Unlocking Power Training: Boost Your Daily Life

Strength training, we hear about it all the time. But what about power? Read on to find out more…

Ever had one of those days where the stairs feel exhausting? When you tell yourself that this is just how it is now? The voice in your head says there’s way too many other important things to do anyway, there’s no way you could change.

I’m Dr Kate Ella. As a health coach I help people get through the exhaustion and overwhelm. I help people transform their lifestyle and optimise their health by bringing together exercise, stress management, eating and much more. I should also say at this point, that I love weights. Rowing training at university was my first introduction to weights and I couldn’t have been happier. But, I am aware that this is not everyone’s view!

Strength training is everywhere right now. Everyone is talking about it’s benefits, particularly as we get older. Regular, sustainable weight training has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Even better, a meta-analysis of 16 studies found the optimum benefits of weight training to occur with only 30 to 60 minutes a week.

There’s one area of strength training that I find particularly interesting and it’s well backed up by research; power training. Now, I know that might bring to mind stacked Olympic lifters and that might not feel like you but please do read on. Power training has been shown to increase the performance of activities of daily living, that’s the things you do every day. So power training makes stair climbing, running after the children, even getting out of the sofa at the end of the night significantly easier.

Power training, what’s that?

Well, let’s start with what power is. If we go back to school, you probably remember that;

Power = Force x Speed

Our muscles exert a force on our bones to get us to move. Power is the combination of the force that can be applied (our muscle strength) and the speed that it is applied at. So if you have really strong muscles but they can only work very slowly then then the power they can produce will be limited. When you think of powerful athletes they’re the ones who are really strong and can use that strength really quickly (like Usain Bolt).

One of the interesting things about aging is that our tissues all age at different rates. In our muscles, the slow twitch fibres aren’t too bothered about aging but the fast twitch are much more affected. Footballers near the end of their careers (whilst only in their 30s) are never at their fastest and the newbies who can race around them show that disappointingly clearly. But, whilst you can’t change your age you can train to help those fast twitch fibres. That’s where power training comes in.

But why do I need to bother about it?

Now, you’re not aiming to win the Olympic final (I imagine anyway). But, power is still important for you. When you trip up and need to quickly get your leg out to balance, before you hit your face into the road, that requires power. When you want to score a goal in 5 a side football, using the strength in your quads and the speed to get the ball there quickly, that’s power. When you need to sprint to stop a child from getting into the road, that’s power. Strength is really important too but power helps you in those moments when time is of the essence.

How do I become more powerful?

Easily, to be honest. It just takes a few modifications to turn things that you are already doing into power exercises.

A little caution is needed here, as with all exercise suggestions. Moving your muscles quickly is a great way to get more powerful. It is also a good way to rupture a tendon or strain a muscle. The key is making sure that you are nice and warm before you start and taking it slowly, start with smaller weights and make sure you are controlled at all times.

So if you want to be your best self and get up the stairs without exhaustion, then adding some power training into your exercise routine could help. The evidence suggests that it can not only make you feel better and make every day activities that bit easier, but also reduce the risk of serious health conditions in the future.

If you would like someone on your side to help you work out what is best for you then book a free 30 minute Discovery Call with me. Or sign up to my mailing list below to be the first to hear about more exciting offers from Dr Kate Ella!