Energy levels flagging? Give yourself a natural boost.
Energy isn't just about gettng enough sleep or eating the right food. Energy is affected by the amount you exert yourself during the day, and the way in which you exert yourself. Here are Damien Kelly's workout tips for boosting energy.
Stand tall and lift your right foot off the ground. Keeping your torso upright, start to swing your right leg from the hip, like a pendulum. Start with small swings and build up until your foot reaches hip height. Perform 20 reps at this height and then decrease the range over the next few reps until your leg stops. Repeat on your left leg.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 20 full-swing reps each leg
Assume a push-up position on your toes or knees or with your hands on a ledge. Bend your knees and squat your buttocks back towards your heels. Then scoop your chest down to a point just off the ground between your hands. Continue scooping your chest forward so that your pelvis draws down and then start to arc up into a hyper-extended cobra. Once you've reached your range of motion, raise your pelvis back to the start.
Sets and reps: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Lie on your side, leaning on your elbow, forearm pointing forward. Brace your core, front and sides. Raise your body off the ground so you form a straight line, from shoulders to feet. Reach your top arm up, then sweep it under your torso, reaching as far back as possible. Keep your hips high and body straight. Your top shoulder and upper torso will twist. Untwist and take your arm back to the start.
Sets and reps: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps each side
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down, keeping your feet flat on the ground, and place your hands flat on the ground about 30cm in front of your feet. Step one foot back and then the other and assume a push-up position on your toes. Hold for a second, before stepping your legs back in and standing up.
Sets and reps: 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps
Stand with your back to a knee-high bench with no back. Keeping your vision on the horizon, squat down and lightly sit on the bench. Then lean back and lightly touch your back to the bench. Flex through your abs to come back up. Once seated upright again, push through your legs to stand up.
Sets and reps: 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps
Gina Basger, 50, is a mother of three and a personal trainer with a passion for resistance training.
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