Rugby Star Portia Woodman in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "Home"

Portia Woodman is a very successful rugby player for New Zealand, and previously played for Ireland. She has won two gold medals at the Rugby World Cup, and two golds and a bronze at the past three Olympic Games. Woodman recently appeared in an Instagram video for the Blues Rugby Team. In it, she posed in her uniform before her game highlights were shown. They captioned the post, “She’s home.”

1. She Plays Rugby

Rugby is the main way Woodman stays in shape. Simply Supplements states that the sport has a lot of health benefits. “While all forms of physical activity can positively impact health, rugby is noted for combining a hugely diverse range of physical activities. Firstly, rugby players cover a surprising distance in each match, at varying speeds. Some studies, in which rugby players were monitored with GPS transponders, suggest that they may travel 5km or more over the course of a match.”

2. She Swims

Woodman likes to swim to stay in shape. She shared this set of photos on Instagram of herself snorkeling. Woodman captioned the post, “Swimming with crush and squirt.” Better Health states that swimming has a lot of benefits. “Swimming is a great recreational activity for people of all ages. Recreational swimming can provide you with a low-impact workout and it's a good way to relax and feel good.”

3. She Does Hip Thrusts

Woodman shares a lot of her favorite workouts on Instagram. One exercise that she likes to do is the hip thrust. Woodman posted this video of herself doing them with a barbell. She captioned the post, “Got to update the Hip Thrust PB today!! Thanks @mahinapaul_ your extra hype 👋” Hip thrusts have a lot of benefits. Gymless states, “Hip thrusts, as a compound movement, aid in increasing lower body strength and power, enhancing athletic abilities such as running, jumping, and powerlifting. By strengthening the posterior chain muscles, you can enhance your posture and lower the risk of back pain and muscle strain.”

4. She Does Pull-Ups

Woodman shared this workout video on her Instagram. One exercise she is seen doing in it was pull-ups. Woodman captioned the post, “Last gym sesh for the week… feature training with our young guns 🤣” Asphalt Green states that pull-ups have a lot of benefits. “Pull-ups are a fantastic way to improve upper-body strength. This exercise primarily targets your back and biceps, but involves many stabilizing muscles in your core, arms, and shoulders. Depending on the way you grip the bar, you can even work your chest.”

5. She Uses Weights

Portia Woodman/Instagram

In the previous two Instagram videos, Woodman is seen using weights to workout. ACE Fitness states that using weights has a lot of benefits. “Using heavy weights increases intramuscular coordination, the number of type II motor units and the amount of muscle fibers engaged within a specific muscle. Have you ever felt your muscles shaking while lifting heavy weights? This is because you are recruiting and activating the larger type II muscle fibers, which are only stimulated to work when a muscle is challenged with heavy resistance or working to fatigue.”