Cooking

It’s always frustrating when aches, weaknesses, and irritations stifle your ability to get busy in the kitchen. Many of the issues people run into while cooking can be tackled with simple exercises. So here’s your guide to physical culinary mastery!

Overhead Strength: Y-Raises

For reaching up into high cupboards and shelves or holding onto heavy pots and pans, Y-Raises help promote strength in those smaller muscles in your shoulder and back.

Lie chest-down on a bench, bed or the floor if needed. Place your arms out in front of you in the shape of a Y, with your thumbs pointing towards the ceiling. Keeping your chest down, gently lift your arms away from the floor before lowering them back down.

Complete 3 Sets of 8 Reps

Crouching Down: Eccentric Box Squats

To help improve your capacity to crouch down, eccentric box squats can be a good starting point.

Stand facing away from a box or chair, and slowly lower yourself down until you are fully seated on it. Feel free to use your arms for support as you go deeper. Perform this squat for 3-5 seconds to promote control and stability. Start from a higher box/chair and work yourself down to lower seats as you progress.

Complete 3 Sets of 8 Reps  

Postural Endurance: Farmer’s Walks

Cooking often means spending a lot of time on your feet, moving between surfaces and carrying things around. Farmer’s walks are a simple way to develop the strength and endurance needed for these tasks.

Hold two equally weighted Kettlebells or any other weights in each hand. Stand up tall, with your hips square under your torso, your chest open, and your head up. Simply walk up and down, maintaining a stable, neutral posture. Keep your torso stable and allow your arms to hang naturally while you walk. Choose a weight that feels challenging but allows you to maintain your posture and walk comfortably. A pair of weights roughly comparable to carrying full shopping bags can be a useful starting point.

Complete 3 Sets of 30 Seconds

Strength in the Kitchen

Our physical capacity translates into everything we do in life, and daily necessities like cooking and cleaning are no exception. 

The exercises detailed above are great for specific challenges in the kitchen, but they also contribute to greater strength and healthy movement. 

Practising these movements regularly will help you gradually build up strength and capacity. For most people, incorporating them into your training a few times per week is more than enough to get started.

Being able to do what you love every day with ease is the pinnacle of confidence in movement.

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