Kettle bell power

Kettle bells are a simple yet fantastic piece of equipment for a full body workout. Kettle bells were created in Russia roughly about 350 years ago and their first usage was actually to act as counterweights for market sellers as a way to gauge how much the food they where selling cost. However in more recent times kettle bells are now used for total workouts. While kettle bell workouts are challenging they are catered for all abilities.

Five benefits of kettle bell exercise.

1. Cardiovascular workout – Kettle bells are a great way to incorporate cardiovascular training into your regime without the boredom of running on treadmills, cycling or a rowing machine. It’s a form of high intensity interval training (HIIT) which is beneficial for building a strong heart, lowering resting heart rate, improving lung capacity and it’s much more fun than say running, so like with anything if you enjoy it you are much more likely to continue to do it.

2. Build strength – Building muscle strength is what kettle bells are most probably associated with, as kettle bells range in size and weight it makes them a great tool for all body strengthening you can challenge yourself as much as desired by changing weight of the kettle bell. While there are a whole range of movements that are great for improving your cardiovascular system you can also do more isolated movements to solely focus on strength building if that’s your goal.

3. Safe – While at times kettle bells can look daunting they are a very safe form of exercise and all exercises can be adapted for anything from muscular injuries, joint injuries and health conditions. Kettle bell work outs are often very smooth movements and transitions from one exercise to another are fluid which reduces the amount on stress on joints and your muscles so chance of injury during kettle bell work outs are reduced hugely.

4. Posture – If you have a job that involves you sitting at a desk for the majority of your day then muscles like your glutes (your bum) often switch off your upper back can become rounded as a result. Kettle bell movement often target the glutes to switch them on which helps with lower back problems and movements such as a kettle bell swing which is effective for setting a good shoulder blade position, opening the chest and standing you up tall!

5. All abilities welcome! No matter what your fitness level or injuries, kettle bell workouts are suited for you, the possibilities of exercises are endless and can be tailored for all abilities. All kettle bell exercises have progressions and regressions making each exercise as hard or easy for someone as they like challenging them and building confidence along the way.

If you’re interested in kettle bells and want to give them a try enquire below.

Sam Crispe
Reformer Pilates Instructor, Personal Trainer and Therapist

All services are provided by instructors on a self-employed basis.