Be an Olympic Athlete in your lounge room.

It seems like only yesterday we were watching our Aussie Olympic heroes in Tokyo, and now they will be back on our screens for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, starting on the 28th July!

Watching these elite performers is a great reminder of just how amazing the human body can be when pushed to the limit - think of the amazing endurance of the marathon runners, the flexibility of the gymnasts and the brute strength and power of the weightlifters. 

Now I don’t expect you to be copying any double-pike, triple back somersaults with the perfect landing from the couch, but if the incredible athleticism of our Commonwealth Games team does inspire you to get your own body moving - here’s a few ideas that you can try at home:

Please note that if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition that makes it difficult to exercise, please seek the advice of your GP and Exercise Physiologist before trying these exercises at home. We have Exercise Physiologists available for Telehealth consultations at EP Physio Plus if you are unable to come into the clinic. 

Weightlifting

At home: grab a small hand-weight (or be creative - a can of tomatoes or water bottle does the trick) and press it above your head 10-15x (or as long as it takes for your arm to feel a bit tired) - then switch to the other arm and complete 2-3x sets on each side.

Rowing

At home: seated in your boat (on the ground), loop an exercise band around your feet and hold each end in your hands - in a rowing motion, pull the band forwards - moving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Depending on the strength of your band, try 3-5 sets of 20-30 reps.

Running/Cycling/Walking

At home: there’s very likely to be some kind of exercise equipment hidden away in the shed or spare room at home, so dust it off and hop on. If not - laps of the house or a walk/run during your exercise time is another great option. Why not make it competitive - see how far you can run/walk/cycle in 5 minutes and try to beat your distance each day!

Gymnastics

If there’s one thing a gymnast needs, it’s excellent balance! Test your balance at home by seeing how long you can stand on one leg for, try and beat your time each day. (If you have issues with your balance, be careful when trying this exercise and stand next to a bench/rail that you can easily grab onto if required).

Long Jump/High Jump

At home: heading onto the field events now, jumping is a fantastic way to keep the muscles and bones in your legs strong. Start small to ensure your body can tolerate the loading of a jump if it is not something you usually do and build up to test how long and far you can jump!

If you’ve enjoyed moving your body to the exercises above and want to keep the momentum going, book a session with one of our Exercise Physiologists call us today on 8682 6665 or click the 'Book now' link below and we can help guide you along the way.