, although most of them don't consider what they will do or how they will deal with motivation. You do not have to be a competitive athlete to stay active in the gym; all it takes is a couple of 30 minute sessions per week to keep you strong, healthy and better at archery.

I try to work on the whole of the body, as ultimately, that is what we use when we shoot. We predominately use our upper body for the bow, but we also walk around in a field all day (or maybe around the woods) so you must make sure you take care of the big gluteals muscles and core muscles, and not just your arms and 'showy' muscles.

I can show you some things in these photographs, for some of the other exercises, Youtube is your friend.

If you want to start a basic strength and fitness programme for archery, I programme my sessions as follows:

• CARDIO

• HIP HINGE OR SQUAT PATTERN

• PUSH

• PULL

• SINGLE LEG WORK

• CORE & PRE-HAB

I try to follow this order of exercises, as working the big leg muscles first will help pump natural building hormones around the body, so then when you do your upper body or pre-habilitation (rotator-cuff work) the muscles are already stimulated to grow.

You now have some knowledge - but it’s now on you to take some action!

Follow @Lospersonaltrainer or @lucy_ osullivan1 on Instagram for more help.

"You ' ve probably heard this ad vice be fore . It's worth hearing it again ."