A worrying percentage of Britons are missing out on vital exercises.
A study by PureGym found that half of Britons struggle to ‘get off the couch’ and find difficult daily tasks such as walking uphill and doing basic physical exercise.
The brand previously found that 34% of the population do not exercise weekly, but new data shows that a third of the nation cannot do any strength work either.
Nearly four in 10 people think they would be unable to complete a 1.5 mile run no matter how much time they had, and a similar number of people are unable to complete a single tricep.
In a study of more than 2,000 people, five and a half reps was the average number of tricep dips people could do — which is the expected minimum benchmark for someone age 60 or older.
Meanwhile, a quarter of the population is unable to complete a single squat.
Phil, a PT working for the brand, said: “The average person working in an office spends most of their time sitting or lying down.
“We wake up after a lying night, sit down to breakfast, drive to work, take an elevator to the right floor, and sit at a desk until 5 p.m., often with lunches spent at our offices.
“Even for those who exercise after work, much of the evening will still be spent sitting.
“By the time the weekend rolls around, the average person is exhausted and with a long list of chores like cleaning, errands to run, as well as just recovering from the work week, getting to the gym can seem impossible.
But taking the time to move is really important for our health and well-being.
“Sedentary lifestyles have a huge impact on our mobility,” Phil said. “When we don’t use our muscles in the way we intended, we lose range of motion and strength. Sitting all day can cause hamstring strain, weak hip flexors and glutes, weak upper back muscles, poor posture, and more.
This is also affected by simple activities, as 55% of people studied get out of breath when climbing stairs.
Surprisingly, 16-24 year olds find climbing stairs the most difficult, with almost three-quarters admitting to struggling with it – compared to just 46% for those over 55.
The test also included a ‘toe touching’ test, which 44% were unable to complete, underlining how inflexible we are as a nation.
Phil said: “Mobility is our body’s secret superhero, which we don’t realize is there until we start to lose it as we age.”
“Having good mobility and flexibility allows us to move through a greater range of motion, with less risk of injury.
“Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are great ways to improve mobility and flexibility, but even something as simple as getting up, moving and stretching everyone for one to two hours of inactivity will make the difference.”
According to experts, the main way to change your fitness level is to engage in some form of physical activity every day, such as walking or working out in the gym.
Phil added: “We need to raise our heart rate within safe limits, at least twice a week to benefit from the reduced risk of chronic diseases and diseases such as heart disease and stroke.”
He recommends making small changes throughout the day, like opting for stairs instead of an elevator at work.
Your ‘back to the gym’ workout by PureGym
This full body kettlebell workout will target your entire body and is designed to help you get stronger while improving your fitness.
All you’ll need is a kettlebell and some space, making it ideal for your first session in the gym.
- Kettlebell sumo squats. Perform 20 repetitions. Rest for a minute. Complete three sets.
- Start by positioning the feet in a wide squat position.
- Rotate the feet slightly outward and perform a squat, followed by two squat pulses.
- Hold the kettlebell close to the midline and avoid pulling it away from the body.
- Make sure the knees follow the toes, so they don’t collapse.
- Keep abs tight and sit tight and straight throughout.
- One arm kettlebell swings. Perform 20 repetitions. Rest for a minute. Complete three sets.
- Start by positioning the feet in a wide squat position.
- Rotate the feet slightly outward and perform a squat, followed by two squat pulses.
- Hold the kettlebell close to the midline and avoid pulling it away from the body.
- Make sure the knees follow the toes, so they don’t collapse.
- Keep abs tight and sit tight and straight throughout.
- Kettlebell side lunge. Perform 20 repetitions. Rest for a minute. Complete three sets.
- Start by positioning the feet in a wide squat position.
- Rotate the feet slightly outward and perform a squat, followed by two squat pulses.
- Hold the kettlebell close to the midline and avoid pulling it away from the body.
- Make sure the knees follow the toes, so they don’t collapse.
- Keep abs tight and sit tight and straight throughout.
- Kettlebell press and triceps extension. Perform 20 repetitions. Rest for a minute. Complete 3 sets.
- Start by positioning the feet in a wide squat position.
- Rotate the feet slightly outward and perform a squat, followed by two squat pulses.
- Hold the kettlebell close to the midline and avoid pulling it away from the body.
- Make sure the knees follow the toes, so they don’t collapse.
- Keep abs tight and sit tight and straight throughout
- Sitting V Russian twist combo. Hold for 40 seconds. Rest for a minute. Complete three sets.
- Start by positioning the feet in a wide squat position.
- Rotate the feet slightly outward and perform a squat, followed by two squat pulses.
- Hold the kettlebell close to the midline and avoid pulling it away from the body.
- Make sure the knees follow the toes, so they don’t collapse.
- Keep abs tight and sit tight and straight throughout.
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