Pilates has developed a fearsome reputation in recent years, with the style of exercise credited for many a sculpted torso on social media, and the occasional muscle-bound man admitting to being humbled by their first encounter with a Pilates reformer.

But it would be a crying shame if this reputation put you off trying it, because it’s actually one of the most accessible forms of exercise out there and can improve the way you carry yourself in everyday life.

“Pilates is low-impact and focuses on controlled movement, breathing, posture, flexibility, and core strength,” says Michelle Standfast, a physical therapist assistant and Pilates instructor at ATI Physical Therapy.

“While many people associate Pilates with abdominal exercises, it is actually a full-body workout that emphasizes quality of movement rather than speed or intensity.”

Standfast tells Fit&Well that one of the reasons she particularly enjoys Pilates is that it can be adapted to suit almost anyone, at any fitness level.

“Whether someone is new to exercise, returning after an injury, or looking to supplement their current fitness routine, Pilates can help improve body awareness, balance, mobility and muscular endurance. It also requires minimal equipment, making it an accessible option for many people.”

With an emphasis on recruiting the right muscles and flawless form, Pilates is a type of exercise that is best taught in person so a teacher can assess and correct your alignment, but Standfast has shared five basic movements someone who has no existing injuries can safely practice at home.

1. Pelvic tilt

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 30-45sec

What it does: “The pelvic tilt is one of the best beginner Pilates exercises because it teaches core engagement and spinal awareness,” says Standfast.

“It targets the deep abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles and lower back while helping individuals learn how to move their spine with control.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your shoulders relaxed and arms by your sides.
• Gently tighten your abdominal muscles and flatten your lower back into the floor, tilting your pelvis backward.
• Hold for 2-3 seconds, then return to the starting position with control.

2. Single-leg stretch

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8 each side Rest: 30-60sec

What it does: “This is a classic Pilates exercise that helps build core strength, coordination, and body awareness,” says Standfast.

“This exercise works on both mobility and strength of the hips, as well as foundational core stability and control needed for more demanding Pilates exercises.”

“It will also train you to link your breath and movement, which is imperative for a strong Pilates practice.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your head lifted off the floor and your chin tucked into your chest.
• Inhale and hug one knee to your chest, while you extend your other leg.
• Exhale as you swap legs.

3. Glute bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 30-45sec

What it does: “Many people spend long periods sitting throughout the day,” says Standfast.

“The glute bridge helps activate the gluteal muscles while improving core stability and hip mobility.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core and press through your heels to lift your hips.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then lower back to the floor with control.

4. Bird dog

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 30-60sec

What it does: “The bird dog is excellent for improving balance, coordination, and core control,” says Standfast. “It teaches stability while moving the arms and legs independently.”

How to do it:

• Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
• Lift your right arm in front of you and extend and lift your left leg behind you. Pause briefly while maintaining balance.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

5. The hundred (modified)

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 50-100 Rest: As needed

What it does: “The hundred is one of the most recognizable Pilates exercises. A modified version allows beginners to learn breathing patterns and core engagement without placing excessive strain on the neck or lower back.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
• Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor.
• Extend your arms alongside your body and pump them up and down in small movements.
• Inhale for five arm pumps and exhale for five arm pumps.
• Continue for 50–100 pumps total, stopping when you feel you need to.

Why should you worry about training your deep core if you can’t see the muscles? Because they matter more than you think.

Take the transverse abdominis, it wraps around your torso like a corset and activates to keep you balanced, and holds you upright while you sit and stand.

Your internal obliques sit over the transverse abdominis and help you with rotational movement. Meanwhile your pelvic floor acts as a sling for your organs and helps with bowel and bladder control.

All of these core muscles (and others) also protect your organs, and while you can’t see them from the outside, building a strong, functional deep core should be a priority for everyone.

I asked Sabrina Jordan, who is a NASM-certified personal trainer at workout and community space Life Time in Annapolis, how to approach strengthening your deep core muscles.

She recommended the following three exercises.

1. Leg lower

Sets: 3 Reps: 8–12

Jordan says: “I chose this exercise because it strongly targets the transverse abdominis and lower core while training the body to resist spinal extension, which is key for deep core strength.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended straight up, with your feet over your hips and arms resting by your sides.
• Lift your head off the floor, supporting it with your hands if needed.
• Engage your core and press your lower back firmly into the floor, then slowly lower both legs toward the floor without letting your back arch.
• Just before your heels tap the floor, lift your legs back to the starting position with control.

2. Single-leg glute march

Sets: 3 Reps: 16-20 each side

Jordan says: “This exercise challenges pelvic stability and activates the deep core (including transverse abdominis and obliques) while also engaging the glutes.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core.
• Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Lift your right leg until your right knee is over your right hip.
• Lower your right foot back to the floor, keeping your hips level throughout.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Alternate legs in a slow marching pattern without letting your pelvis drop or rotate. Keep your core braced the entire time.

3. RKC Plank

Sets: 3 Time: 30-60sec

Jordan says: “I selected this variation on a standard plank because it maximizes full-body tension and deeply engages the transverse abdominis, making it far more effective than passive planks.”

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders.
• Lower your forearms to the floor one by one, making sure your elbows are directly under your shoulders.
• Step back with each foot so your legs are both extended behind you.
• Engage your core.
• Actively pull your elbows toward your toes and squeeze your glutes and quads. Keep your ribs close to the floor to maintain a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Hold for 30-60 seconds, then lower your knees to the floor.

Tight hips are one of the most common complaints yoga teachers hear from their students, and unsurprisingly, sitting for long periods is often the culprit.

“Over time, prolonged sitting can cause your hip flexors to shorten as an adaptation—and that is usually what people mean when they say they have tight hips,” personal trainer and yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan tells Fit&Well.

This tightness can reduce mobility, impact movements like squatting and lunging, and make everyday activities like climbing the stairs harder.

McColgan’s three-move yoga routine for tight hips is designed to release tension, ease discomfort and combat the effects of prolonged sitting. And, it doesn’t take long to do—just five minutes.

It’s well documented that exercise snacking—breaking movement up into short bursts throughout the day—can boost fitness and support overall health, but McColgan reminded me that consistency is what makes the biggest difference.

“Research shows both stretching and resistance training can improve range of motion, but you have to be consistent with your workouts,” she adds.

McColgan, who is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, recommends doing this short routine three to five times a week to reduce hip tightness and increase range of motion.

How to do the five-minute yoga routine

“For all these poses, aim for a gentle stretch sensation, not pain,” McColgan says. “Stop for any sharp pain, pinching in the hip joint, catching or numbness, and pay attention to any sensations that linger afterward as that can be a sign the stretch may not be right for your body.”

The moves:

1. Low lunge to half split
2. Kneeling side stretch
3. Reclined bound angle pose

1. Low lunge to half split

Time: 1min each side

Benefits: Targets your hip flexors at the front of your thighs. This move is especially helpful after long periods of sitting to ease tension and lengthen your hamstrings.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, then step your right foot forward between your hands. (Place a cushion under your left knee for comfort if needed.)
• Gently tuck your pelvis under to avoid arching your lower back.
• Lean forward over your front knee, stretching the front of your left thigh.
• Shift your hips back toward your left heel, stretching through the back of your right leg. Keep a soft bend in your right knee if needed.
• Flex your right foot and hinge forward from the hips over your right leg.
• Keep your spine long and straight to avoid rounding forward.
• Move between these two positions for one minute, then repeat on the other side.

2. Kneeling side stretch

Time: 1min each side

Benefits: Encourages movement through your hips and pelvis, releasing tension when your synchronize the movement with your breath.

How to do it:

• Kneel with your knees hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot out to the side, extending your right leg, so your toes facing forward and the inside of your foot on the floor.
• Reach both arms overhead, palms facing.
• Inhale and lengthen through your spine.
• Exhale to gently bend your torso to your right, reaching your right hand toward your right leg.
• Inhale to return to upright, arms overhead.
• Continue for time, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tip: Move with the rhythm of your breath rather than trying to hold the deepest stretch.

3. Reclined bound angle pose

Time: 1min

Benefits: Provides a low-intensity stretch for your adductors (the inside of your thighs) and groin, while encouraging relaxation.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop out to the sides.
• Place pillows, blocks or folded blankets under your thighs and knees for support if there is any strain.
• Rest one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen to connect to your breath. Alternatively rest your arms on the floor by your sides, palms facing up.

I often only have a short amount of time to squeeze in exercise so when I do an online workout it needs to be quick, effective and fun.

Personal trainer Britany Williams always ticks all three boxes with the workouts she posts on her Instagram account. She often uses compound exercises (working multiple muscle groups at once), allowing you to work your whole body in less time.

Like me, the Sweat coach is a mom to young children so she understands the time constraints parents face.

Here are three of her workouts I do on repeat.

My favorite Britany Williams workout for arms

This 15-minute arms workout features just three dumbbell exercises—the single-arm shoulder press, single-arm row and skull crusher—ticking off a push, a pull and an isolation move for the triceps on the back of your arms.

This neat little circuit not only works your upper body but also challenges your core. In a kneeling position, your abdominal muscles will work hard to stabilize you, and the skull crusher requires some core strength to raise the weights from overhead.

My favorite Britany Williams workout for no-jumping cardio

Since having children my pelvic floor is not as strong as it used to be and now I’m nearing 50, low-impact cardio is kinder on my knees. This no-jumping cardio workout satisfies my love of HIIT without putting too much stress on my joints.

It’s only four rounds but because there’s no rest between exercises, it keeps your heart rate up and helps to build cardiovascular fitness and strength.

My favorite Britany Williams workout for core strength

The two killer core moves in this workout prove you don’t need crunches to effectively work your core. Both moves—the pullover supine march and the plank to bear—target your deep core muscles. These sit under your superficial abdominals to help support your spine.

Often overlooked, these deeper stabilizing core muscles not only help improve overall core strength and stability, but can improve your posture, lower-back pain and pelvic floor strength.

Strength training at any age is important, but it’s essential after 70.

“As we age, we often face structural changes known as sarcopenia and osteopenia—the progressive loss of muscle mass and bone density,” says Dr Jamie Bovay, founder and lead physical therapist at KinetikChain Denver.

“By age 70, for many, this slide becomes a cliff.

“While that may sound dire, with a plan, we can minimize any losses and, more importantly, we can actually build muscle at any age.”

It doesn’t require heavy weights or a huge time commitment either. Bovay tells Fit&Well that there is a common misconception that you have to be in the gym every day to make progress, but as little as a single session a week can lead to meaningful results in health and functional strength for seniors.

“We aren’t training for a bodybuilding [competition] stage,” says Bovay, “we are training to maintain our access to all of the things we want to do.

“We are building a body that will last 100-plus years, so that at age 95, we can still easily get off the floor, carry our own groceries, and navigate the world with confidence.”

HOW SENIORS CAN BUILD FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH TRAINING ONCE A WEEK

The good news is that you don’t need heavy weights to maintain your muscle mass.

“The most important thing to understand is that your body doesn’t care how much weight is on the bar,” says Bovay. “It only cares about the signal you send to your nervous system and we can do this in a variety of ways.”

All of those ways, however, require you to work hard to challenge your body. So you can use light weights, but you need to pair them with a relatively high number of reps.

“When you perform high repetitions (20-25) to the point of near-failure (when you can’t do another rep), you create a chemical stimulus in the muscle that signals the body to initiate the protein synthesis that builds muscle,” explains Bovay.

“Make sure your first set is easy to challenging, your second set is hard, and for the third set you should be pushing it to near-failure where the last two to three reps feel challenging to finish,” says Bovay.

But which exercises should you include in your workouts?

According to research, sessions should prioritize multi-joint, full-body movements, including a leg press (such as a squat), an upper-body pull and an upper-body push exercise, using free weights or machines.

Separately, Bovay has shared a five-move workout for seniors to build strength and maintain independence, and the first three exercise types match the recommendations from the research. The workout can be done from home too.

It’s a great place to start.

To fit exercise into my busy week, I try to get up early and squeeze something in before my daughters come down for breakfast. I usually have about 30 minutes max before I’m back to mom duty so how I work out matters.

I’ll often do a circuit that uses EMOM (every minute on the minute) timings. You complete a certain number of repetitions of an exercise at the start of every minute, and your recovery is the remaining time on the clock before the next 60 seconds start.

I recommend this style of training if you’re on a tight schedule. There’s minimal downtime and workouts can build cardio fitness as well as muscular strength and endurance because you only have short recovery periods. As you get tired, you have to work harder to complete the repetitions, which is what improves fitness, strength and endurance.

As you get fitter, you might complete your repetitions faster, giving you more recovery time within the minute, in which case you can increase the repetitions to keep things challenging.

If it sounds like a good fit for your goals, try this five-move workout I created.

How to do the EMOM workout

You will need a set of dumbbells or a kettlebell for this workout. Do 10 reps of every exercise, one after the other, and complete four rounds.

Each exercise starts at the beginning of the new minute, with any remaining time used as rest. For example, if the first exercise—the goblet squat— takes you 40 seconds, then you will have 20 seconds rest before the next move at the next minute mark.

If your RDL reps take 50 seconds, you will have only 10 seconds of rest before moving on, and so on.

Don’t compromise technique just because you want to complete your reps quickly and have a longer rest. If you are new to EMOM workouts, try two rounds and then increase this as you get fitter.

Resist the urge to make it as hard as possible. Pace yourself so that you can complete your reps without having to stop halfway because you’ve started too fast, or picked a weight that’s too heavy. Because of the short rest periods, what feels hard at first can become impossible by the final round.

It’s helpful to keep a log of how you perform in the workout each time you do it. Over time, you might notice you can complete your reps quicker, add more reps to each minute, or can use a heavier weight.

1. Goblet squat

Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your knees and sit your hips back to lower, keeping your chest facing forward.
• Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Press through your heels and squeeze your buttocks to stand back up.

2. Romanian deadlift

Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you.
• Engage your core, and set your shoulders back and down.
• Hinge forward from your hips and push your hips back to lower the weights down the front of your legs, keeping your back flat throughout.
• Pause when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then squeeze your glutes as you drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.

3. Bent-over row

Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing.
• Engage your core, and set your shoulders back and down.
• Hinge forward from your hips and push your hips back, letting your arms hang down—this is your starting position.
• Lift the dumbbells to your hips, drawing your elbows past your torso.1
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
• Lower the weights slowly with control.

4. Plank shoulder tap

Reps: 10

• Start in a high plank position with your shoulders directly above your hands, arms extended and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Raise one hand and tap your opposite shoulder, keeping your hips stable.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Glute bridge

Reps: 10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor, hip-width apart and your arms by your sides.
• Push through your heels to raise your hips, making a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower your hips back down slowly.

My posture has never been great, but after months of holding my toddler all day, I started to notice that it was getting even worse.

When my go-to exercises weren’t doing the trick, and my mid-back would ache by afternoon, I knew it was time to get serious about addressing my poor posture.

I’m a certified personal trainer and I know of the benefits of prone spinal rotations, and thought they could be a game-changer for my back health.

So, I decided to try an experiment: I’d do the exercise every day for two weeks, hoping it would improve my posture and pain.

I wanted to make sure my experiment was safe to do, so I checked in with Bill McGehee, PT, PhD, a physical therapist and clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, for his thoughts.

“Prone spinal rotations are a fantastic low-load exercise for improving thoracic mobility, which is one of the most overlooked contributors to poor posture,” he told me.

“Done daily, prone spinal rotations can help counteract the stiffness that comes with prolonged sitting, encourage better alignment of the upper back and shoulders, and support the kind of segmental mobility that keeps the spine healthy and resilient.”

