Six simple fitness hacks that will make a big difference
Alice Hall asks the experts for New Year exercise ideas you can stick to
A 3-minute song is long enough to fit in a full body workout
After everything that happened in 2020, can you really blame us for wanting to start afresh – particularly when it comes to our fitness? But think carefully before you make a huge, and possibly expensive, commitment this January. Studies have shown that fewer than 25 per cent of people actually keep their resolutions after just 30 days.
Better to use 2021 to focus on implementing small changes that are going to make a big difference. We’ve asked fitness experts for their best advice on how to keep it simple...
‘Strengthen your glutes’
Matt Roberts, personal trainer
If you haven’t got strong glutes, your legs won’t work properly, there will be lack of stability in your body and your core won’t engage as well.
Once you have strong glutes, your overall fitness levels will start to improve. You might also find that you run a little bit faster. This exercise gets more important the older we get.
The classic exercise to try is a weighted glute bridge. Lie on your back with a weight across your hips and raise your body up and down, so you’re extending through the hips while working the glutes really hard. Choose a weight which allows you to do quite a few reps: 15 to 25 reps per set, doing 4-5 sets in total.
‘Work out in the morning’
Adrienne Herbert, trainer and author Carve out some time each morning that’s solely for you to focus on your fitness goals. You could go for a run, do some pilates or light cardio, or even go for a walk while listening to a podcast – anything that gets you up, and active.
Exercising in the morning is much better than trying to squeeze your workout into your lunch break, or after work. If you do a high intensity workout too late, you will have excess cortisol running through your body which can disrupt your sleep pattern.
The power hour isn’t about giving up sleep to get up early, so it’s important that you go to bed earlier too. Herbert’s new book, Power Hour, is out now
‘Switch up long jogs for tempo training’
Tyler Williams Green, founder of the Outrunners charity
This type of bite-size training will get those lungs working and make it easier for you to run long distances.
Normally, you would go for a jog at a steady pace, with about 50 per cent power. Try pushing up to 80 per cent for one minute, then going back down to 50 per cent. For first timers, walk for two minutes, then jog for one. Use trees or lampposts to mark the distances between. When you start finding it easy, make the intervals longer.
‘Exercise while brushing your teeth’
Chrissie Wellington OBE, Ironman world champion and Parkrun’s global lead for health and wellbeing Why not create a habit out of something that is already second nature, like brushing your teeth?
First, balance on each leg for 20-30 seconds, and progress to doing this with your eyes closed which is a lot harder. Then slowly tighten and release your pelvic floor muscles 8-10 times. Next up are a few squats and lunges. Another effective but simple exercise is to sit with your back against the wall, like you are sitting on an invisible chair with your legs shoulder-width apart, keeping your thighs parallel to the ground and your feet directly under your knee. Last, do some calf raises by standing flat on your feet, then switching your weight to the balls of your feet and lifting your heels.
‘Move to one song a day’ Lucy Wyndham-read, personal trainer
Why not shake up your exercise routine by putting on one song every day, and getting active to it? It doesn’t have to be dancing; it can be skipping, doing star jumps or even marching on the spot. These movements work multiple muscle groups in a very short period of time and help to
improve your cardiovascular fitness by raising your heart rate, improving your balance and maintaining your flexibility. You could create two moves for the chorus and one for the main song. Music is a great motivator, and most songs are between 3-6 minutes, which is long enough to fit in a small, but effective, full-body workout.
‘Swap pavement running for beautiful scenery’
Jo Pavey, long distance runner and five time Olympian
When people take up a new fitness routine, they should remember it’s about enjoyment; if you love what you’re doing, then you will be much more likely to keep to it.
One thing I would recommend is changing up your route to run in beautiful locations. While the treadmill and the track are great for setting targets, a quick burst of nature can do wonders for your mental health.
Start out by slowly exploring parts of your local area. You will be surprised at what is on your doorstep.