By Dan Mahoney, MaidPro Health and Wellness Coach
Do you ever struggle to carry groceries in from your car, haul laundry up or down stairs, carry recyclables to the curb, or lift heavy dishes into cabinets? Strength training not only makes you stronger and more toned, it can also boost your metabolism (muscles constantly burn calories), protect you from common muscle strains and injuries, guard against bone deterioration and osteoporosis, and simply help you to move more easily and happily through your daily household routines.
Perhaps you don’t have time to commit to gym membership or space to host unsightly strength-training equipment in your home. The great news is you can get it all done with a single, small pair of Russian Kettlebells.
Kettlebells were used originally for weighing crops in Russia. Farmers noticed they could use them to become stronger. Their practices eventually made it into shows and performances and have been adopted by fitness trainers worldwide. Five big advantages of Kettlebells:
- Easily transported.
- Require little space to use.
- Relatively inexpensive.
- Can be used for all basic strength training movements, including loaded carries, squats, hinges, upper body pushes and pulls.
Here are three tips for getting started with Kettlebells:
Buy authentic and don’t skimp on the weight. Authentic Kettlebells look like cannon balls with handles attached and are made of cast iron (not plastic or cloth bags filled with sand). Depending on baseline strength and experience with weight training, men should start between 16-24kg and women between 12-20kg.
Get proper instruction. Any exercise regimen can be dangerous if done incorrectly and it is very easy to miss important nuances of body positioning and proper alignment when watching videos or reading written instructions online. You might watch a few YouTube videos to see what you are getting in for, but seek out a Certified Russian Kettlebells Instructor for proper training before starting on your own.
Once you are properly trained, Begin with this great Kettlebells workout right in your home: 20 swings, 2 Turkish Get Ups, 20 Swings, 5 Push Ups, 20 Swings, 10 Goblet Squats, 20 Swings, 10 Bent Over Row, 20 Swings, 50-Yard Suitcase Carry.
Happy lifting!