How to do prone spinal rotations

You should always consult with a physician before trying any new activity. A certified personal trainer or physical therapist can also provide guidance on proper form and provide modifications, if needed.

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 10-12 each side

You’ll need a yoga mat for this exercise. If you’re unable to get onto the floor, consider lying on your bed, couch, or a massage table instead.

• Lie face down on your mat.
• Bend your elbows and place your hands on the mat next to your shoulders.
• Place your right hand behind the back of your head.
• Slowly lift your right shoulder off the mat, rotating your right elbow towards the sky.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower the right shoulder back to the starting position.
• Continue for the desired number of reps, then repeat on the left side.

What you should know before performing prone spinal rotations

McGehee points out that while prone spinal rotations are appropriate for most, there are certain situations that make the move ill-advised.

“People with known disc herniations, particularly those with active nerve root irritation or radiating symptoms, should avoid rotational loading of the spine, as it can aggravate their condition,” he advises.

“Anyone with osteoporosis, a recent vertebral fracture, spinal instability such as spondylolisthesis, or an active spinal infection or tumor should also steer clear.

“Pregnant individuals, especially in later stages, may find the prone position uncomfortable or inadvisable. If you have any acute back or neck pain that worsens with twisting, that's a signal to stop and consult a physical therapist or physician before continuing.”

My experience

I started my experiment by adding one set of 10 repetitions on each side to my warm-up before my daily workout.

After one week, I was starting to see some improvements, so I increased my reps to 12 to see if that would have an even greater effect.

The last three days, I was feeling stiff again (more on that later), so I added in an additional set of 12 reps in the morning after waking up.

I then did two sets a day until the end of the two-week period.

Here are my three main observations after doing prone spinal rotations every day for two weeks.

1. At first, my spine opened up and my posture improved

Whether it was purely psychological or not, by day three, my entire spine felt much more mobile.

I’d wake up in the mornings without my usual achy back, and I didn’t feel as stiff or sore as the day progressed. This helped me to sit a little taller on the floor while playing with my son.

I’d done spinal rotations before, but I had mostly done them in a standing position. I noticed that doing them prone was opening up the upper, lower and mid-back, whereas the standing position would only really affect my mid and upper back.

“Performing rotations from a prone position takes gravitational load off the spine, which can promote greater spinal extension and mobility compared to upright positions,” explains McGehee.

“This means the exercise lets you access rotation through a fuller, more comfortable range.”

With less stiffness and pain, it was easier to stay in a proper spinal alignment throughout the day. I did catch myself slouching a few times when sitting, but I corrected myself and didn’t feel much fatigue in my mid-back.

2. I started feeling stiffness again toward the end of my two weeks

A few days before the end of my experiment, I had to hunker down at my desk for a long day behind the computer.

It didn’t surprise me that the next morning I was stiff and sore again, although I was expecting less impact due to my recent routine.

McGehee explains that our bodies are designed to twist, but long periods of sitting can mean we lose that ability.

“Many of us spend hours in a flexed, rounded position at a desk or over a phone, and over time the thoracic spine stiffens,” he says.

“Research shows that thoracic range of motion is greatest during axial rotation compared to other directions of movement, yet this motion is significantly reduced when the spine is held in a flexed posture.”

Since I was feeling stiff again, I decided to close out my experiment with an additional daily set of prone spinal rotations.

As well as doing them before my daily workout, I added another set as soon as I woke up. This helped to open things up again—and by the final day, I was back to standing taller.

3. Holding my son felt easier

I didn’t expect that my daily prone spinal rotations would translate to more strength and stamina, but when it came to carrying around my son all day, that’s what happened.

By day 13, holding him while walking through the store didn’t feel nearly as taxing as it usually does.

I made it through about half an hour of shopping, and closed out the trip with my mid-back feeling strong and stable. I even sat a little more upright in the car on the way home.

“Posture is less about holding a perfect position and more about having the ability to move in and out of positions comfortably throughout the day,” McGehee notes.

My two-week experiment made it clear: I was in desperate need of spinal mobility work for my poor posture, and even if it’s not a daily habit, I’ll continue doing this exercise for the foreseeable future.

If you want to work on your flexibility, posture and alignment, yoga has countless postures to offer. But what do you do if you’re short on time and can’t get to a class or do a full session?

Yoga teacher Puravi Joshi says that practicing one pose, even for just a few minutes a day, can help you experience some physical and mental benefits.

So which pose should you go for? "I would start with malasana – the yogi squat," says Joshi.

Also known as garland pose in English, it's different to a conventional squat, she says, because it involves sinking your hips much deeper than parallel and holding that position with your back upright. While this might be challenging if you have tight hips and ankles, it does lend some unique benefits.

"It works through the hips, strengthens your core and lengthens through your back," Joshi explains. "It can also help you to become aware of your shoulders and give you an awareness of your ankle flexion."

As well as helping to improve your mobility, Joshi says this pose can also aid with digestion. "For people who struggle with bloating or women who feel bloated around their luteal phase or menstruation period, this is a great pose to stimulate that area without it being too aggressive."

How to do the yogi squat (malasana)

Time: 3-5min

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your toes turned out at a comfortable angle.
• Slowly lower your hips into a deep squat, keeping your heels grounded and chest lifted.
• Bring your hands together at your chest and use your elbows to gently press your knees outward.
• Hold the position, breathing steadily, keeping your spine long rather than rounding forward.

Tips for doing the yogi squat

Understanding how to perform the yoga squat with correct form is essential for both preventing injury and getting the most out of the posture. Joshi shares the following form tips.

Knees: "Have your knees pointing out at roughly 45° to give yourself a little bit of room," she recommends. This, along with widening the distance between your feet, creates more space for your hips to drop lower.

Upper body: To help you achieve an upright position in your upper body, Joshi suggests becoming aware of your shoulder position. "Extend your arms out in front of you and have an awareness of where your shoulders are. With your arms out in front of you, you should notice if your shoulders are creeping up towards your ears or if they're relaxed, which is where they should be."

Props: "If it feels uncomfortable, you can prop yourself up with a block or a bolster," Joshi says. "Sitting on a block or a bolster can make this pose easier for someone who can't get their hips down that low, and it will still work the hip space."

Consistency beats intensity. That’s an exercise maxim to live by, but often it’s easier said than done. We’ve all gone hard, then gone home and stayed on the couch for the next two weeks until the soreness has worn off.

Rosie Borchert, NASM-certified personal trainer for REP Fitness US, has a great trick for including exercise in her daily routine.

“In our house, we love to take a walk through the neighborhood at the end of the day,” she tells Fit&Well.

“It’s a great time for me and my partner to connect, talk about our day and squeeze in a little bit of exercise.”

Borchert has shared a typical workout below, but says it doesn’t matter which 10-minute walking workout you do, or if you do a workout proper at all.

“It’s less about getting the most out of your walking workout and more about building a habit that you can practice daily,” she says.

“So, to do this, find a walking workout that you enjoy! Wear a pair of sneakers with cushion and the right type of support for your feet. Suggest a meet-up with your friends to catch up while you walk. Use this time walking to take in the beauty around you or pop on an audiobook you’re excited for to help you get going.”

How to do the 10-minute interval walking workout

The walk is split into five two-minute sections. Use the talk test to judge your effort.

Borchert also suggests adding a set of a strength exercise every time section ends. For instance, do 10 squats after the warm-up, 10 heel raises after the speed walk and so on. Borchert recommended lunges and, finally, skipping, “to add a little impact training to strengthen your bones”.

1. Stroll

Time: 2min Pace: Conversational

Warm up by walking at a comfortable, conversational pace.

2. Speed walk

Time: 2min Pace: Brisk

Walk like you’re late for a meeting, but you don’t want to run.

3. Stroll plus

Time: 2min Pace: Conversational

Slow it down, walking slightly faster than your warm-up, but so that you can carry on a conversation.

4. Speed walk

Time: 2min Pace: Brisk

Go back to your brisk pace. Conversation should be possible, but difficult.

5. Recovery

Time: 2min Pace: Conversational

Slow things down with an easy, conversational pace.

Shop walking shoes

If you need to upgrade your footwear, consider these top picks from my guide to the best walking shoes.

If you want to build strength, then you need to follow the principle of progressive overload, gradually increasing the challenge to your muscles over time. The most obvious way to do this is by using heavier and heavier weights—but it’s not the only way.

Certified strength and conditioning specialist Alexander Erickson, who works at Just Train by Joel Thomas, explained to me that there are multiple ways to increase the difficulty of your workouts that don’t involve different weights, so you can follow progressive overload without a gym membership or a set of home dumbbells.

Five ways to progressively overload without equipment

1. Add more reps or sets: The easiest way to progress, although this becomes too time consuming to be practical after a while.
2. Increase time under tension: Slow down the movement (on the way down especially), and/or hold the position at the bottom of the movement for a few seconds, to make it more challenging.
3. Add instability: Adding some form of instability with a soft surface like a sofa cushion, can increase the difficulty of the exercise, because your body has to work harder to stay balanced. Another idea is to go from a bilateral to a unilateral exercise, where possible.
4. Increase the intensity: Work against a timer, with as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) workouts, or Tabata high-intensity interval training protocols.
5. Increase the frequency of workouts: Just add an extra session to your week.

“Ultimately, it’s about being creative, finding new ways to challenge yourself and making the necessary adjustments,” Erickson says.

How to build stronger glutes without weights

To put these techniques into practice, Erickson recommends the following three equipment-free glute exercises, which only require an elevated surface to perform.

Here’s how to do them, and the techniques you can employ to make each more challenging as you get stronger.

1. Bulgarian split squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-10 each side

How to do it:

• Stand facing away from an elevated platform—a bench, step, box or chair—and take a step away from it.
• Place the top of your left foot on the platform.
• Bend your right knee to lower, stopping just before your left knee touches the floor, or as low as feels comfortable.
• Push through your right foot to extend your right leg and return to the starting position
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

“This exercise is similar to a regular split squat, but with the rear foot elevated instead of planted on the ground,” says Erickson.

“This change causes a backward shift of the center of mass and a decrease in stability, which both shifts the load to the glutes and increases the difficulty of the exercise.”

How to make it harder:

1. Increase time under tension: “Control the eccentric (downward) movement or hold the bottom position.”
2. Increase elevation: “Increasing the height of the rear leg can increase difficulty, as long as the person is still able to perform the exercise with good form.”

2. Box pistol squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-10 each side

How to do it:

• Stand facing away from an elevated platform, such as a bench, step, box or chair.
• Extend your right leg and both arms in front of you, balancing on your left leg.
• Bend your left knee and push your hips back to slowly lower your body until you feel your glutes touch the platform.
• Push through your left foot to stand back up.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

Make it easier: If it is too difficult to push back up with one foot, use both feet to stand back up.

“This exercise can be thought of as a single-leg squat. You should aim to control the downward movement, as this is where most of the glute activation happens,” says Erickson.

The box is important, especially for beginners, as it allows them to explore their available range of motion for the exercise without the risk of overbalancing.

How to make it harder:

1. Lower the box: “Lowering the elevated surface increases the total range of the motion, which makes the exercise more difficult.”
2. Lose the box: Then keep lowering the elevation until you no longer need it and can do a full range pistol squat.” This extends the time you spend in eccentric (downward) movement, increasing the time your muscles are under tension.

3. Step-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-10 each side

How to do it:

• Stand facing an elevated platform, such as a bench, step, box or chair.
• Place your right foot on the platform.
• Squeeze your glutes and push through your right foot to extend your right leg, raising your body and bringing your left foot on to the platform.
• Step your left foot back to the floor, lowering slowly and with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

“One of my favorite exercises, and one that translates extremely well to many aspects of both athletic performance and real life,” says Erickson.

“The actual movement itself is similar to the pistol squat, but you are moving your body in the opposite direction.”

How to make it harder:

1. Increase elevation: “You can further elevate the surface, as long as you stay within your range of motion—you should not be on your tippy-toes or hovering before the motion begins.”
2. Increase time under tension: “Moving slowly on the way down is another way to make the exercise more difficult.”
3. Add a dynamic movement: “Add a knee raise at the end of the upward motion, or start with both feet off the elevated surface.

Starting running is often simple. Fueling for it usually isn’t.

If you’ve recently taken up running and find yourself constantly tired, sore, or struggling to recover between sessions, your training plan may not be the problem.

According to Dr Linia Patel, a registered dietitian and performance nutritionist, nutrition is often the missing piece.

Here are the most common fueling mistakes she sees in new runners—and the simple switches that can make a real difference.

Mistake 1: Not eating enough

Many recreational runners underestimate how much energy running actually demands and assume that fatigue and soreness are part of training. In reality, that’s not always the case.

“Persistent fatigue, poor recovery between sessions, heavy legs, low mood and struggling to hit usual training paces can all indicate that your body isn’t getting enough energy to support both training and everyday life,” says Patel.

When the body doesn’t receive enough fuel, it enters a state known as low energy availability. “Think of it like your phone switching to power-saving mode when the battery is low,” she explains. “The body starts conserving energy by reducing functions that aren’t immediately essential for survival.”

Fueling tip: If you’re regularly feeling drained after runs, look beyond your training schedule and consider whether you’re eating enough throughout the day to support both exercise and everyday life.

Mistake 2: Avoiding carbohydrates unnecessarily

Carbohydrates have been unfairly demonised in recent years, but they’re the body’s preferred fuel source during running.

“When carbohydrate stores are low, runners often experience fatigue, reduced performance, slower recovery and a higher perception of effort during training,” says Patel.

The trick is choosing the right types. One of the most common misconceptions, says Patel, is assuming all carbohydrates are equal. She recommends building your diet around nutrient-rich carbohydrates such as oats, wholegrain bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils and other wholegrains, because these provide sustained energy alongside fiber, vitamins and minerals.

“For runners, the question shouldn’t be whether to eat carbohydrates, but rather choosing the right types and eating enough of them to support training,” says Patel. “A well-fueled runner will almost always perform, recover and feel better than one trying to train on an empty tank.”

Fueling tip: Include carbohydrate-rich foods regularly throughout the day—not just around your runs—to help support energy levels and recovery.

Mistake 3: Neglecting hydration

If Patel could encourage new runners to focus on just one habit, it would be to drink water regularly throughout the day.

“Hydration underpins almost every aspect of performance and wellbeing,” she says.

Being properly hydrated can support recovery, temperature regulation, energy levels, concentration and mood. Even mild dehydration can make a run feel harder than it should and may negatively affect performance.

That’s why Patel recommends starting every run well hydrated, rather than trying to catch up on fluids once you’re already exercising.

Fueling tip: Check the color of your urine before heading out for a run. Pale straw-colored urine generally indicates good hydration, while darker urine may be a sign that you need to drink more fluids.

Muscular imbalances are a fact of life. Unless you’re truly ambidextrous (mixed-handed), you probably have a dominant side that you rely on more than the other.

While imbalances are common, they can become a problem. If your body has to compensate for the imbalance, it might lead to injury with increased strain on muscles, joints and tendons on the side that works harder.

It may also limit your ability to strength train, with your weaker side holding your stronger side back during bilateral movements.

One of the best ways of tackling muscular imbalances is through unilateral movements.

If you complete all reps on your weaker side first and match them with your stronger side, you can work toward reducing muscle imbalances in the long term, according to Richard Bennett, strength and conditioning coach and owner of Calibre Performance.

He has shared the following two upper-body exercises, which he encourages you to incorporate into your regular workout routine.

