You’ve probably heard of super foods, but what about super MOVES? It has been well established we don’t need to spend hours in the gym to achieve results. An exercise is deemed to be effective when it builds strength and maximizes longevity. Working out smarter, not longer, is key. So what are the best moves? Exercise scientists and personal trainers have nominated their favorites:
The squat
“From a strength perspective, the two moves that deliver the most bang for buck are the squat pattern and the deadlift,” says exercise scientist Amanda Phillips. “I would take those to my desert island.”
Let’s focus on the squat first.
“The reason for a squat is that it engages the largest muscle groups in our body, namely our quadriceps, which is a group of four muscles, and our glutes as well. So in the 10 seconds it takes you to perform a rep, you are working the biggest muscle groups in your body,” she says…
The deadlift
Deadlifts, like squats, are strength moves that are important in building bone density.
“A deadlift works all those posterior chain muscles – those are the muscles down the back of your body. It’s very functional – it’s about bending over a lot,” says Phillips.
It also has a big impact on neuromuscular strength, or the ability of the nervous system and muscles to work together to help us move. Because deadlifts train the back, glutes, hamstrings and core, they’re focused on the central nervous system and help us develop things like balance and coordination. “It actually improves our strength from a neurological perspective, which is great for ageing,” Phillips says…
The box jump
Raph Freedman, the co-founder of Lockeroom Gym, puts plyometrics – basically any type of movement that involves jumping and landing – in his group of “super moves”.
Plyometrics includes activities like box jumps or jumping lunges. “Developing this ability helps keep you safe from falls and allows you to jump into casual sports on the weekend and keep an element of power and speed, which can decline rapidly as you age.”
The trick is to do these with adequate rest, says Freedman. The aim isn’t to exhaust yourself while you’re doing them, but instead to generally enjoy them and do them with good speed…
The easy runSlow running is one of the most underrated tools for building health, says Freedman. While in the past few decades, high-intensity running has been fashionable, he says easy-pace running is a super movement because it allows you to build cardiovascular fitness and the mental fortitude required to focus on one thing for a long time.
When we run, our mitochondria – the organelles which essentially turn food into energy – are put under pressure to generate the required energy. Every time we run, they have to work harder, but eventually, they not only adapt, but get bigger and start dividing to create more of themselves…
So, how easy is easy? You should be able to just comfortably hold a conversation while you’re running. If you’re just starting out, this could mean alternating periods of gentle jogging with walking…
The sprint
Having said that, sprints have an essential role to play, too. They improve cardiovascular fitness and VO2 max – the maximum volume of oxygen a person can absorb and use per minute of intense exercise. The higher the VO2 max the better because it means your body is better at turning air into fuel.
This type of running improves mitochondrial efficiency (just as slow running does) and the vasodilation of our blood vessels. Vasodilation is the widening of our blood vessels, and is mostly beneficial as it helps deliver oxygen and nutrients through our body more efficiently…
The farmer’s carry
Freedman is a fan of the farmer’s carry. That’s the act of carrying something heavy across a room without giving into poor posture.
“Grip strength is a huge thing for longevity, and it does stop a lot of injuries, just being able to hold on to things tight,” he says. “There’s also core work in there and grabbing something and walking with it is quite functional.”
The sun salutation
This, says Phillips, is a simple yoga flow. There are a few variations, but it generally involves moving from a standing position with arms stretched towards the sky into a total bend at the hips, down to the ground until you’re essentially lying flat, stretching your stomach and back and then into downward dog and back up to standing.
“It takes probably close to a minute to get through one full salutation. But it’s a fantastic mobility exercise because it puts all your joints through their full range,” says Phillips. “And it has some balance work in there too, which is really important.”
To learn more about how to execute each move see which exercise earned Honorable Mention, click here to read the full article.
As with food, there’s no single move that delivers it all. But some are created better than others. And taking a varied approach to exercise will help you get the results you are aiming for. Think functional movements and strengthening exercises. They will help you live better and longer.