Movement is Medicine, and Kettlebell is the Prescription

One of the most repeated phrases I hear from personal trainers, fitness enthusiasts and medical doctors, is that "movement is medicine."

Coming from an academic background, I’ve found myself gravitating towards exercise science. All of the articles I’ve read in scholarly journals reveal how exercise (cardio, strength and mobility) can prolong outstanding well-being, and even reverse some of the effects of aging (such as muscle and bone atrophy).

It’s clear that when combined with an overall wellness plan/routine (which includes diet, sleep hygiene and stress relief), movement does indeed provide us with significant cognitive and physical health benefits.

If movement is medicine, then I'd prescribe Kettlebells to anyone looking to burn fat, build muscle and get in peak physical condition.* Since I’ve started training with kettlebells, I’ve built and continue to build lean muscle, become a lot more stable in terms of balance and mobility, and developed a greater range of full body motion.

Kettlebells are incredibly versatile weightlifting objects, hence why they’ve been referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of fitness equipment. They can be used for hypertrophy training, as well as building endurance, mobility and stability. Kettlebells take up very little storage space and are extremely portable, making them a great option for getting a total body workout from the comforts of your home. When I travel, they’re as essential to my packing list as my toothbrush is.

Kettlebells are especially suited for combining strength, power and cardio training, through a sequence of exercises performed back-to-back, which is called a "complex" (see: “Workout of the Week: It’s Complex”).

A kettlebell complex is not only a very effective form of movement, but it can look pretty too. In some cases, kettlebell flows, which is another term for a complex, can be quite artistic. Steph Sorenson is a great example. She’s a practitioner of what’s known as kettlebell juggling. Kettlebell juggling is exactly what it sounds like. Sorenson swings, throws, catches, spins, and flips kettlebells like an acrobat.

Kettlebell windmills, the ultimate loaded mobility exercise.

We vastly improve our mobility, flexibility and strength all at once, when we employ precise control of the kettlebell while moving with and against gravity. This technique called “loaded mobility,” is not just a physical attribute, it requires mental conditioning too.

Josh McGowen, a neuromuscular therapist and corrective movement coach, notes that “it's most often the brain which is limiting the range of motion. It does this for a few reasons, but the one most relevant to this topic is because the current end range of motion is weak. As far as the brain is concerned, if your current end range of movement is weak and not already well controlled by you, it has no reason to allow you to extend that range of motion and risk injury.”

Loaded mobility overrides our brain’s protective essence by training it to expand its notion that our end range of motion (the point where our active mobility ends) is not finite. A broad range of motion significantly reduces the risk for injury. This is why further research into kettlebell exercises is being suggested in order for their extensive use in clinical healthcare settings.

As if all these benefits to the mind and body weren’t enough, there’s even more!

Due to the kettlebell’s design and off-center weight distribution, there are several different ways to hold it. This makes kettlebell training an ideal way to bolster grip strength. A strong grip is a key indicator of good overall (physical and cognitive) health and well-being.

In addition to the aforementioned benefits of building strength, endurance and dexterity; kettlebell movement trains our proprioception (spatial awareness), coordination, reaction time, force absorption and reflexes. All of these facets are essential to thrive in the modern world, and to age powerfully and gracefully.

When you pick up a kettlebell you’re making a conscious effort to feel well!

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*Note this is not actual medical advice. Anyone looking to start a fitness program should consult their doctor and seek guidance from a personal trainer.

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