We use a lot of different types of equipment at Habitat Health and Fitness in Lakeland, FL. For strength building, one of our favorites is kettlebells. Not only does working with kettlebells make the workout more intense, so you'll get more benefit in less time used, it also works the whole body and addresses other forms of fitness besides strength, such as balance, flexibility and endurance. Kettlebell workouts are great for people all fitness levels. It's all a matter of choosing the right weight of kettlebell and learning the proper form.
When you workout with kettlebells, your center of gravity is constantly changing.
Unlike dumbbells and barbells, the center of gravity in a kettlebell is about six to eight inches beyond your hand's grip. That makes it more difficult and also causes a constantly changing center of gravity. Whether you're doing daily activities or on the field or court of your favorite sport, that action is more like the functional experiences you'll have. That not only makes kettlebells good for sports training, but for everyday living.
You'll get a full body workout and burn tons of calories in the process.
One simple kettlebell move, such as a swing, can work as many as 600 muscles before you've completed it. Because of it's off center nature, you'll work your core muscles, both the movers and the stabilizers. Working all these muscles at once burns tons of calories. That changing center of gravity causes stabilizer muscles to go into action and burn more than you would just using dumbbells. You can burn between 15 and 20 calories per minute working out with kettlebells.
Increase all types of fitness when you workout with kettlebells.
Not only is a kettlebell workout created to boost your strength, it also improves flexibility and gets your heart pumping fast to improve your cardiovascular system. It's the Swiss Army knife of workouts, making it good for almost any goal, level of fitness and useful even for people with special needs. The swinging motion builds muscles during the lengthening phase and the shortening phase, which means you'll get results faster.
- While strength building will improve your joints and prevent injury, kettlebells add to that by working the smaller muscles that keep your joints aligned and makes them stronger. The stronger they are, the less resistant they are to injury.
- Even though you get a great cardio workout, unlike running, kettlebells workouts are low impact. Your feet never leave the floor and there's no jarring motion during kettlebell swings.
- Kettlebells are great workouts for athletes. They help develop explosive power. Sports like gymnastics, track, cycling, basketball and football, to name a few, require explosive strength and power if you want to do your best.
- People love kettlebell workouts as an alternative to traditional workouts. They're fun to do and can be done almost anywhere. You don't need a lot of space to store the kettlebell or do the exercise.
For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness!