As always, consult a physical therapist or healthcare provider for individualised advice and if you think a muscular imbalance may be impacting your daily life or training.

1. Dumbbell row

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

“This exercise makes it harder for your dominant arm to take over the movement, as it might with a bilateral row.”

“The main muscles trained are the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius and rear deltoids,” says Bennett. “The biceps and forearm muscles assist, while the trunk works to maintain a neutral position.”

“The supported position reduces the amount of lower-back fatigue, which can be useful when rowing is programmed alongside squats and hinges.”

How to do it:

• Place your left knee and left hand on a weight bench, with your right foot firmly on the floor.
• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your arm extended.
• Maintain a neutral spine and engage your shoulders and hips so they remain stable against the pull of the weight.
• Pull your right elbow toward your hip, lifting the dumbbell to your ribs.
• Lower with control until your arm is fully extended.
• Complete all your repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

2. Single-arm dumbbell bench press

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

“This exercise engages your pectoralis major, anterior deltoid and triceps. Your trunk stabilizers work to prevent your body from rotating toward the loaded side,” says Bennett.

“As the resistance is only on one side, your trunk must prevent rotation while your upper body produces force. This gives the exercise an additional stability demand.”

How to do it:

• Lie on a weight bench holding a dumbbell in your left hand by your left shoulder, with your feet flat on the floor.
• Have your right arm extended out to your side in the air for counterbalance.
• Engage your core, pressing your lower back into the bench.
• Extend your arm straight up to press the dumbbell overhead.
• Bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell with control, avoiding any rotation in your body.
• Pause at the bottom of the movement, maintaining tension in your balancing arm.
• Complete all your repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Form tip:

• Keep your elbow roughly 30-45° away from your torso rather than flaring it directly sideways.

If you’re someone who lifts weights regularly, you might assume that working out with 1lb or 2lb weights would be too easy. But a workout known as barre will prove you wrong.

Barre is a mix of ballet, Pilates and yoga, and one of its unique features is how it targets the small, stabilising muscles, and it’s ability to develop your muscular endurance, strength, stability and balance.

“I love barre arms because they’re sneakily challenging,” says instructor Tara Riley, explaining that barre uses light weights to challenge endurance.

“If you look at ballet dancers, their arms are always so beautifully placed, and they effortlessly hold them up,” Riley says, “but if you’ve ever actually held your arms out to the sides for longer than a couple of minutes—it’s tough.”

Below, she’s shared a barre arms workout that will challenge you even if you only have access to 1lb or 2lb weights. In fact, Riley advises against going any heavier.

“You’re going to start to lose your form if you lift too heavy,” Riley says. “I’d rather you tire the muscle and work the endurance of the muscle.”

“There are so many exercises we can do with heavy weights—these are not those exercises,” she adds.

Tara Riley’s barre arm workout

1. Rotating arm press

Reps: 8 each side

• Stand holding dumbbells, with your feet wider than hip-width apart, with your toes pointing outwards.
• With your upper arms touching your torso, bend your elbows to 90°, lifting the dumbbells in front of you.
• Keeping your upper arms connected to your torso, externally rotate your shoulders to move your forearms out to the sides with your palms facing up.
• Bend your knees to lower into second position plié, keeping your torso upright—this is your starting position.
• Extend one arm out to the side and rotate through the shoulder, so that your palm faces behind you.
• Reverse the movement back to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Try an extra challenge:

• Move both arms at once and extend your knees to rise.

2. Row to triceps kickback

Reps: 16

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart,holding dumbbells with your palms facing.
• Bend your elbows to lift your forearms so they point forward—this is your starting position.
• Pull your elbows slightly behind your torso, then extend your elbow to point your forearms behind you.
• Reverse the movements back to the starting position.

Try an extra challenge:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down, so your hips are at knee height.
• From this position, complete the row and triceps kickback exercise, then stand up to complete one rep.

3. Ab curl with chest opener

Reps: 16

• Sit upright on a mat holding dumbbells, with a Pilates ball behind your glutes, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Bend your elbows to 90°, lift your forearms to vertical and bring your arms together.
• Lean back onto the ball and open your arms out to the sides, so they're in a cactus shape.
• Bring your arms back in front of your face and raise your torso back to the starting position.

Try an extra challenge:

• Lean back and hold this position.
• Open your arms out to the sides and pulse your arms an inch up, and then an inch down, 16 times.

4. First position lateral raise

• Stand with your heels together and your feet turned outwards (this is first position), holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing forward and a slight bend in your elbows.
• Raise your arms in front of you to shoulder height, keeping a slight bend at your elbows.
• Lower with control.

Try an extra challenge:

• Lift your heels as you raise your arms, then lower your heels in sync with your arms.
• Lift your heels off the floor and hold this position. Raise your arms and pulse them up an inch and down an inch 16 times.

Resistance bands may sound like they belong in your stationery drawer next to rubber bands, but they’re a useful training tool.

In some cases, they may be even better suited to your training needs than weights.

Jessi Heinsohn, a physical therapist and the clinical director at ATI Physical Therapy, explains why you might occasionally want to swap your dumbbells for a resistance band.

“Unlike dumbbells or barbells, resistance bands are not gravity-reliant,” she says.

“This allows individuals more freedom in positioning (sitting, standing, etc.) for any type of exercise.”

Heinsohn uses bands with her physical therapy clients for endurance training and rehabilitation.

She tells Fit&Well that they are a vital tool for patients who must relearn movement patterns and rebuild the endurance of a muscle group that has atrophied.

They’re also a great way to add extra resistance to your usual workout, especially if you don’t have access to weights.

If you’re curious about resistance bands, Heinsohn recommends trying the following three exercises to get a taste for how they work.

1. Shoulder external rotation with scapular retraction

Sets: 3 Reps: 20

How to do it:

• Hold a resistance band with your hands shoulder-width apart, your upper arms pinned against your torso and your elbows bent to 90°.
• Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly rotate your forearms out to the sides, pulling the band apart as far as you can.
• Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Slowly return to the starting position with control.

“This exercise is great for engaging both your middle and low trapezius and the external rotators in your shoulders,” says Heinsohn.

“This helps condition your postural muscles responsible for appropriate upper torso and neck positioning throughout the day and can be especially helpful with a variety of aches and pains that result from tech neck.”

2. Wall walk

Sets: 3 Reps: 20

How to do it:

• Place a small loop band around both of your wrists and place your fingertips on the wall. Your elbows can be partially bent at this point.
• Press your wrists outward against the band. You should feel the muscles on the sides of your shoulders and between your shoulder blades engage.
• Maintain that outward pressure and start walking your hands up the wall.
• Keep your hands the same distance apart from each other the entirety of this movement.
• Stop before your shoulders begin to lift and walk your hands back down to the starting position while still pressing your wrists outward.
• Relax your arms when you get to the starting position.

“This exercise is again great for engaging postural muscles,” says Heinsohn, and “will help improve general upper-body movement patterns.”

3. Monster walk

Sets: 3 Reps: 50 steps

How to do it:

• Stand with a band wrapped around your ankles.
• Bend slightly at your hips and knees and press your heels into the floor.
• Slowly step one foot forward and out to the side, keeping the band taut.
• Repeat on the other side, walking forward, changing direction when needed.

“This exercise primarily engages the hip abductors, but the hip and knee extensors will also be active,” says Heinsohn.

“Monster walks are great to get the glutes fired and active after sitting all day, for warming up before squatting at the gym, or before going for a run.

“The glutes are a muscle group that many have trouble targeting, so this exercise can specifically be used to build glute endurance or as a supplement to improve other exercises you perform.”

Why expert Jessi Heinsohn thinks you should use resistance bands

1. Postural correction

Heinsohn likes to use resistance bands for what she calls keyboard warriors, or people who work at desks.

“I frequently prescribe resistance band training for individuals who come into the clinic to help build neuromuscular control and endurance of postural muscles,” she says.

“This is great for both improving the appearance of one’s posture and also for alleviating pain or joint degeneration that is frequently associated with long-term postural dysfunction.”

Heinsohn herself uses resistance bands to stretch after a long day in front of a computer.

2. You’re short of space

“The greatest advantage of resistance bands is their portability,” says Heinsohn.

“They can be tossed into your backpack for work or into your suitcase when you travel, giving you the opportunity for some mindful movement wherever you may be.”

3. Muscle activation

“I am an avid powerlifter and will often personally use resistance bands to activate certain muscle groups, then perform a specific compound lift (squat, deadlift, split squat),” says Heinsohn.

4. Mind-muscle connection

“Resistance bands are extremely helpful for building neuromuscular control, otherwise known as mind-muscle connection,” says Heinsohn.

“The bands add progressive resistance as you go through the movement pattern, creating peak muscular contraction at the end range of the movement.”

5. Building balance and coordination

“The unstable nature of the bands causes maintained engagement of your stabilizer muscles, which can increase both balance and functional coordination,” says Heinsohn.

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.

Bianca de la Garza is an anchor at Newsmax, but she’s recently become just as well-known for her fitness routine, which she shares on social media.

Since turning 50, she’s prioritised strength training and qualified as an ACE Fitness personal health coach. “It always feels like a [moment of] self-reflection anytime I go into a new decade,” de la Garza tells Fit&Well.

Her routine is made up of strength training workouts and she’s proof that you can start lifting weights at any stage of life—you don’t need to be a former athlete to thrive in the gym.

Below, she’s shared details of what a recent week of her workouts looked like.

Bianca de la Garza’s weekly workout routine

Monday 6.45am
Upper-body workout including battle ropes, dumbbell exercises and cable machine movements.

Tuesday 6.45am
Lower-body workout including barbell exercises, TRX bands and gym-based machines.

Wednesday 6.45am
Full-body workout using kettlebells and dumbbells.

Thursday 6.45am
Lower-body workout using machines and kettlebells.

Friday 6.45am
Four-move full-body workout, including lunges, planks and deadhangs.

Saturday 6.45am
Lower-body workout including kettlebell movements and Smith machine.

Sunday
Rest day

Bianca de la Garza’s tips for building an effective workout routine

Do what works for you

“I avoid any type of jumping,” de la Garza says, explaining that she had a knee injury a few years ago, which makes high-impact exercises difficult for her. “You have to work out smart because you don’t want to be taken out of the arena.”

“I don’t do box jumps, I don’t do squat jumps, I don’t run, I don’t jump rope—I’m super careful,” she adds.

Don’t let soreness put you off

“You are going to be sore [after working out],” de la Garza says. “That’s just lactic acid building up, so don’t think that just because you’re sore you can’t do it again.”

“It's going to get better after a day or two," she says.

Tell a loved one about your goals

“I make myself accountable by telling a friend or my husband: I’m going to the gym,” de la Garza says. You don’t necessarily need them to do anything to hold you accountable, but simply saying it out loud can help you to feel more motivated.

Practice gratitude

“I always remember I’m thankful to have a body that I can move,” de la Garza says. “We can't take that for granted. So many other people would love to be moving the way we’re moving, but they’re injured or immobile or in hospital beds.”

“Practicing daily gratitude around being able to move my body helps me think myself into the workouts,” she adds.

Over the last six months, I’ve completely fallen out of my exercise routine. I’ve gone from lifting weights a few times a week, plus doing Pilates and yoga classes, to squeezing in one or two workouts a week, if that.

The other thing I’ve been struggling to fit in is walking. I've been walking at least 8,000 steps per day for about five years and I think it’s one of the things that has helped keep me fit, healthy and happy. But over the past few months, I've struggled to hit a daily total of 5,000.

I’ve been trying to get back to working out five times a week and hitting at least 8,000 steps per day, but combined with a busy work and social life, it’s become increasingly overwhelming. My fitness goals were too ambitious.

While I could get by on a couple of workouts and 5,000 steps a day, I like to be more active and I’d like to lose a small amount of weight, as I've slowly been gaining weight over the past couple of weeks.

With all of these things in mind, I’ve changed my fitness goals. I've decided to try and work out two or three times a week, and focus on hitting my step goal of 8,000 to 10,000 steps.

Let me explain why.

Why I’m prioritising walking over strength training

For a start, walking is a more accessible form of activity. Going to a gym class requires booking a slot, getting to the gym and paying for my workout. To go for a walk, all I have to do is put my shoes on and step out the front door, which means it’s an easier goal to achieve while I’m out of the habit of exercising.

Getting out of the door and into the outdoors brings its own benefits too. Although going to the gym gives me a mental boost, nothing can beat the clarity a walk provides.

But perhaps the biggest reason is that my walking goal will ultimately burn more calories. Hitting 8,000 steps is more time consuming than a one-hour gym session. By prioritizing walking, I’m ensuring I move more throughout the day.

“Walking helps contribute to a generally active lifestyle,” says personal trainer Liam Cavanagh. “You’re more able to burn calories when going out for a walk than you are during a gym or Pilates session.”

He explained to me that many of the steps I take will fall into the category of NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) activities. So when I walk to the shops, these steps count towards my goal.

“The more you can do that goes into that category, the better because it counts for three times as many calories expended as your exercise activity,” Cavanagh says. “This makes it easier for you to lose weight if you're looking to do that, or not to put on excess fat.”

Should you prioritise walking or strength training?

Walking and working out with weights both have benefits and incorporating them both into your routine is a good idea.

"If you’re someone who is quite stationary day-to-day, then prioritising your steps can be a very good thing to do,” Cavanagh says, but recommends gradually increasing your daily step count. Previously on Fit&Well, we spoke to an exercise physiologist for her advice on how to increase your step count safely, which, in brief, suggests a deconditioned person shouldn’t add more than 5% to their daily step target every week.

But don’t turn your back on weights completely. “Working out is the best way to build strength,” Cavanagh says, “which is important to your ability to enjoy life. You’ll wake up in the morning with more energy, you’ll be able to keep up with your kids and remain more independent as you grow older.”

He recommends aiming for just one gym session per week to get started. “If you don't train at all in the gym right now, your goal should be to show up once a week. Make that entry point as accessible as possible.”

Ankle weights are a deceptively difficult way to add resistance to your workouts.

You may pick them up and think, “This is only one pound of weight, it won’t offer a challenge,” but the way they load your joints means experts like Club Pilates master trainer Julie Marques advise using them with caution.

“It puts load on your peripheral joints,” Marques tells Fit&Well, “so you shouldn’t walk around with them or use them in the same way that you’d use a weighted vest,” she says.

“Instead, you should use the ankle weights for 10 to 20 minutes at a time and in a targeted way.”

Marques shared the following workout to demonstrate how you can do just that. It’s suitable for people with Pilates experience who are strong and injury-free, and can be done two to three times a week for best results.

She suggests choosing light to medium weights to avoid straining your joints and stresses that you should only use ankle weights if your form and alignment are perfect. If you’re unsure, you can complete the workout without weights.

Shop ankle weights

Marques recommends checking with your physician or physical therapist before using ankle weights if you have any underlying injuries or weaknesses.If you are unsure of your form, she says it is best to work with a professional who can assess your alignment, correct you if necessary and scale back the routine when needed.

The ankle-weight workout in brief

1. Step-back for quads
2. Heel lift for calves
3. Single-leg bridge for glutes and hamstrings
4. Side-lying leg lift for abductors
5. Side-lying leg lift for adductors
6. Quadruped leg lift for glutes, hamstrings and external rotators

Exercise guides

1A. Step-back

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Engage your core.
• Step your left foot behind you, bending your right knee and leaning your torso forward so your left leg and torso form a straight line.
• Push through your right foot to return to standing.
• Continue on to the heel raises on the same side, then return to this exercise and repeat on the other side.

