5 exercises you can do whilst “binge racing” on Netflix

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Fitness

We all know that sitting for long periods of time is bad for our health. A lunchtime workout isn’t going to curb the damage either.

“Even if you exercise for an hour a day, you’re still at higher risk for heart disease if you’re sitting for eight hours every day,” explains Dr. Beth Frates.

“Sedentary behaviour affects your body in many different ways, even down to the molecular level,” she says.

Cue the excuses…

“But my job requires me to sit at a screen ALL day”.

“This time of year is SO depressing, all I want to do is stay in and binge on Netflix”.

We hear you…

Bingeing is one thing. Speeding through an entire season of Stranger Things within 24 hours of its release is something else altogether. They call it “Binge racing”. (Yes, it’s actually a thing.)

And what do we binge race on? According to Netflix, Marvel’s The Defenders comes in at number one, followed closely by Gilmore Girls, The Seven Deadly Sins and Santa Clarita Diet. Hour-long thrillers like Stranger Things, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black are consumed with gusto as well.

We don’t have anything against binge racing but to help you reduce your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes (not to mention a numb bum!), break up the episodes with a “streaming stretch” and “press play prep”, otherwise known as, Netflix and Drills…

1. POWER WALK LATERAL

START POSITION:

• Place one powerband MINI above your knees and one around your ankles.
• Lower yourself down halfway into a squat position.
• Keep your knees behind your toes and pull the band slightly apart so your knees are in line with your feet, toes facing forwards.

PERFORMING EXERCISE:

• Take small steps to the side pushing off with your rear foot. Keep your hip low and your upper body straight.
• Make sure you keep pushing the band apart with your knees whilst taking the step.
• Don’t let your knees rotate inwards.
• Take the same number of steps in each direction.

COACHING KEY:

• Keep your toes facing forwards and your back straight.
• Do this for 45 seconds or 20 steps total (each two-step in a direction counts as one).

2. POWER BANDS SQUAT

START POSITION:

• Place a powerband MINI above your knees and take a hip-to shoulder width stance.
• Point your toes forward and get the band under tension by pushing your knees out.

PERFORMING EXERCISE:

• Put your weight on your heels and lower yourself into a squat position. Keep your back straight and your core tight.
• Get back up by squeezing your glutes and pushing yourself up through your heels.

COACHING KEY:

• Keep your knees behind your toes.
• Move your hips backwards as if you were sitting down on a chair.
• Keep the upper body upright, your core tight and your back straight.
• Permanently push your knees out to keep the band under tension and avoid your knees rotating inwards.

3. MONSTER WALK

START POSITION:

• Place one powerband MINI above your knees and one around your ankles.
• Take a wide stance and get into a squat position, lowered down halfway.
• Your weight is on your heels and your toes are facing forward.
• Push your knees out against the resistance of the band and keep them in line with your feet.

PERFORMING EXERCISE:

• Take small steps forward, one after the other, keeping the legs wide apart.
• Always keep your foot, knee and hip in a straight line.
• Push your knees out against the resistance of the band.

COACHING KEY:

• Keep your back straight and your feet facing forwards.
• Don’t let your knees be pulled inwards by the band.

4. HIP LIFT

START POSITION:

• Place a powerband MINI above your knees and lie down on your back.
• Bend your knees and put your feet on the floor with your toes facing upwards towards the ceiling.
• Place your arms down by your sides with your palms facing upwards.

PERFORMING EXERCISE:

• Tense your core and press your lower back into the floor by tilting your pelvis.
• Now lift your hips off the ground towards the ceiling as high as possible.
• Briefly hold this position, and tense your glutes.
• Lower your hips down again until your glutes are about to touch the floor, then push back up.

COACHING KEY:

• Keep the tension in your glutes throughout the entire exercise.
• Only move your hips as high as you can without arching your lower back, keep your pelvis tilted forwards.

5. HIP SIDELYING

START POSITION:

• Place a powerband MINI above your knees and lie on your side with your knees at a 90 degree angle.
• Your heels should be aligned with your spine, with your head resting on your lower arm.

PERFORMING EXERCISE:

• Tense your core and rotate your knee outwards by lifting it off the ground towards the ceiling, whilst keeping the contact with your heels.
• Pull the band as far apart as you can without rotating your hip.
• Then rotate your knee inwards again in a slow, controlled movement.

COACHING KEY:

• Make sure you don’t rotate your hip with your knee and avoid pulling the band with your back. Only pull the band with the force of your glutes.

Powerbands MINI, MAX, FLEX and TUBE are available in four progressive color-coded levels of resistance to suit all fitness levels. To find out more about resistance training or to buy Let’s Bands Powerbands visit the website.