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TOP 3 NO EQUIPMENT TOTAL BODY EXERCISES

FAQs information BOSIC

By Physiotherapist, Vanessa Boon

Are you looking for a simple, yet effective, total body workout? Look no further, because I have put together the three most effective movements so that you can get the most out of your workouts. Don’t forget to book in for an appointment with me here if you need assistance with an injury or custom strength workouts for your core and back.

1. Crab toe touches 

This exercise targets your core, glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. 

 

How to: 

  1. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you (feet and knees hip width apart) with your hands behind you and under your shoulders. 
  2. With your feet on the floor, push through your heels and lift your hips towards the ceiling. 
  3. Focus on engaging your core, bring your right hand up while simultaneously lifting your left leg up touching your toes and vice versa. 
  4. Alternate back and forth doing 15 repetitions on each side. 

 

2. Bear stance to full plank 

 

     

This exercise targets your core stability, deltoids and glutes. 

 

How to: 

  1. Start on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
  2. Keep your core engaged, back flat, lift your knees off the ground. 
  3. Hold this position, keeping your hips stable and extend your legs out one at a time and bring them back in. 
  4. Alternate back and forth doing 15 repetitions or for 1 minute. 

 

3. Squat + knee lift 

 

     

 

This exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, adductors and your core. 

How to: 

  1. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart and hands behind your head.
  2. Sit your buttocks back keeping a 50% contraction, hinging at your hips, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. 
  3. Make sure your knees and your toes are pointing forwards. 
  4. As you push up through your heels, lift the right knee to touch your left elbow by twisting your upper body towards the raised knee and vice versa. 
  5. Alternate side to side doing 15 repetitions or as many as you can. 

 

These are my top 3 exercises for those who do not have any equipment at home and do not have much time. These exercises work almost every muscle in your body! Bonus, they train your core stability, coordination and balance. Here is a video link of how to do these 3 exercises:

 
For more information or if you would like a personalised program give us a call at 8599 9811 or book in here.
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5 tips for beginner runners

exercise physiology BOSIC

By Physiotherapist, Paulina Backiel

Just starting a new running program? You might have some questions about how you can optimize your runs. Read on for my top 5 tips for beginners! If you need more assistance starting a running program, then book in for my Run Faster and Smarter Program for a personalized run program made just for you. 

 

Tip 1: Breathing

When you are starting to run, this is probably one of the hardest things to control. My best tip would be to breathe through your mouth; this will allow you to get heaps of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. If, at races, you are a hyperventilator like me, calm your breathing by breathing slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth. Once you are calm you can go back to mouth breathing.

 

Tip 2: Distance > Speed

I cannot stress this enough to my beginner runners: don’t gas yourselves up in the first 100m. This is why I always say to focus on distance rather than speed. In the beginning, you may find that mixing running with a bit of walking can get you that distance. Then, just slowly decrease the amount you are walking (resting) and you will be running the whole distance in no time.

 

Tip 3: Warm-up

This does not mean to stand there and stretch. You need dynamic stretching, which means introducing movement to your muscles. Check out my dynamic stretching blog for more information.

 

Tip 4: Nutrition

Everyone does all these pre-workout drinks, energy shots, and so on and so forth. Personally from a beginner standpoint, I think that for training they are all a bit of BS. The only time I would consider a pre-workout sports drink for a beginner during training (this is not including racing) is when you have a race in a month and need to try it out before race day. Trust me, trying a new sports drink on race day is never a good idea. Your stomach can hate you!

 

Tip 5: Shoes

I’ve written heaps of blogs about shoes so feel free to check them out. But the one thing I would advise for beginner runners is to go get professionally fitted. And this doesn’t mean go to a huge franchise because they will probably put you into their most expensive new thing. As a past employee, I highly recommend a place called Running Science. All you do is tell them what you need your shoes for, your history and goals and they pick out choices for you. The only thing you have to do is see which choice is most comfortable for you. 

 

If you are a runner who has suffered an injury, then I’m your gal! You can book in for a physiotherapy appointment with me here. Once again, be sure to check out my Run Faster and Smarter Program in order to level up your running game. I guarantee that I can get you stronger, and can help you achieve all of your running and fitness goals. 

 

Happy running, 
Paulina