Form tips:

• Keep your weight over your front foot.
• Keep your front knee behind your toes.

Make it easier: Keep your feet parallel, shift your weight onto your left foot, then squat, using the toes of your right foot to help you balance.

1B. Heel raise

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your weight in your right foot, your left heel lifted and your left knee bent.
• Raise your right heel, coming onto your toes.
• Lower your right heel slowly to the floor.
• Complete all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Hold the back of a chair or wall for balance.

2. Single-leg bridge

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side, plus 10 pulses each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your hips until you form a straight line with your shoulders.
• Raise and extend your right leg so it points straight up.
• Lower your right leg until your knees are in line, then raise it again.
• Complete 10 reps, then pulse your hips up and down 10 times.
• Keeping your hips raised, swap legs and repeat on the other side.

Form tip: Keep your core engaged throughout.

Make it easier: Bend the knee of your raised leg.

3A. Side-lying leg lift for abductors

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side, plus 10 pulses each side

• Lie on your side with your legs extended and feet together.
• Prop yourself up on your forearm, with your elbow under your shoulder, keeping your shoulders aligned and torso lifted.
• Lift and lower your top leg, keeping your hips and shoulders stable.
• Perform 10 reps, then pulse 10 times at the top of the movement.
• Continue on to the side-lying leg lift for adductors on the same side, then return to this exercise and repeat on the other side.

Form tip: Keep your ribcage off the floor throughout the movement.

3B. Side-lying leg lift for adductors

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Lie on your right side, resting your head on your arm, with your left foot flat on the floor in front of your right knee.
• Pulse your lower leg up and down, keeping it extended straight.
• Keep your hips and shoulders stable.
• Lift and lower your bottom leg, keeping your hips and shoulders stable.
• Complete all the reps then repeat the last move and this one on the other side.

6. Quadruped leg lift

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Start on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.
• Keep your spine neutral and engage your core.
• Extend your right leg behind you and rotate it outward from your hip so the top of your right foot faces to the right.
• Lift and lower for 10 reps.
• Keeping your leg externally rotated, bend your knee and perform 10 more reps.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Form tip: Keep your torso still, engage your core throughout, and move only at the hip joint.

Make it easier: If rotating your leg is uncomfortable, keep it straight.

Most strength programs for beginners or older adults make the same mistake, argues Dr Caroline Packard, a doctor of physical therapy with more than 15 years of clinical experience.

"They skip straight to the exercises and miss the piece of the puzzle that makes those exercises actually work," she tells Fit&Well.

"What I see in clinical practice is that beginners, or those coming back to movement after a long break, haven't just lost muscle, they've lost the foundational coordination between their breath, their deep core, and their movement patterns."

Without that foundation, Packard says, even simple movements like standing up from a chair, or climbing a set of steps, can feel challenging.

"The muscles are firing out of sequence. The core isn't managing pressure properly. And the body starts compensating in ways that quietly erode balance, strength and confidence over time," says Packard, who is the founder of Connect Pelvic Floor Fitness.

After navigating her own experience with pelvic floor dysfunction following pregnancy, Packard built Connect to serve as a training platform that treats the pelvic floor as the foundation of total-body strength.

This breathing exercise helps restore that foundation, allowing strength to be layered upon it.

"The sequence follows the same progression I use with every beginner client: start with breath, restore coordination, then load," says the mother of three.

Why you should start every workout with 360˚ diaphragmatic breathing

Packard recommends using this 360˚ diaphragmatic breathing exercise to initiate every workout, whether lifting weights or solely using your own bodyweight.

"This is where everything starts—and it's more important than it looks," she explains.

"The diaphragm and pelvic floor are part of the same pressure management system.

"When breathing mechanics are working correctly, the deep core activates automatically with every breath cycle.

"When they're not, every exercise downstream is working with a compromised foundation."

For adults who have spent years breathing into their chests, rather than bellies—which is most of us, she says—this three-minute exercise "is the reset the body needs before it can load effectively".

How to perform 360˚ diaphragmatic breathing with Dr Caroline Packard

• Sit tall in your chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Rest your hands lightly on the sides of your ribcage.
• Inhale slowly through your nose for four counts.
• Feel the ribcage expand in the front, sides and back simultaneously, like an umbrella opening in all directions.
• Exhale fully through the mouth for four counts, and feel the ribcage soften and draw inward.
• Pause briefly after the exhale before your next breath.
• That pause is where the deep core and pelvic floor complete their natural cycle.

"If your hands aren't moving outward on the inhale, keep breathing until you feel them expand," adds Packard.

"That outward movement is the signal that the diaphragm is doing its job."

Perform three sets of five slow breaths, resting 10 seconds between sets. It should take approximately three minutes to complete.

Want to take your core training to the next level? But you’re not keen on adding more crunches or incorporating weights? I feel you.

I’ve been confused about how to progress my core workout. What I really need are core exercises that are targeted and scalable, and that I can do without weights or having to join the gym.

So I asked Melissa Worley, a personal trainer with over 25 years of experience and a member of the Mindbody Wellness Council, what I could do.

She recommends the following three core exercises, which can be progressed without equipment.

1. Dead bug

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 reps each side Rest: 45-60sec

Muscles targeted: Deep core, internal and external obliques, hip flexors and pelvic floor

Worley says: “Dead bugs are a great progression exercise because they train the core to resist spinal extension, which carries over to many everyday and athletic movements. They are also highly scalable.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up and your legs raised, knees bent to 90° and directly above your hips.
• Brace your core and press your lower back into the floor.
• Slowly lower your right arm and lower and extend your left leg until they are just above the floor.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side, extending your left arm and right leg.
• Alternate sides with each rep.

Form tip: Be sure your lower back doesn’t arch off the floor.

Progressions:

• Double-leg dead bug: Start in the same position and extend both legs and arms simultaneously.
• Slow down: This keeps your muscles under tension for longer, working them harder.
• Pause: Add a pause at the base of the movement.

2. Forearm plank

Sets: 3 Hold: 20-60sec Rest: 45-60sec

Muscles targeted: Transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, lower back stabilizers, glutes and shoulders.

Worley says: “The plank is an effective exercise for developing anti-extension core strength, using the entire trunk to work together to maintain a neutral spine. It challenges your shoulders and glutes, making it a full-body exercise.”

How to do it:

• From all fours, place your forearms on the floor, positioning your elbows under your shoulders, and step your feet back so your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, holding the position for 20-60 seconds.
• Lower your knees and come up onto your hands to exit the hold.

Form tip: Avoid letting your hips sag or lift.

Progressions:

• Long-lever plank: Move your elbows several inches in front of your shoulders, increasing the demand on your abdominals.
• Plank shoulder taps: From a high plank (supported on your hands, not your elbows), alternate tapping each shoulder with the opposite hand while bracing your core to minimize hip rotation.
• Single-leg plank: Lift one foot off the floor for the duration of the hold. Repeat with the opposite leg.

3. Side plank

Sets: 3 Hold: 20-45sec each side Rest: 45-60sec

Muscles targeted: Obliques, deep core and shoulder stabilizers.

Worley says: “Side planks train a different core function than dead bugs and standard planks by focusing on lateral stability and resisting side bending.

“They activate the obliques and glute medius together, which is important for hip and trunk stability and can help with injury prevention in the hips, pelvis, and lower back.”

How to do it:

• Lie on one side propped up on your forearm with your elbow directly under your shoulder and one foot on top of the other.
• Brace your core and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line.
• Keep your ribs down and avoid rotating forward or backward.
• Hold for 20-45 seconds, then lower your hip to the floor.

Progressions:

• Top leg lift: While holding the plank, raise your top leg several inches.
• Star side plank: Lift your top arm and your top leg simultaneously.
• Thread-the-needle: Rotate your top arm and bring it under your torso and back again while maintaining hip height and stability

Have you ever come across a video of someone doing Pilates with what looks like a miniature hula hoop?

This piece of equipment is rather dramatically called a magic circle, but can also referred to as a Pilates ring or fitness circle.

Unlike most fitness equipment, which increases the difficulty, the magic circle works to increase body awareness, deepen engagement and improve your Pilates form.

“The magic circle isn't about adding a ton of resistance like a dumbbell,” says Pilates instructor Hannah Lawrence. “Instead, it gives you feedback.”

The studio manager at Sundrop Pilates in Denver, CO adds: “When you squeeze it, it pushes back. When you press into it, it creates stability.

“That simple interaction helps you find and activate muscles that can be tricky to connect with on their own, like your inner thighs, deep core, or the stabilizers around your shoulders.”

Lawrence tells Fit&Well that the magic circle is her favorite piece of fitness equipment because of how much more aware it makes her of the way her body is moving.

“Instead of just getting through the reps, you’re paying attention to what’s actually working and whether you’re moving with control,” she says.

“That's one of the reasons I think Pilates works so well, and the magic circle helps reinforce that connection.”

Here are three of Lawrence’s favorite magic circle exercises, which she regularly uses with the people she teaches.

If you’d like to add a magic ring to your home set-up you will able to find discounts on a range of magic circles in Amazon’s Prime Day sale, which runs through June 26.

1. Bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30sec

Muscles worked: Glute max, hamstrings, inner thighs and deep core.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place the magic circle between your thighs, just above your knees.
• Gently squeeze the magic circle between your legs, then push through your heels and lift your hips until they form a straight line to your knees.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement while maintaining pressure on the ring, or adding another squeeze.
• Lower your hips to the start with control.

“This variation is fantastic for building glute strength while also activating the inner thighs and pelvic floor,” says Lawrence.

“The ring helps keep the lower body engaged and creates more awareness throughout the movement.”

2. Triceps extension

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30sec

Muscles worked: Triceps, shoulders, upper back and deep core stabilizers.

How to do it:

• Kneel or stand with your shoulders relaxed and your back straight.
• Hold the magic circle behind your head with both of your hands on the pads, maintaining gentle pressure.
• Extend your arms overhead while continuing to squeeze the circle.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower the ring behind your head.
• Continue, maintaining consistent pressure on the magic circle throughout the movement.

“A lot of people think of the magic circle as a lower-body tool, but it's surprisingly effective for the upper body as well,” says Lawrence.

“This exercise strengthens the back of the arms while reinforcing good posture and shoulder stability.”

3. Dead bug

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 30sec

Muscles worked: Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques and shoulders.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms and legs raised, with your knees bent to 90° and directly above your hips.
• Hold the magic circle and apply gentle pressure, keeping your lower back connected to the mat.
• Extend and lower one leg and lower your arms behind your head.
• Return to the starting position and alternate sides while maintaining steady pressure on the ring.

“Dead bug is one of my favorite exercises for teaching core stability,” says Lawrence. “Adding the magic circle increases engagement through the upper body and helps create a full-body connection.”

Shop magic circles

Aside from my persistent hip pain, one of the most annoying perimenopausal symptoms I suffer from is waking at 4am on the dot.

Once awake, my head fills with anxious thoughts, so even though I’m exhausted, I can’t fall back to sleep.

“Menopause-related sleep problems are often multifactorial,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Debbie Petitpain, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, alcohol, caffeine, pain, sleep apnea, medications and caregiving stress can all affect sleep.”

Taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) helped me a little bit, but I’d also heard that magnesium was worth a try to help ease my symptoms.

For menopause symptoms specifically, magnesium can help promote relaxation and may reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, so you are in a better mental state when going to sleep.

It can also ease muscle tension and cramps, reducing the discomfort that may be causing you to awake in the night.

Petitpain agrees that increasing magnesium intake could be helpful. “It may help when low intake or low magnesium status is contributing to poor sleep, muscle tension, cramps, stress physiology, or nervous-system ‘overactivation’.”

Desperate to get some decent sleep, I tried supplementing with magnesium tablets, popped magnesium flakes in the bath water, and even used a foot cream after reading claims that magnesium can be absorbed through the skin.

My sleep began to improve after a few weeks. However, it was tricky to pinpoint which of the magnesium aids was doing the job—and it had become a fairly expensive way to increase magnesium intake.

Petitpain had some advice: she recommended getting more magnesium from my food. A more affordable and nutrient-dense alternative to supplements.

“Foods have an advantage over supplements because they provide other nutrients from the ‘food matrix’, such as vitamins, other minerals, fiber and energy—and can help you feel full,” she explains.

“Supplements are an added expense, especially if you are taking them indefinitely.

“Most people could improve their magnesium status and stretch their budget by focusing on magnesium-rich foods.”

Magnesium-rich foods to add to your shopping list

Petitpain recommends adding these magnesium-rich foods to your shopping cart, and has helpfully provided the amount of magnesium you consume per serving, because there is such a thing as too much.

“The magnesium daily allowance is 320mg from food and supplements combined,” Petitpain says. “The upper limit for magnesium from supplements and medications is 350mg per day, so don't take more than this.”

• Spinach, boiled (½ cup): 78 mg
• Cashews, dry roasted (1oz): 74 mg
• Black beans, cooked (½ cup): 60 mg
• Edamame, cooked (½ cup): 50 mg
• Brown rice, cooked (½ cup): 42 mg
• Plain low-fat yogurt (8oz): 42 mg
• Banana (1 medium): 32 mg
• Salmon, cooked (3oz): 26 mg

What to know if you do want to take magnesium supplements

Petitpain explains that while there is no simple best supplement for menopause, certain types of magnesium are more gentle on digestion.

“Magnesium bisglycinate may be easier to tolerate than some other forms, and the glycine component may add a calming, sleep-supportive effect,” says Petitpain. “However, studies show the effect is small, so expectations should be realistic.”

She adds that no foods are rich in magnesium bisglycinate, which only comes in supplement form. “Magnesium bisglycinate is easier to tolerate because it’s gentle on the digestive system.”

It is in a chelated form, meaning the magnesium is bound to other molecules, and so it is more stable as it moves through the gastrointestinal tract.

“When magnesium is not absorbed well, it stays in the intestine and attracts water into the bowel,” adds Petitpain. “This osmotic effect can lead to loose stools, cramping and diarrhea. Magnesium oxide is especially known for this effect and is often used as a laxative.”

She says it’s best to take magnesium in the evening. “If trying a supplement, start with 100 to 250 mg elemental magnesium.”

She recommends looking at the ‘elemental magnesium’ amount on the supplement facts panel to know how much magnesium you are getting.

“But talk to your health care provider first because people with certain medical conditions or on certain medicines shouldn't take magnesium,” Petitpain adds.

And be patient to see if the supplements make a difference, because “generally, magnesium supplements need to be taken for two to four weeks before you will notice an effect,” she says.

Not all knee pain is the same.

Maybe you don’t feel knee pain when you’re going about everyday tasks, but find that it appears when you undertake something more ambitious, like a hike or run, and it becomes hard to ignore.

Surprisingly, the knee itself is often not where the issue lies.

“Knee pain is often influenced by deficits in strength, endurance, and movement control,” says Sydney Lopez, a certified athletic trainer at The Stone Clinic and former rehabilitation specialist for the New York Giants.

She explains that when the muscles around the knee aren’t doing their job properly, some of the load they should be absorbing falls onto the joint.

While you may not notice this as much when going about your day, as soon as you add repetitive pressure—as you would on a hike or run—it may begin to twinge.

Lopez says the solution to this type of knee pain is to strengthen the neighboring muscles.

“By strengthening the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and surrounding stabilizers, you can help improve knee function and reduce discomfort during daily activities and exercise,” says Lopez, who has suggested exercises to do just that.

“For best results, perform the following exercises two to three times per week and gradually increase resistance as strength improves.”

