Chiropractic Lane Endorses KETTLEBELLS!
At Chiropractic Lane we use kettlebells as a part of our rehabilitation regimens for most patients.
Few workout tools are more versatile than Kettlebells, the ancient market counterweights that were hosted by Russian strongmen and now can be found in weight rooms at gyms across the country, fitness experts say.
But kettlebells, which come in varying weights, are often thought mistakenly to be the preserve of strongmen and extreme athletes.
Steve Cotter, a former Kung Fu competitor and the founder and director of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation, said part of the problem was that the kettlebell was marketed as a hard-core tool that implied intensity. This mistaken idea prevents beginners from giving it a try.
If you only have 30 minutes a day to commit to exercise, the kettlebell is an all-in-one, hand-held gym.
The key to kettlebell training is incremental progression. We recommend starting off with light weights, using one or two basic moves like the swing, during which the exerciser moves the kettlebell between the legs like a pendulum, forward and up and then back and down.
Normal, healthy women might begin with an 15 pound kettlebell while men can start with 25 pound ketlebell.
Ths may sound pretty heavy, but it’s not the same approach as a dumbbell because you’re swinging it, relying on inertia. It’s more on the endurance side. Because the center of mass extends beyond the hand, the kettlebell allows for ballistic, or fast, swinging motions that combine cardio-respiratory, strength, and flexibility training.
The result is an all-around, functional fitness workout that mimics everyday activities such as shoveling snow or working in the garden, he said.
Amy Dixon, who teaches Kettlebell Power, a group class at an Equinox Fitness center in Los Angeles, said the workout is beneficial because it puts the body through so many ranges of motion.
“Your body is completely integrated, so you’re moving everything,” said Dixon, the creator of “Raise Some Bell – The Ultimate Kettlebell Core Workout” DVD.
She calls it “one of the best pieces of equipment that’s been around for centuries.”
For Richard Cotton, spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine, the appeal of the kettlebell is its practicality.
“Kettlebells are inexpensive. They don’t take up a lot of space, and they enable a variety of exercises,” Cotton said. Unlike free weights, which tend to be linear, kettlebells work across all planes, he explained.
“I think they’re here to stay among a wide population … I could even see senior kettlebell workouts, so long as they take it easy,” said Cotton, who advises people to progress slowly, starting with light weights.
Cotter stresses that there’s nothing mystical about working with kettlebells. But lifting with the back is incorrect, he said. The back should be flat, with creasing at the hips.
Please come to our office and let us work with you to reach your fitness goals or to help to relieve you of your aches and pains, neck pain or low back pain.
Chiropractic Lane
290 Ferry Street
Suite A1
Newark, NJ 07105
973-344-5656
via Blogger http://chiropractic-lane.blogspot.com/2013/11/chiropractic-lane-endorses-kettlebells.html
Recent Comments