You’re sitting on your sofa watching Coronation Street and those darn Meerkats keep appearing! At first, the Meerkats are great, cute even. But after watching 20 episodes of ‘The Street’, they can become a little annoying. Or maybe that’s just me!
So, this particular episode of Coronation Street is gripping. 10 minutes into the show and Gail McIntyre (ex-Platt) says something important! I mean, I used to watch the show and she was so predictable.
It becomes so gripping that her son, David, joins in and you’re on the edge of your seat! Then the ad break hits…
So frustrating – but then, the Meerkats appear. You’re fed up with them and want to go to the kitchen to make a cuppa – you’re parched!
But wait…
Your legs won’t allow you to get up from the sofa – you’re stuck! You’ve been sitting too long. You push against the seat cover and hoist yourself up. Wow, that wasn’t easy.
Maybe it’s your age – your legs aren’t as strong as they used to be!
Maybe it’s because the sofa is too low and the effort of getting up is just too much!
Maybe you like the Meerkats so much that you want to watch them again!!
Ok, let’s be serious for a moment…
Your legs – how strong are they? Surely you should be able to escape to the kitchen without too much hassle?
Would you like to test your leg strength? This is getting exciting now as people always like tests!
Here is my challenge:
- Sit on the edge of your sofa (or a chair) with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor just outside shoulder-width apart. Your legs should be at a 90-degree angle.
- Stand up without using your hands on your knees (or the sofa/chair) for support.
- Sit back down until you’re on the sofa or chair.
- Repeat as many times as you can just using your legs with a tempo of taking 1 second to come up and 2 seconds to lower yourself.
- Once you lose that tempo, the test is over.
- You should have a number of repetitions in your head now.
Here’s a chart showing where you should be:
How did you score?
Are you surprised by your result?
If you feel disappointed, don’t worry because there are things you can do to increase your leg strength. I have a video to show you – just click on the link below:
I would suggest doing 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions (on each leg) as a good starting point. Repeat this 2-3 times a week and you’ll soon notice a difference in your leg strength. [If you don’t have a bench, use the bottom 2 stairs/steps or a chair.]
Repeat the sofa test in a few weeks time.
So, by the time the Christmas edition of Coronation Street comes around, you’ll be springing up out of the sofa, avoiding those darn Meerkats and the kettle will be on by the time you say “Gail McIntyre is smiling”!