Our expert advises that if pain persists, worsens, or significantly limits your activity, you should consult a qualified healthcare professional for a comprehensive evaluation.

1. Short arc quad with adduction

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30-45sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended over a foam roller or bolster positioned underneath your knees. Place a ball (or rolled towel) between your shins.
• Gently squeeze the ball and straighten your knees, lifting your feet off the floor.
• Pause at the top of the movement for a few seconds.
• Slowly lower back to the starting position, maintaining tension on the ball throughout the movement.

How it helps: “The quadriceps (front thigh muscles) are one of the primary muscle groups responsible for supporting the knee joint,” says Lopez.

“This exercise specifically targets the quadriceps while incorporating hip adduction (moving the leg inward), which may help improve activation of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), an important stabilizer of the kneecap.”

2. Terminal knee extension with resistance band

Sets: 3 Reps: 15-20 each side Rest: 30-45sec

How to do it:

• Anchor a resistance band at knee height and stand facing the anchor point.
• Step into the band with one leg, so it sits behind your knee.
• Begin with your knee slightly bent, then tighten your thigh muscles to straighten your knee completely against the resistance of the band. Avoid leaning backward or locking your knee forcefully.
• Hold the extension for a few seconds, then slowly return to the starting position while maintaining control.

How it helps: “Terminal knee extensions strengthen the quadriceps in the final degrees of knee extension, a range that is often weak or painful in individuals with knee dysfunction,” says Lopez.

“They also help improve knee stability during walking, running and stair climbing.”

3. Bulgarian split squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand a few steps in front of a bench or elevated surface, facing away from it.
• Place the top of one foot behind you on the bench.
• Keep your chest upright and core engaged as you lower yourself toward the floor by bending both knees.
• Descend until your front thigh is parallel to the floor (or as close as you can comfortably get). Keep your front knee aligned with your second toe throughout the movement.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.

How it helps: “The Bulgarian split squat develops single-leg strength and challenges balance, stability, and lower-extremity control,” says Lopez.

“It strengthens the muscles that absorb force during walking, running, and stair navigation while improving symmetry between limbs.”

4. Spanish squat

How to do it:

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 60sec

• Secure a strong resistance band or strap behind your knees and anchor it to a sturdy object in front of you.
• Step backward until the band provides support and tension, then place your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and sit your hips back to lower your glutes while maintaining an upright torso.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as close to that as you can manage. Keep the knees over your toes throughout the movement.
• Drive through both feet to return to standing.

How it helps: “The Spanish squat is an excellent exercise for individuals experiencing anterior knee pain (front of knee pain) or patellar tendon (tendon below the kneecap) discomfort because it allows significant quadriceps loading while maintaining a more upright torso position,” says Lopez.

“This can help strengthen the knee without placing excessive stress on the lower back or hips.”

Shop the equipment used in this workout

With the Amazon Prime Day sale running through June 26, now’s a good time to pick up some home exercise equipment.

Personal trainer Connor Darnbrough is convinced that most people over 40 stop strength training because they find conventional workouts too tough, too time consuming or too painful.

Instead, the co-founder of Smart Fit Method has formulated a technique he believes will help older adults stick with their training so they can build and preserve muscle and extend healthspan.

“It takes 20 minutes, requires only standard gym equipment, and is built around one principle the research consistently supports: slow, controlled eccentric loading,” he tells Fit&Well.

Darnbrough's technique focuses on slowing down the lowering (eccentric) phase of a movement.

Typically, you would spend between one and three seconds lowering the weight. Darnbrough’s method recommends extending this to seven seconds. That's a lot of Mississippis.

“The slow, eccentric tempo might feel unusual at first,” he says.

“Most people expect to feel tired from speed or volume. Instead, you will feel the effort of genuine muscular control, which is exactly the stimulus your muscles, bones, nervous system and cardiovascular fitness all need.”

Why eccentric loading builds muscle

“The eccentric phase, or lowering portion of any movement, is where the real adaptation happens,” says Darnbrough.

“It builds muscle, strengthens bone, improves joint health and trains the neuromuscular system that keeps you balanced and stable.

“By slowing the lowering phase to seven seconds, you get more from every rep than most people get from an entire conventional workout.”

In Darnbrough's view, one set per exercise is enough. “The tempo is the dose,” he says.

Capping your workouts at just one set will also help you remain consistent with your training sessions.

“The two most common mistakes older adults make with exercise is doing too much too soon or avoiding strength training entirely out of fear of injury,” he says.

“This routine threads the needle—short enough to be sustainable, controlled enough to be safe, and demanding enough to produce real results.”

Give it six weeks of consistency and the difference in how you move, feel and carry yourself will be noticeable, he insists.

How to do the workout

Darnbrough's workout is split in two sections. The first includes five exercises to build strength, the second features three moves to promote mobility.

It should take around 22 minutes and can be performed at home using a resistance band, sturdy chair and wall, or in the gym using a cable machine and weight bench.

Do this resistance training routine twice a week, combined with some gentle cardiovascular exercise, daily mobility work and rest days for best results.

• Monday: Resistance routine (20min)
• Tuesday: Light-intensity walk or cycle (25-30min)
• Wednesday: Rest or gentle mobility
• Thursday: Resistance routine (20min)
• Friday: Light-intensity walk or cycle (25-30min)
• Weekend: One longer light-intensity session (30-45min) + rest day

“This structure gives your body adequate stimulus for both strength and cardiovascular adaptation, while building in the recovery that older adults need to see consistent progress without burnout or injury,” he explains.

Strength workout

1. Sit-to-stand

Sets: 1 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60sec

• Sit at the edge of a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Cross your arms over your chest.
• Lean slightly forward, then push through both feet to stand fully upright.
• Pause at the top, then lower yourself back down slowly with control—taking seven seconds to return to seated.

Darnbrough says: “The ability to get up from a chair unassisted is one of the strongest predictors of independence and longevity in older adults. This movement trains exactly that pattern under control, with the chair providing a safety anchor for beginners.”

Make it harder: Once 10 reps feel controlled, try a single-leg version.

2. Resistance band or cable row

Sets: 1 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60sec

• Anchor a resistance band at chest height or use a cable machine.
• Stand or sit facing the anchor, arms extended.
• Pull the band or cable toward you, retracting your shoulder blades and driving your elbows toward your ribs.
• Pause, then take seven seconds to return your arms to the starting position, resisting the pull with control.

Darnbrough says: “Rows build your posterior chain muscles—upper back, rhomboids, rear deltoids—[which may be] weakened, mostly by desk work and daily posture. Strong upper-back muscles reduce shoulder and neck pain and counteract the forward rounding that develops with age.”

Make it harder: Increase the resistance of the band or cable machine.

3. Wall push-up or incline push-up

Sets: 1 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60sec

• Stand facing a wall or place your hands on a weight bench at roughly shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the surface, taking seven seconds to complete the movement.
• Pause briefly at the bottom, then push back to the start.

Darnbrough says: “Horizontal pressing builds your chest, anterior shoulder and triceps—essential for pushing movements in daily life. The wall or incline version reduces load for beginners while keeping the full movement pattern and benefits of a slow eccentric.”

Make it harder: As your strength increases, progress from performing these against the wall, then a weight bench and then on the floor.

4. Glute bridge

Sets: 1 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 60sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, squeezing your glutes.
• Hold at the top for two seconds, keeping your hips level and spine neutral.
• Lower slowly, taking five seconds to return to the floor with control.

Darnbrough says: “Weak glutes are one of the most common underlying causes of falls, lower-back pain and knee problems in older adults. The glute bridge activates and strengthens your glutes and hamstrings with zero joint stress.”

Make it harder: Perform a second set or try doing a single-leg version.

5. Standing calf raise

Sets: 1 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 60sec

• Stand behind a chair for support.
• Raise your heels, rising onto the balls of both feet as high as possible.
• Pause at the top for two seconds, then lower slowly for five seconds.

Darnbrough says: “Calf and ankle strength is the first line of defence against falls. Calf raises also apply compressive load to the lower leg bones—one of the most effective ways to maintain bone density without high-impact exercise.”

Make it harder: As your balance improves, reduce your reliance on using the chair for support. Progress to single-leg calf raises once this feels stable.

Mobility drill

Darnbrough recommends wrapping up this resistance workout with a short three-move mobility routine.

“Consistent daily mobility practice has a compounding effect most people notice within two weeks,” he says, adding that this drill should be repeated every morning, not just on training days, to see results.

1. 90/90 hip stretch

Sets: 1 Time: 60sec each side

• Sit on the floor with both legs positioned at a 90° angle, one in front and one to your side.
• Keep both knees in contact with the floor throughout.
• Hold for up to one minute, then switch sides.

Darnbrough says: “These target the hip flexors and external rotators, two areas responsible for the most common mobility restriction in older adults.”

2. Thoracic rotation

Sets: 1 Reps: 10 each side

• Sit with your feet on the floor and arms crossed over your chest.
• Slowly rotate to each side, twisting from your wait to look as far behind you as possible.

Darnbrough says: “This simple stretch that can be done at your desk reduces shoulder and neck tightness and improves posture.”

3. Wall angel

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

• Stand with your back flat against a wall and your arms bent at 90°, palms facing outward.
• Slide your arms overhead keeping your elbows, wrists and lower back in contact with the wall.

Darnbrough says: “Wall angels restore overhead shoulder mobility and train scapular muscles to move through a full range of motion.”

Medicine balls are a firm favorite in the exercise class I teach, and newcomers often ask how else they can use them if they bought their own.

I think it’s a great addition to a home gym, even if you already own free weights, because you often have to hold the ball in a different position to, say, dumbbells, creating a new type of instability for your core to work against.

This type of exercise means your core is better able to support your spine and this can improve posture and reduce back pain—something many of my clients suffer with.

That’s why I’ve programmed this six-move medicine ball workout with some exercises that deliberately challenge balance.

How to do this medicine ball lower-body workout

You will need a medicine ball for this workout. I’m using a 5kg one in the video.

Perform the following six exercises as a circuit, completing one after the other, working for 40 seconds, then resting for 15 seconds between exercises. When you get to the end of the circuit, take a two-minute break, then start again from the top. Complete four rounds in total.

1. Goblet squat
2. Reverse lunge
3. Wall sit
4. Glute bridge
5. Calf raise
6. Squat to press

How to do the exercises

1. Goblet squat

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the medicine ball close to your chest.
• Engage your core and move your shoulders back and down.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, as if you are sitting back into a chair.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then squeeze your glutes and push through your heels to return to standing.

2. Reverse lunge

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the medicine ball at your chest.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower, keeping your torso upright and your left knee directly above your left foot.
• Pause when your right knee is just above the floor and hold this position for three seconds.
• Push through your left foot to return to the starting position.
• Continue on the same side, then change sides on the next round.

3. Wall sit

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your back resting on a wall, holding the medicine ball at your chest.
• Step your feet away from the wall and slide your lower back down until your there’s a 90° bend at your hips and knees.
• Hold this position for time, keeping your heels pushed into the floor and your back pressed against the wall.

4. Glute bridge

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, holding the ball on your pelvis.
• Push through your heels to raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Pause for a moment, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.

5. Calf raise

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the medicine ball at your chest.
• Push through your toes to lift your heels.
• Pause briefly, then lower your heels slowly.

6. Squat to press

Time: 40sec Rest: 2min

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the medicine ball close to your chest.
• Engage your core and move your shoulders back and down.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Squeeze your glutes and push through your heels to stand as you extend your arms to press the ball overhead.
• Lower the ball back to your chest and go straight into the next rep.

Taxes. Death. Rain on state holidays. Some things in life are inevitable—but becoming weaker and more frail as you age doesn’t have to be.

That's according to the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), the U.K.’s largest national charity dedicated to improving bone health and beating osteoporosis.

This condition, associated with weakening bones and fractures, can affect everyone, but it is accelerated in women after the menopause due to falling levels of the hormone oestrogen.

The ROS states bone density peaks around the age of 30 to 35 for most people, before a steady, natural decline.

That means 50% of all women and 20% of all men over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.

But that's not to say weaker bones are inevitable.

“Strong bones aren’t just something to think about later in life,” says Julia Thompson, a senior osteoporosis specialist nurse working with the ROS.

“They’re living, dynamic tissues that respond to how we move at every age, from childhood right through to our 70s, 80s and beyond.”

Thompson says that, while calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health, exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have for building and protecting bone strength at any age.

She and the ROS recommend everyone incorporate four forms of exercise into their weekly routine to “create a lifelong foundation for healthier bones”.

Four forms of exercise to protect your bones as you age

Thompson says the magic formula for strong and healthy bones is a combination of exercises that involve weight-bearing movements, strength training, balance and posture.

“You don’t necessarily need a gym membership or complicated exercise routines to see the benefits,” she tells Fit&Well.

Instead, a weekly mix of brisk walking, a couple of strength sessions and a few minutes of balance practice can “make a meaningful difference”.

“Your bones are with you for life—and the way you move today helps protect them for tomorrow,” she adds.

Include these four ROS-recommended exercises in your weekly routine to keep your bones healthy and ward off osteoporosis as you age.

1. Weight-bearing exercises

“Weight-bearing exercises tell your bones to stay strong,” says Thompson.

These typically involve moving your feet, like walking, hiking, climbing stairs or running, so your bones support your bodyweight.

Incorporating light-impact movement, such as skipping, hopping or even just brisk walking, can also stimulate bone cells to renew and strengthen.

“In your 20s to 40s, impact training in the form of plyometric exercise, with moves like broad jumps and box jumps, can help maximize peak bone strength,” she says.

“In midlife, light-impact work helps maintain density and in older age, gentle, low-impact weight-bearing exercise continues to stimulate bone health and maintain mobility.”

Exercises to try: Thompson suggests marching on the spot, brisk walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, aerobics using a low step, skipping, hopping and even dancing, if appropriate for your fitness level.

2. Strength training exercises

Next, Thompson highlights the importance of “building the muscle that builds the bone” with regular strength training.

This can involve working your muscles against any force or load, whether that’s your own bodyweight, resistance bands, dumbbells and kettlebells.

“When muscles pull on bones, they send powerful signals for bones to strengthen,” she explains, adding that “stronger muscles mean stronger bones—the two systems work together”.

Stronger muscles will also improve posture and joint support, reducing strain on your spine and hips, while helping prevent falls by improving stability.

“Strength training also becomes increasingly important as we age because muscle naturally declines with age too,” she says.

Exercises to try: Thompson suggests aiming for two to three sessions a week, working all major muscle groups with exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, wall push-ups, rows and everyday activities such as carrying grocery bags or gardening.

If you own dumbbells (or plan to buy some), you can follow our beginner strength training routine.

3. Balance exercises

Good balance and coordination can help reduce the risk of falls, which can lead to painful fractures that further restrict activity, especially for those with osteoporosis.

That's why it’s essential you hone this skill throughout life, from the time you first learn to walk through midlife and old age.

Combined with weight-bearing and strength-building exercises, balance training can help keep you on your feet for longer, further protecting your bone health as you age.

Exercises to try: Thompson recommends standing on one leg for a few seconds at a time, practicing heel-to-toe walking along an imaginary straight line and marching firmly on the spot with high knees.

4. Posture exercises

Good posture and body alignment isn’t just about standing tall—it can help protect your spine by reducing strain on your joints, muscles and tendons, says Thompson.

“This is especially valuable for anyone who has suffered a spinal fracture or is concerned about height loss associated with osteoporosis,” she adds.

