What's THIS exercise good for?!
So, just the other day, someone in a class (I'll call her Betty) asked me a question: What is this exercise for? It's a fair question, if you're putting in a good effort, trying your best to do it right, you want to know WHY you're doing it at all. I am going to do a few blog posts about some of my favourite exercises, starting here.
This is true of any exercise and it's a question we should ask on every occasion, whenever we are introducing something new-fitness training is sometimes called 'moving with purpose'. Our philosophy at Blue Banana is 'Do What You Like' and by that, we mean do what you enjoy, what feels right and what is achievable right now. But whatever you choose, it should also be because it will bring about a positive change-be it by improving circulation, strength or flexibility, or whatever.
So, what was the exercise?
Well, I said in reply, 'That's a great question, Betty, I'm glad you asked it. Now, moving on...'
I'm kidding, all the exercises in a Blue Banana class are there for good reason. It was a kettlebell swing as it happens.
The first thing is, like all the 'cardio' (or red exercises in a Gentle Exercise class) the swing uses lots of big muscle groups, which means it uses up lots of energy, causes your heart to beat faster and stronger, your breathing to increase and might make you sweat! An important aspect of this is that it uses multiple joints and area of the body-notably for the swing, the muscles of the backs of the legs, the glutes, the lower back. Also involved are the arms and shoulders, but only to keep a hold of the kettlebell-they should be fairly relaxed but there will be some tension within the muscles.
These afore mentioned muscles of the legs and back are part of what is sometimes known as the 'posterior sling'-the chain of muscles which go from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, via your back and hips. This chain is where muscle power comes from when you walk uphill, run, jump, climb stairs or stand up from a sitting position. The key part of the movement is the hip extension (the part where your hips push forwards as you stand up for instance)- keeping this strong by doing kettlebell swings will make all these activities or movements easier or faster.
Another thing about the swing is how it activates the CORE muscles. These are best thought of as the muscles which hold your back and torso in good position and provide you with a strong, upright posture. During the swing, you keep your core muscles strong and move from the hips-thus protecting your back.
To answer the question succinctly-WHY Kettlebell Swing? Because it gets your blood pumping, makes you strong and keeps your back healthy!
That's WHY!
