Strength Matters: Small Actions for Big Results

Mar 20, 2024

In our journey to stay active, small actions can lead to significant results. Today, I’m excited to share some practical tips to help you strengthen your body and improve your overall well-being. One reason I exercise is to be able to enjoy traveling. I like knowing I can carry my luggage up and down stairs and walk for a long time sightseeing. Staying active is essential, especially as we age. Like you, I enjoy being able to do my everyday activities with ease. Recently, I’ve been delving into the fundamentals of strength building and aligning my Pilates home workouts with these principles to enhance my overall well-being.

 

Let’s start by understanding the core elements of building strength

  •  Progressive Overload: This principle involves gradually increasing the intensity of your exercises over time.
  • Nutrition: Ensuring sufficient intake of protein and calories supports muscle growth and repair.
  • Quality Sleep: Adequate rest is important for muscle recovery and overall health.

Now, let’s zero in on one key principle: Progressive Overload

This approach entails challenging your muscles in various ways to stimulate growth and adaptation. Here’s how you can put it into practice at home:

Plank and Push-up

  • Increase the duration of your plank or the number of push-ups
  • Opt for a harder variation, such as performing push-ups or planks with your hands on stairs, a bench, or on a mat

Double Leg Stretch

  • Increase difficulty by reaching arms and legs further away from your center (scroll down for video)
  • Perform the exercises in this series without resting (Reminder: it’s in between Single Leg Stretch and Scissors/Single Straight Leg Stretch)

Shoulder Bridge

  • Choose a more challenging bridge variation (scroll down for video)

Lunge and Squat

  • Increase the range of motion
  • Increase the number of repetitions
  • Add resistance by using more of your body weight, bands or weights

Remember, the key is to start where you are and progress at your own pace. These adjustments can lead to noticeable enhancements in strength and mobility.

 

Personally, I’ve experienced the rewards of aligning my workout routine with these principles. Everyday activities have become easier, and I feel empowered to take on new challenges.

I’d love to hear from you: which activity do you envision becoming simpler with more strength? Feel free to share your thoughts or pass along this post to a friend who’s ready to enhancing their strength.

 

Here’s to your strength and well-being!

 

Leila