Postural exercises strengthen the muscles that support your spine, they improve flexibility, reduce pressure on your joints and can even ease symptoms like back pain, indigestion and breathlessness that Thompson says can be linked to spinal changes.

“They also make everyday activities, from lifting shopping bags to sitting at a desk, far easier on your back,” she says.

Thompson advises performing posture exercises two to three days per week, either by enrolling in a Pilates or yoga class to engage in exercises that naturally promote a healthy posture, or performing gentle moves in an armless chair.

Exercises to try: Practice sitting upright, tucking your chin toward your chest or tilting it to the side to stretch and strengthen deep neck muscles. Draw your shoulders back and squeeze them together to activate your upper-back muscles or perform a cat-cow stretch to mobilize your spine.

To learn more about how to look after your bones as you age, the Royal Osteoporosis Society has created this helpful guide on exercise for bone health.

Completing a perfect push-up is an admirable goal for anyone. Being able to push your bodyweight off the floor in one fluid movement is a fantastic marker of strength.

That said, the move is deceivingly challenging, requiring good core, back and shoulder stability. Sagging hips in a push-up is a no-no.

Since recovering from a spinal injury, I’ve been doing one particular move to help me rebuild the foundational strength needed for push-ups: the scapular push-up.

The scapular push-up isolates your shoulder blades and teaches you how to retract (squeeze them together) and protract (spread them apart), which prepares your shoulders for a push-up—particularly the top end of the movement—without the load. This can be done in a high or low plank position without bending your elbows.

This movement targets the serratus anterior, a muscle that’s crucial for shoulder stability and is recruited to perform pushing, pulling and carrying movements—whether you’re in the gym or navigating everyday life. It also strengthens your upper back, which also supports overall shoulder health.

Recently, I’ve been incorporating different scapular push-up variations into my routine, at least twice a week. I recommend starting with the beginner-friendly version on your knees, below, and progressing as your strength improves.

How to do a scapular push-up from your knees

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
• Retract: Keeping your arms straight, squeeze your shoulder blades together letting your chest sink slightly toward the floor.
• Protract: Press your palms into the floor, pushing your upper back up and spreading your shoulder blades apart.
• Continue moving between these two positions with control.

Trainer tips: Keep your arms straight throughout. Pause briefly at the top and the bottom of each move.

Make it harder: Progress from your knees to a low plank position on your toes, elbows and forearms. Once you can control the scapular push-up from your elbows, progress to a high plank position that requires more core strength. Eventually, perform the scapular push-up from a bear hold position, challenging your deep core muscles, back and hip stability.

An effective warm-up doesn’t have to take long. Just five minutes before the main bulk of your workout can mobilize your body, wake up dormant muscles and improve your range of motion.

A good rule of thumb for an effective warm-up is that it should closely reflect the workout you’re about to undertake.

If you’re about to embark on a run, for example, you wouldn’t be especially well served by doing a load of push-ups and shoulder rolls.

Instead, you should include plenty of single-leg exercises and moves that involve bouncing on your feet—like jogging and gently hopping on the spot.

That said, there is a five-minute routine I get all my clients to memorize that prepares their body for any strength workout.

How to do this full-body warm-up

This full-body sequence can be subdivided into four sections:

1. The first gently mobilizes the spine through all three planes of motion.
2. The second helps unlock stiff hips and weak hip flexors.
3. The third activates the often dormant posterior chain muscles.
4. The fourth targets the core and anterior chain muscles along the front of the body.

It starts very gently, increasing in intensity to gradually elevate your heart rate and get the synovial fluid moving around your joints.

In total, it should take around five minutes but if you have time, double up on each of the moves to give your body plenty of time to get going so it’s ready for the workout to come.

1A. Side bend

Time: 20sec

Targets: Lateral spinal flexion

• Stand tall with your hands by your sides.
• Keeping your hips stationary, bend your upper body to one side, then the other.
• You should feel a gentle stretch down each side of your body, while promoting lateral flexion of your spine.

1B. Torso twist

Time: 20sec

Targets: Thoracic spine rotation

• Stand tall with your arms crossed, hands on your shoulders and elbows at shoulder height.
• Keeping your hips stationary, carefully rotate your body in one direction, then the other, to mobilize your mid back.
• Don't rush or over-rotate or you will shift the focus away from your thoracic spine (the middle of your back).

1C. Cat-cow

Time: 20sec

Targets: Spinal flexion and extension

• Start on your hands and knees with a neutral spine.
• Inhale as you lift your head and slowly arch your back (this is cow pose).
• Exhale as you tuck your chin and slowly round your back (this is cat pose).
• Move between poses with control, matching the movements to your breath.

2. Kneeling lunge matrix

Time: 30sec each side

Targets: Hip flexors and pelvis

• Start in a kneeling position with your tailbone tucked under to avoid arching your lower back.
• Step your left foot forward, and carefully move your left knee forward past your toes, then back.
• Step your foot diagonally to the side, and carefully move your left knee forward past your toes, then back.
• Step your foot out to the left, so your left foot points left, and carefully move your left knee forward past your toes, then back.
• Reverse the movements back to the start.
• Continue for time, then repeat on the other side.

3A. Good morning

Time: 30sec

Targets: Hamstrings, glutes and lower back

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, a slight bend in your knees, fingers by your temples.
• Sit your butt back and hinge forward at your hips to gently stretch the back of your thighs.
• Drive your hips forward to stand tall, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.

3B. Glute bridge

Time: 30sec

Targets: Glutes and lower back

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and close to your buttocks.
• Place your hands by your sides for support or raised overhead to make this more challenging.
• Push through your feet to lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Slowly lower your butt to tap the floor, then go straight into the next rep.

3C. Y-T-W

Time: 30sec

Targets: Mid and upper back and rear deltoids

• From standing, sit your butt back and hinge forward at your hips while keeping your back straight.
• Keeping your arms straight, raise your arms diagonally away from your body to make a ‘Y’ shape. (Y).
• Next, raise your arms out to your sides (T).
• Lastly, bend your elbows and raise your arms (W).
• With each shape, focus on squeezing the small stabilizer muscles around your shoulder blades and upper back.

4A. Split squat

Time: 15sec each side

Targets: Quads, glutes and ankles

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a big step straight back with one foot.
• Bend both knees and lower until your back knee is just above the floor, keeping your chest facing forward.
• Extend your legs to rise.
• Maintain a steady tempo for 15 seconds, then switch sides.

4B. Walkout

Time: 30sec

Targets: Chest, shoulders, core and arms

• Stand tall and reach your hands overhead.
• Carefully fold forward and place your hands on the floor, allowing a light stretch in the back of your legs.
• Walk your hands forward until your hands are under your shoulders and your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Optional: perform one, two or three push-ups with each rep to power up your chest.
• Walk your hands back and return to standing, then repeat.

4C. High plank shoulder tap

Time: 30sec

Targets: Chest, shoulders and core

• Perform a walkout to assume the top of a push-up position on your toes (harder) or knees (easier).
• Engage your glutes and core.
• Keeping your hips level, lift one hand off the floor to tap your opposite shoulder, then return it to the floor.
• Repeat with the other hand and opposite shoulder.
• Alternate for 30 seconds.

Any walking you do is good for you, but if you want to improve your fitness it’s worth turning it into a walking workout.

“While there are critics who say that walking cannot get you results in the short term, there are many ways of adapting walking exercises to enhance results,” says certified personal trainer Anwen Davies, who is a gym and fitness expert for Net World Sports, UK.

One of the best ways to do this is by adding speed and incline intervals.

“This can offer a range of cardiovascular and metabolic benefits without putting too much stress on the joints,” she explains.

“It also engages your glutes, quads and core much more effectively than steady pace walking, which in turn burns more calories in less time.”

Davies has designed the following routine for both outdoor and treadmill walking, including speed and incline options. “I would recommend outdoor walking over a treadmill personally, as treadmills are built for convenience more than anything,” says Davies. “Outdoor walking has more health and wellbeing benefits.”

20-minute walking workout

“Depending on your level and age, I would recommend doing this three to four times per week,” says Davies.

She recommends that older adults or those with joint issues seek professional advice before attempting this frequency.

“If the above routine is too intense, then slow down your pace and lower the incline,” says Davies.

She suggests working towards the suggested intensity when you feel more comfortable and ready.

“If you are looking for more of a challenge, each week increase your pace by 0.5 mph or add a 0.5% incline,” says Davies.

“As your body adapts, you can progress more.”

No matter how often you do the workout, Davies recommends making a conscious attempt to maintain good walking posture.

“Make sure you hold your shoulders back, keep your core engaged and your eyes forward, with your arms bent at a 90° angle,” says Davies.

1. Warm-up

Time: 2min Treadmill pace: 2.8mph-3.0mph Treadmill incline: 0%

Outdoors: Walk at an easy pace, where you can easily hold a conversation.

This stage helps to elevate your heart rate, getting you ready for the workout.

2. Tempo walk

Time: 3min Treadmill pace: 3.8mph-4.0mph Treadmill incline: 0%

Outdoors: Walk at a brisk pace where conversation is difficult to maintain, but still possible.

This stage establishes an aerobic baseline and activates your leg muscles.

3. Incline push

Time: 3min Treadmill pace: 3.5mph-3.8mph Treadmill incline: 4-5%

Outdoors: Find a hill to climb or maintain a brisk pace on flat ground.

This engages your glutes and quads more intensely, building lower-body strength. Keep your shoulders back and your core engaged.

4. Recovery

Time: 2min Treadmill pace: 2.8mph-3.0mph Treadmill incline: 0%

Outdoors: Reduce your pace to maintain an easy, conversational pace.

This stage will allow your heart rate to drop slightly before the next push.

5. Speed intervals

Time: 4min

Complete the following twice:

• Time: 30sec Treadmill speed: 4.2mph Treadmill incline: 0%
• Time: 90sec Treadmill speed: 2.8mph-3.0mph Treadmill incline: 0%

Outdoors: Walk the first 30 seconds at a faster pace, return to an easy or brisk pace for the 90-second recovery.

This will challenge your cardiovascular system with brief high-intensity bursts and build leg power.

6. Tempo walk

Time: 3min Treadmill pace: 3.8mph-4.0mph Treadmill incline: 2%

Outdoors: Maintain a brisk, challenging pace.

Finish strong, elevating your heart rate before the cool-down.

7. Cool-down

Time: 2min Treadmill pace: 2.8mph-3.0mph Treadmill incline: 0%

Outdoor: Maintain an easy, conversational pace.

This final stage lowers your heart rate gradually and allows your muscles to start recovering.

Building strength and maintaining muscle is important no matter your age. However, it becomes a crucial pursuit for anyone nearing their senior years.

“As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass as well as bone density. This can lead to reduced balance, possibly resulting in falls or injuries,” says 83-year-old fitness trainer Harry King.

“We seniors—I include myself in this group—can minimize episodes of falls and injuries through a resistance training program. Resistance training has been proven to strengthen muscles and combat bone density loss in seniors.”

Despite being diagnosed with advanced osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, King still works out four days a week and trains others.

While starting a strength regimen later in life can come with its own challenges, he believes that seniors can train similarly to younger athletes as long as they progress appropriately and listen to their bodies.

If you’re 65 or older, have a gym membership and don’t know where to start, try King’s routine below.

How to do the workout

King recommends a five to 10 minute cardiovascular warm-up prior to any strength training, using a treadmill, bike, rowing machine or elliptical trainer.

“I prefer the rower because it gets more muscles involved during the warm-up phase,” King says.

King then suggests 45 to 60 minutes of resistance training with the following upper-body and lower-body routines.

“In this time frame, the goal is to perform five to seven exercises, doing three sets of 12 reps each,” he says. “My normal workout would be to focus on upper-body and lower-body muscle groups on separate days, with a two-day rest before working the same muscle group again. This rest period is important in preventing injuries.”

These exercises are done using a weight bench, a set of moderately-heavy dumbbells, a cable machine, a leg press, a hamstring curl machine, a leg extension machine and a hip abductor/adductor machine.

If you’re unable to complete 12 reps of an exercise with good form, work with a lighter weight. If you can complete 12 reps easily without much fatigue, work with a heavier weight.

“It’s a good practice to use an exercise program such as this for two to three months then change it up to avoid boredom,” adds King.

Speak with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. Consider meeting with a certified personal trainer for advice on proper form, exercise modifications and progressions when you’re ready. A trainer can also help you learn how to use the gym equipment in this workout.

Upper-body workout

1. Chest press

Reps: 12

• Lie on a weights bench, holding dumbbells by your shoulders.
• Squeeze your chest and press the dumbbells straight up.
• Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders.

2. Lat pull-down

Reps: 12

• Sit and hold the ends of a lat pull-down bar.
• Maintain an upright spine with shoulders and core engaged.
• Pull the bar toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Extend your arms with control, letting the bar rise back to the starting position.

3. Pec flye

Reps: 12

• Lie on a weights bench holding dumbbells above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows.
• Lower the dumbbells out to your sides with control, until they’re in line with your chest.
• Squeeze your chest muscles and raise the dumbbells back to the starting position.

4. Seated row

Reps: 12

• Sit upright holding the cable machine handles.
• Roll your shoulders back, maintain a neutral spine and engage your core.
• Pull the handles toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Extend your arms back to the starting position with control.

5. Biceps curl

Reps: 12

• Stand upright, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing forward.
• Bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells to your shoulders.
• Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control.

6. Triceps rope pull-down

Reps: 12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the ends of the rope, with your elbows tucked into your sides and bent.
• Extend your arms to pull the ends toward the floor, keeping your elbows close to your sides and squeezing your triceps.
• Bend your elbows, returning the rope to the starting position with control.

Lower-body workout

1. Leg press

Reps: 12

• Sit with both feet on the platform.
• Engage your core and push the platform away from you, extending your legs.
• Bend your knees, bringing the platform back toward you with control.

2. Seated hamstring curl

Reps: 12

• Sit with your ankles on top of the leg pad.
• Engage your hamstrings, bend your knees and pull the leg pad down.
• Extend your legs, returning to the starting position with control.

3. Leg extension

Reps: 12

• Sit with your shins underneath the leg pad.
• Extend your legs to lift the pad to hip height.
• Lower the pad to the starting position with control.

4. Hip adduction

Reps: 12

• Sit with your feet in the supports and the leg pads against your inner thighs.
• Engage your inner thighs and press your knees together.
• Return to the starting position with control.

5. Hip abduction

Reps: 12

• Sit with your feet in the supports and the leg pads against your outer thighs.
• Engage your hips and press your knees apart.
• Return to the starting position with control.

6. Squat

Reps: 12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your hips, keeping your chest facing forward and spine extended.
• Raise your arms in front of you for balance if needed.
• Press through your feet to stand back up.

Eating well can be easier than you think, and it doesn’t need to be all about fresh fruit and vegetables.

Having a few staples in your pantry can make a difference to how nutritious your meals are, and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

My pantry could use some work though, a jar of peanut butter and canned chickpeas can only take me so far.

So, after asking registered nutritional therapist Cara Shaw what she keeps stocked in her fridge, I decided to quiz her again, this time on the five food essentials she always has on hand in her pantry.

Her top picks are rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, and they're versatile, so you can make use of them across lots of different meals.

Here’s what she keeps in her pantry.

1. Tahini

“It’s one of my favorites because it contains healthy fats and helps make meals feel more satisfying,” Shaw tells Fit&Well.

For those who are dairy-free, it’s a great way to boost calcium to support bone health, too.

“I use it in dressings, sauces, dips or drizzled over roasted vegetables and even mixed in yogurt bowls,” Shaw says.

2. Oats

Oats are a classic pantry item for a reason. “They’re affordable, versatile and rich in beta-glucan fiber (soluble fiber) which can help keep you fuller for longer and support stable energy levels,” Shaw explains.

Oats also contain insoluble fiber which supports the digestive system and encourages regular bowel movements.

You can incorporate them into your diet in lots of different ways, from oatmeal, granola and muesli to energy balls, baked oats and even pancake recipes.

3. Tinned lentils and beans

High in protein and fiber, you’ll always find a tin or two of lentils and beans in Shaw’s pantry.

“The combination of fiber and protein is one of the best for satiety, helping you feel fuller for longer, and supporting gut health,” Shaw says.

They’re a great way to get you closer to the recommended 30g of fiber per day, with around 6g-8g in half a tin of lentils or black beans.

Shaw adds them to soups, curries, salads and pastas dishes to bulk out meals in a balanced and nutritious way.

4. Extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a staple in the famously healthy Mediterranean diet, and a pantry essential Shaw uses daily.

It’s a source of healthy fats that support healthy cholesterol levels, and is rich in polyphenols that are thought to boost digestion and support gut health.

“I use it in dressing, drizzled over meals or for sautéing vegetables and proteins,” Shaw says.

5. Canned fish

Canned fish like sardines and mackerel are having a moment online, featuring in lots of viral recipes, and it turns out there’s a good reason.

“Tinned oily fish is one of the most convenient nutrient-dense foods to keep on hand,” Shaw says.

“Sardines and mackerel provide protein and omega-3 fats, which help support our cell membranes, brain health and even our mood.

“Sardines with the bones are also a great source of calcium.”

They’re another versatile staple too. Add them to salads, on top of sourdough toast, or mix with rice and vegetables for a quick lunch bowl.

After a major weight loss, I spent years training hard and going above and beyond to be the best athlete I could be. At that point in my life, I had the time and motivation needed to follow a rigid and demanding training schedule for my running.

Over time, my circumstances changed and training was put on the back burner. I realized it was going to be impossible to keep up with the training program I had become accustomed to and something needed to change.

After a year of trying to force myself into old training habits, I finally decided that the one thing I needed to incorporate into my training was flexibility. I needed to stop having an all-or-nothing mindset, and start allowing myself to adapt on the spot when needed—and do what felt right based on my recovery, energy and motivation levels.

The only thing I knew for sure was that movement had to remain a priority, and I had to find a way to keep it a part of my daily routine without burning out.

I did this by regularly checking in on how well I was recovering from exercise and changing my plan when needed. Here’s how I did it.

1. Gauging recovery

Checking in with how recovered you are is key to avoiding burnout and overtraining. I’m not just talking about checking your Garmin or Oura ring stats, though I do find these helpful.

I’m talking about checking in daily on your energy level, any lingering soreness you may have, and how you’re feeling mentally about the workout you have planned.

Being sore is normal, but not allowing your muscles time to rebuild between hard or long efforts can cause injury in the long run, so it’s important to consider whether your soreness is typical or abnormal.

As far as energy levels go, getting proper rest is a challenge for many people—as life can be chaotic and demanding.

I tend to function decently on little sleep, but continuing to train after days or weeks of poor sleep can run me down to the point that my body can’t recover well from workouts and injury becomes more likely. If I feel unusually tired, I know it’s time to make adjustments to the week’s training plan.

I also like to consider how I am feeling mentally. Am I excited for my workout or am I dreading it? If I feel like my workout is going to take away from my day rather than add something good to it, I might allow myself a nap or time with a friend instead.

2. Adapting when needed

I started working out as a way to lose weight but it also turned into a way to manage my mental health, build confidence and improve my physical health. It made me happy, and it’s important to me that it continues to do so rather than feeling like a punishment.

I make sure this happens by adapting my workouts when I feel the need to. If I feel like my legs are taking longer than normal to recover after a hard effort, I may cut my workout a bit short and instead add in a mobility session.

If I’m just not feeling the run I have planned, but I still want to be outdoors and get some movement, then I may swap my long run for a hike. Sometimes, I simply put speed work on the back burner and do a lower-intensity workout instead.

There are even times when I just feel like I need a break, and I go for a walk and get lunch with a friend, or even take a nap, instead of doing a workout.

I try not to make this a regular occurrence, but if it really calls to me, I listen. I find that by doing this, I can more easily keep training without burning out.

Why it worked

In a nutshell, flexibility means consistency. By shortening an occasional run, opting for a hike or walk with a friend, or deciding to do strength or mobility instead of speedwork, I’m able to stay more consistent with training.

It might look different, but I’m consistently moving and feeling the benefits of that movement.

Remaining mentally engaged with training is just as important as being able to withstand the physical demands of a workout—being flexible in training helps me to stay mentally in it.

If you’re struggling to work out regularly, especially if you’re someone who typically follows a rigid plan, I highly recommend giving yourself some grace and flexibility. Doing so has made a huge difference for me.

I’ve also enjoyed journaling about the process. I find that writing about how I feel before and after a workout, nap or walk, means I am able to see how being flexible positively impacts the process. It’s worth a shot if you’re feeling nervous about allowing more flexibility in your training plan.

If you enjoy working out, then there is no end of exercises and techniques to help you build muscle. If that’s you, we salute you, but politely suggest the following won’t be of interest (perhaps you’d like to read about myo-reps instead).

For those of us who want the benefits of strength training, but don’t have the mental bandwidth to follow complicated plans, I have just the thing: a simple three-move home upper-body workout, courtesy of Denise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree.

“Together, these movements provide a balanced upper-body workout by training both pushing and pulling patterns,” she says.

“They target the chest, shoulders, back and arms while also requiring core engagement.”

The beauty of this routine is that Chakoian has also shared several options to scale up each exercise, so as you get stronger, you just increase the challenge.

“I like these exercises because they are accessible for most fitness levels and can continue to challenge people for years simply by changing leverage, tempo and stability rather than relying on heavier weights,” says Chakoian.

1. Push-up

Sets: 3-4 Reps: 8-15

“I chose this because push-ups are one of the most effective upper-body exercises because they train multiple muscle groups at once while also challenging core stability,” says Chakoian.

“Small changes in leverage can make them significantly harder without adding weight.”

How to do a push-up:

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Step your feet back so your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Engage your core—this is your starting position.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor with control.
• Pause when your elbows are bent to 90°.
• Press through your hands to lift yourself back to the starting position.

Make it easier:

Possible modified push-ups include:

• Placing your hands on a wall for wall push-ups.
• Placing your hands on a bench for incline push-ups, the lower the platform, the harder it is.
• Performing push-ups on your knees.
• Performing just the lowering part of a full push-up, called a negative push-up.

Make it harder:

• Slow down the lowering phase, taking three to five seconds.
• Add a pause at the bottom before pushing up.
• Elevate your feet on a step or bench.
• Perform staggered-hand push-ups.
• Progress to one-arm push-ups.

2. Pike push-up

Sets: 3-4 Reps: 6-12

“I chose this because many people overlook vertical pushing strength when training without equipment,” says Chakoian.

“Pike push-ups are excellent for developing shoulder strength and can eventually lead to more advanced bodyweight movements.”

How to do a pike push-up:

• Begin with your hands on the floor and your hips lifted, so your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep your legs straight or, if your mobility is limited, slightly bend your knees.
• Bend your elbows to lower your head, keeping your elbows angled slightly backward as you descend.
• Once your head gently taps the floor, press through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.

Make it easier:

• Place your hands on a raised platform and lower your head to the platform.

Make it harder:

• Slow the lowering phase.
• Increase the range of motion by elevating your hands on books or yoga blocks, allowing your head to go below your hands.
• Elevate your feet on a chair or step.
• Pause and hold at the bottom of the movement.
• Progress toward wall-supported handstand push-ups.

3. Inverted row

Sets: 3-4 Reps: 8-15

“I chose this exercise because pulling movements are often neglected in equipment-free workouts, yet they’re essential for posture, shoulder health, and balanced upper-body strength,” says Chakoian.

“Rows help strengthen the muscles that counteract hours of sitting and computer work.”

How to do an inverted row:

• Lie on your back under a sturdy table.
• Grasp the edge of the surface with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Engage your core and make sure your body is straight from head to heels—this is your starting position.
• Pull your chest toward your hands, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position.

Ensure the table is sturdy enough to support your weight and not tip over. You may wish to invest in a telescopic doorway pull-up bar or suspension trainer if this routine becomes a staple of your training.

Make it easier:

• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.

Make it harder:

• Slow the lowering phase.
• Pause at the top of the movement for two or three seconds.
• Elevate your feet to make your body horizontal.
• Perform single-leg variations.

Anyone who has experienced jaw tension will know just how painful it can be. It can impact your sleep, lead to headaches, and the pain—which can range from mild to severe—may impact your quality of life.

If you've tried a night guard or have quit chewing gum and you're still clenching your jaw or feeling tension and pain, then stress could be the culprit. Yoga is one way of addressing the root cause of stress.

Not only can yoga help lower stress levels and give you the tools to manage the demands of everyday life, but it can also actively relax and soothe your jaw muscles too. Regular practice can reduce the frequency and intensity of jaw clenching and the pain associated with it.

Serena Arora, a yoga therapist with over 20 years of experience, says there's a link between the jaw and the sacrum—the bone at the base of your spine.

"The sacrum and the jaw are intricately connected and mirror each other. When one is tight or rigid, chances are the other is too," Arora says.

While research on this phenomenon is still limited, one small study found that people who have chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD), which causes jaw pain, had significantly different sacral positions compared with healthy individuals.

"This functional yoga therapy sequence will target and release both the sacrum and jaw," says Arora. "The focus is really to stabilize and strengthen gently.

Yoga to help soothe your jaw and sacrum

To do this routine, you'll need a tennis ball and a mat or a blanket to lie on.

1. Side and hip lengthening

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your back with your legs extended.
• Breathe slowly and feel your body in contact with the floor.
• Experience your breath, and try to soften your body with every exhalation.
• After a few rounds of breath, inhale and reach your right arm overhead while lengthening your right foot and leg away.
• Lengthen the entire right side of your body, especially around the hip and pelvis.
• Exhale and release.
• Inhale and repeat on the left side.

2. Spinal undulation

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your back and bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor hip-width apart.
• Place your arms on either side of your head on the floor with your elbows bent at 90°.
• Inhale and arch your spine, open your chest and bring your chin to your chest.
• Exhale and round your spine, pressing your sacrum into the floor and roll your chin and head back.
• Open your mouth to exhale “ha” loudly.

3. Windshield wiper sacral release

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your back with your arms by the sides of your head, knees bent and feet on the floor wider than hip-distance apart.
• Inhale and drop both knees to your right side, as you turn your chin to the left and reach your left arm overhead.
• Exhale and return to center.
• Inhale and repeat on the other side.

4. Half frog with jaw release

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your front, holding a tennis ball in your left hand.
• Slide your right knee out to your side, bending it at 90° angle.
• Using your hand, gently push your right buttock cheek down toward your heel, relaxing your right hip.
• Turn your head to the left, with your right facial cheek on the floor.
• Place the tennis ball at your temporal mandibular joint (TMJ), located where your jaw meets your skull next to your ear.
• Keep your jaw slightly open and relax your head into the ball.
• Roll the ball slowly from your TMJ to your right earlobe and back again. Breathe.
• Explore other parts of your jaw by rolling the ball around slowly.
• Repeat on the other side.

Optional progressions:

• Lift your torso enough to slide your left arm under your right armpit.
• Move your right arm behind your back, twisting through your torso to release through your sacrum.
• Breathe and repeat four or five times.

5. Neck release

Reps: 4-5

• Lie on your back and bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor hip-width apart.
• Place a tennis ball behind your neck, just below the base of your skull where your head meets your neck.
• Drop your chin toward your chest and return to the starting position slowly and gently.
• Repeat and breathe, focusing on unclenching your jaw.
• Lower your chin and hold while you slowly turn your your head side to side.
• Return to center and repeat the sequence.

6. Savasana

Hold: 4-5 breaths

• Lie on your back with your legs extended straight on the floor and your arms by your sides, palms facing up.
• Soften every part of your body from the crown of your head to your toes, focusing on your jaw, hips, sacrum, legs and arms.
• Hold for at least four to five breaths but stay for as long as you have time.

Neck pain is widely experienced, affecting up to half of the population in any given year—though for most, it isn’t severe enough to limit daily activities. Unfortunately, more than half of those will experience a recurrence of their neck pain.

Many things can contribute to neck pain, but shoulder instability is one of them, and that’s something I see in my personal training clients.

To help strengthen your shoulders to support your neck, I often recommend a daily practice of banded rows, overhead pull-aparts and banded external rotations. These improve your range of motion and can prevent neck pain before it sets in.

“Banded rows, overhead pull-aparts and banded external rotations can be a great foundation for building shoulder blade stability, back muscle activation and rotator cuff activation,” says Dr Matt Brown, DPT, a physical therapist at Corrective Physical Therapy.

“Doing these three exercises daily will help build endurance in these main muscle groups, teach you how to properly activate and use these muscles, and build a good foundation for your shoulders and neck.”

If you have a resistance band to hand, give these exercises a go to keep your shoulders and neck happy and healthy.

How to do the exercises

You’ll need a light resistance band like one of these and make sure you know how to engage your core before starting.

Perform each exercise for 10 to 12 reps. When 12 reps feels easy, increase to 15 to 20 reps. If you’re unable to perform at least 10 reps with good form, work with a lighter band or practice the movement without a band. If you can do 20 reps without feeling fatigued, work with a heavier band.

Do these exercises three to five times a week, then gradually add days as your comfort level allows, working up to five times per week, or even daily.

Before starting any new workout, check in with your medical team for clearance. If you’re a beginner it’s best to work with a certified personal trainer to ensure your exercise form is correct.“If you recently had shoulder or neck surgery, do not perform exercises unless your doctor clears you,” says Brown. He adds that “people with severe shoulder or neck pain should not attempt these exercises until a professional clears them.”

1. Banded row

Reps: 10-20

• Loop a resistance band around a strong anchor point in front of you.
• Hold the ends of the band and step back from the anchor point until the band is taut with your arms extended in front of you.
• Engage your core, squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the ends of the band toward you, bending your elbows and drawing them past your torso.
• Pause briefly, then return your arms to the starting position with control.

Trainer tips: Keep your shoulders relaxed and down throughout—avoid shrugging them up toward your ears as you pull the band. Avoid any excessive arching in your lower back.

2. Overhead band pull-apart

Reps: 10-20

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a resistance band by its ends.
• Engage your core.
• Raise the band to just behind your head.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the ends of the band.
• Pause briefly at the end of the pull.

Trainer tips: Roll your shoulders back and keep your chest upright. Avoid tensing your neck as you pull the band and avoid your lower back arching excessively. Keep your ribs down and maintain a neutral spine.

3. Banded external rotation

Reps: 10-20

• Stand holding the ends of a resistance band in front of your waist, with your palms facing up, and elbows bent and close to your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Pull the ends of the band out to the sides, keeping your elbows pinned to your torso.
• Pause briefly, then return to the starting position with control.

Trainer tips: Roll your shoulders back before beginning the movement, avoid tensing your neck and maintain a neutral spine throughout. If you can’t keep your elbows connected to your sides, place a towel in between your elbows and your torso.

Why these exercises can help prevent neck pain

“Your rotator cuff, shoulder blades and back muscles are extremely important for shoulder health, helping to keep tension and force away from your neck,” says Brown.

“These exercises can be great for everyone, but especially if you have a desk job where you are sitting frequently, or have a very active job with lots of lifting overhead. Weightlifters need to keep these smaller muscles working well, as well as anyone who has been experiencing some shoulder pain or neck pain.”

Strength training and stretching are important. But one type of movement people often forget about are balance exercises, which become increasingly important as we get older.

Barre is an excellent type of exercise to develop your balance and stability. It contains elements of Pilates, yoga and ballet conditioning, and is surprisingly beginner-friendly.

Tara Riley is a barre instructor and she says that there are a few reasons why this type of movement is so beneficial for balance. “Often, people fall and every part of their body goes down,” Riley says. “Whereas if you’ve worked muscles independently and you know how to keep your core engaged, you can catch yourself more easily.”

Barre can also be helpful for improving your mind-body connection. “It’s really good for coordination,” Riley says, explaining that barre tends to involve moving different body parts in different directions simultaneously.

“It’s good for your brain to have to think about doing a few different movements at the same time,” Riley adds.

To give Fit&Well readers a taste of barre from the comfort of home, Riley has shared the one move she always recommends to beginners who want to improve their balance and stability—the standing arabesque.

It’s an exercise that recruits the stabilizing muscles: the small muscles located around joints, which help you to balance and stay in place. “You’re also using your core and your back,” Riley says.

How to do a standing arabesque

Reps: 16 each side

• Stand with your feet together, facing a chair or another stable surface with your hands resting on the surface.
• Bend your knees, then extend your left leg behind you, keeping the toes of your left foot on the floor.
• Hinge forward from your hips, so your body should be in a straight line from your head to your left toes.
• Bend your left leg to 90° so that your toes point straight up.
• Keeping the rest of your body still and your left knee bent to 90° throughout, bring your left knee forward until it is in line with your right.
• Lift your left leg behind you until your body forms a straight line from your head to your left knee.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tip: “Hold on to something but don’t grip it,” Riley says, explaining that you can use a support for balance, but don’t put all of your weight into it—your body should be holding your weight. She also adds that you should keep your gaze forward: “Try not to stare down at your feet.”

In just 16 years, Susie Chan has accumulated more miles and conquered more feats of endurance than most of us achieve in a lifetime.

All seven major marathons? Check. The notoriously punishing 156-mile Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman? Check. A 12-hour treadmill world record? Check. Check. Check.

Now 51, she’s just added the 81-mile Badwater Salton Sea ultra to her collection, featuring 9,000 feet of total elevation up Palomar Mountain in Southern California.

All while holding down a physically and emotionally demanding job as a Peloton instructor, and raising her daughter.

What makes it all the more inspiring is that Chan had zero interest in sport or fitness until her brother signed her up to the Farnham Pilgrim Half Marathon in 2010.

“I didn’t even have trainers,” she tells Fit&Well. “I had gym shoes on. I had no clue.

“It really hurt—I’m not going to pretend it didn’t—but it showed me what I could actually do if I really wanted to.

“That’s something I’ve maintained. That one little spark of what I can do if I really want to has propelled me to do all of the other long endurance races since.”

It has also propelled her into a new career as a running coach, to writing a book called Trails and Tribulations about the trials and tribulations she’s encountered along the way, and to inspiring others to lace up their running shoes—or gym shoes—for the first time.

Recently returned from the Salton Sea ultra, I caught up with Chan to discuss what her weekly workout routine typically looks like when not scaling mountains or traversing deserts.

Susie Chan’s weekly workout routine

For the past decade, Chan has been clocking an average of 50 miles a week. When not hitting the road or trails with friends, she's leading treadmill workouts in Peloton's London studio or at fitness festivals around the country.

“If I haven’t got a race, I’ll typically run five times a week—minimum,” Chan says, casually.

“It’s my main source of exercise, but I’m also really enjoying my Peloton bike right now. I love it as an alternative. And I’m trying to dial down my mileage and build more strength.”

Here’s how her week typically breaks down.

Monday
30min run or Peloton Bike class for recovery.

Tuesday
Leading Peloton treadmill classes and full-body strength workout.

Wednesday
Leading Peloton treadmill classes and easy eight-mile run with friends.

Thursday
30-60min interval or speed run, plus leg workout.

Friday
Leading Peloton treadmill classes and easy 60min run or ride with colleagues.

Saturday
45-90min long run.

Sunday
60min slow yoga class focusing on single-leg strength.

Susie Chan’s advice on how to get started with running

Start slow and steady

If you’re completely new to running, or you’re getting back into it, think tortoise, not hare.

“You’ve got to start off slow and steady,” Chan says. “In my very first run I just ran as fast as I could. It was awful. Don’t do that!”

Instead, Chan recommends using run-walk intervals at a 1:1 ratio.

“If you're brand new to running, alternating two minutes of running with two minutes of walking, or whatever it is that you can maintain, is a good place to start."

After a couple weeks, you can increase the running intervals or reduce the recovery period to progress toward a 2:1 ratio.

Make it social

Chan says everything hard becomes easier when you share it with others. That's especially true when trying to build momentum at the start of your running journey.

“I’m very much not a lone wolf,” says Chan, of the way she prefers to keep active.

“If you have other people to work out with it just takes the edge off. They help drive you, encourage you, enable you. For me, that’s the number one life hack for training. It just makes everything feel easier.”

Since 2012, certified personal trainer Karen Nelson has refined a routine for her senior clients at Sun Health Grandview Terrace in Arizona to restore balance.

The nonprofit organization, founded in 1966, is dedicated to empowering people to live longer, healthier and more purposeful lives.

For Nelson, that starts by inspiring its residents to have fun while exercising, learn proper movement techniques, and instill healthy habits for mind, body and spirit.

Which, she explains, can all be acquired by committing to a 25-minute full-body workout, three times per week.

"I call this class Balance," Nelson tells Fit&Well. "It's a basic name," she admits, "to ensure there's no confusion and no excuse not to come."

The routine is built around exercises that help reduce risk of falls, while developing strength to avoid injuries caused by imbalance or lack of coordination.

"We use a chair for extra stability and bands for muscle toning," she says, listing benefits including "improved cognitive function, coordination, posture, stability, strength, joint health, reaction times and reflexes".

"There are numerous benefits associated with working on your balance," she continues "and this routine will absolutely build your confidence and independence too."

To perform this workout you'll need a sturdy chair or wall for support and a mini band. If you don't have a mini band, you can skip that section of the workout until you do.

Warm-up

Before starting, Nelson recommends taking a few minutes to prepare mentally and physically for the session.

"Spend one to two minutes loosening up your body and mind while performing gentle hip circles," she says. "Inhale deeply through your nose, exhale deeply through your mouth."

Next, spend another two to three minutes cycling through a series of heel and toe lifts to mobilize your ankle joints and warm up the calf muscles in the back of your lower legs. These can be done seated or standing.

How to do the heel and toe lifts:

• With feet flat on the floor, lift your heels, then lower under control, five times.
• Next, lift your toes while keeping your heels down another five times.
• Repeat this sequence for two to three minutes.

"Heel and toe lifts help strengthen your ankle joint to help you lift your feet when walking to reduce risk of falls," says Nelson.

If you have them available to you, she recommends performing a series of exercises using mini resistance bands to wake up stabilizing muscles in the glutes, hamstrings and core.

How to do the resistance band sequence:

• Position a mini band around the largest part of both calf muscles.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees slightly to lower into a quarter squat, then step side-to-side (crab walks), then diagonally forward and back (monster walks) or a mixture of both.
• Work for around four to five minutes, taking short rests as required.

How to do the workout

Now you're warm, proceed to the main body of the workout.

Spend up to four minutes on the sit-to-stand exercise, then five to 10 minutes in total performing the five balance exercises.

These moves incorporate pauses and holds that keep your muscles under sustained tension. This approach strengthens your muscles and trains your balance while being kinder on your joints.

Take your time, aim to improve gradually in each session, and rest when you need to.

To wrap up, Nelson suggests concluding the session with a few minutes of gentle stretching, focusing on the calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes.

1. Sit-to-stand

Time: 1-4min

• Sit on a sturdy chair with your knees bent at 90˚and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Push through your feet to rise out of the chair and stand upright, avoiding using your hands to push off.
• Slowly push your hips back and bend your knees to lower yourself back into your seat, again without using your arms to control your descent.
• If you can perform this with good form, continue for one minute, then move on to the next section.
• If your technique requires practice, continue for up to four minutes, resting as required.

Nelson says: "Keep looking straight while sitting and rising and avoid plopping onto the seat. If you find that you cannot sit without letting the muscles go and plopping, then only lower as far as you can with control, building up your range until you can lower all the way with control."

2. Calf raise

Sets: 1 Reps: 5-10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding on to a chair or counter for support.
• Raise your heels as high as you can.
• Lower your heels slowly to the starting position.

3. Squat hold

Sets: 1 Reps: 5-10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding onto a chair or counter for support, if needed.
• Slowly push your butt back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, making sure your knees don’t cave in, and your chest is upright and gaze forward.
• Pause at the bottom of the squat for five to 10 seconds.
• Push through your feet and drive your hips forward to rise slowly to stand, making sure your knees don’t cave in.

4. Single-leg knee lift

Sets: 1 Reps: 1-5 each side

• Stand, holding onto a chair or counter for support, if needed.
• Lift your right knee to hip height, or as high as you can manage.
• Keep your body straight and avoid leaning to one side.
• Hold this position for 10-20 seconds, then lower slowly and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Reverse leg lift

Sets: 1 Reps: 1-5 each side

• Stand holding onto a chair or counter for support.
• Slide your right foot behind you, keeping your toes on the floor.
• Keeping your right leg straight and without leaning your torso forward, lift your right leg behind you—you may only be able to lift a small distance.
• Hold this position for 10-20 seconds, then lower slowly and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

6. Lateral leg lift

Sets: 1 Reps: 1-5 each side

• Stand holding onto a chair or counter for support.
• Slide your right leg out to the side.
• Keeping your right leg straight, raise it as high as you can without leaning to the left—you may only be able to lift a small distance.
• Hold this position for 10-20 seconds, then lower slowly and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

My hips have been causing me problems for as long as I can remember.

As a young child, I was riding (and falling off) horses regularly, which meant I built a good foundation of lower-body and core strength but it also left me with chronically tight hip flexors.

Now I work at a desk every day, exacerbating the problem.

Tight hip flexors are a familiar gripe of most office workers and something orthopedic physical therapist Dr Andrew Gorecki treats frequently at his clinic, Superior Physical Therapy.

Gorecki explains that many of us spend our lives using just one plane of motion. Our hips move forward and back, but we rarely employ the side-to-side or rotational mobility they are capable of.

“Walking only in straight lines on flat ground lets the inner-thigh adductors and the side-hip muscles stiffen and weaken. Hours of sitting shorten your hip flexors in the front of your hips,” says Gorecki.

The less we use our muscles, the weaker and tighter they become.

“When the muscles around the hips get tight and short, the joint space itself becomes compressed,” he adds. “That’s when tendinitis, bursitis, and joint pain start.”

“Most adult hip pain isn't a problem with the joint itself. It's a problem with the muscles around the joint.”

Once you restore the mobility in all three planes of motion, Gorecki explains that the pressure on the joint is lessened and, more often than not, your hip pain will subside.

He has designed the following program to work your hips in all planes of motion so they work optimally.

“Each exercise is performed in all three planes of motion—the same way the hip actually has to function in life,” he says.

1. Multi-plane hip flexor mobility

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec per plane of motion each side Rest: 30-60sec between sides

Targets: hip flexor muscles

“The hip flexors get tight from sitting and pull on the spine, which is why hip flexor tightness so often shows up as both hip and low-back pain,” explains Gorecki.

“Working the muscle in all three planes of motion restores the function it's actually lost. Most people stretch it only front-to-back and never address the side-to-side and rotational stiffness.”

How to do it:

• Start in a half-kneeling position with your left foot flat on the floor in front of you and your right knee on the floor under your right hip.
• Tuck your pelvis in to flatten your lower back.
• Front-to-back: Gently shift your hips forward and back, a few inches each way, feeling a stretch in the front of your right thigh.
• Side-to-side: Reposition your front foot so it’s at a 45° angle outward from you. Gently move forward and back in small movements.
• Rotation: Reposition your front foot outward further, as close to 90° as possible. Gently move forward and back in small movements.
• Complete 30 seconds on each plane, then switch sides.

2. Multi-plane adductor mobility

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec per plane of motion each side Rest: 30-60sec between sides

Targets: adductors

“When your adductors stay tight, your hip joint loses space and your glutes can’t fire properly,” says Gorecki.

“Opening your adductors in all three planes restores joint space and lets your glutes do their job.”

How to do it:

• Stand with a sturdy chair on your left—use a wall or doorway for balance if needed.
• Place your left foot on the chair, turning your foot outward to roughly 90° so the inside of your leg faces forward.
• Side-to-side: Gently shift your hips side to side toward the chair and back. You should feel a stretch in your inner thigh.
• Front-to-back: From the same position, gently shift your hips forward.
• Rotation: Move your hips in slow, small circles in both directions.
• Complete 30 seconds on each plane, then switch sides.

3. Lunge matrix

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 8 per plane of motion each side Rest: 30sec between sides

Targets: the entire hip complex: glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors and rotator muscles

“Real life loads the hip in every direction, but most hip strengthening programs train only forward and back,” says Gorecki.

“The three-way lunge is the single most efficient way to restore strength in all three planes.”

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Front-to-back: Step your left foot forward and bend both knees to lower until your right knee is just above the floor, then push through your left foot to rise and return to the starting position.
• Side-to-side: Step your left foot out to the side, bending your left knee while keeping your right leg straight, then push through your left foot to rise and return to the starting position.
• Rotation: Lift your left foot and rotate your hips to the left so you can step your left foot behind you and to the left, then push through your left foot to rise and return to the starting position.
• Complete all reps on one leg, then switch sides.

Progression: Once you feel comfortable, add a reach with both arms in the direction of the lunge to increase the challenge.

4. Three-way reach

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 8 per plane of motion each side Rest: 30sec between sides

Targets: gluteus medius and the deep hip stabilizers

“The gluteus medius is the most important muscle for hip health,” says Gorecki.

“Weak hip stabilizers are the silent driver of most hip, knee and low-back pain.

“Training your standing leg to stabilize while the other leg reaches in three planes is the most functional way to build this muscle, and is far more effective than floor-based clamshells.”

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and shift your weight onto your left leg. Lightly hold a counter or chair for balance if needed.
• Reach forward: Move your right foot forward and bend your left knee to tap the floor in front of you with your right heel, then return to the starting position.
• Reach to the side: Move your right foot out to the side and bend your left knee to tap the floor with the toes of your right foot, then return to the starting position.
• Reach back and across: Reach your right foot back and to the left of your standing leg, bending your left knee to tap the floor with the toes of your right foot, then return to the starting position.
• Complete all reps on one leg, then switch sides.

Have you ever been worried after a workout that something in your body just doesn’t feel right?

It can be a niggle, an ache, soreness or a sharp pain; all you know is that something is off.

You don’t want to make a fuss, but the worry is there—what if something is wrong?

It’s a concern Dr Shady Hassan, MD, an interventional pain and sports medicine physician and the founder of NefraHealth, encounters a lot with his patients.

“The question I get most, from new lifters and seasoned ones alike, is: Is this normal soreness or do I need to see someone?" he says.

So I asked Hassan to outline what he considers normal, as well as the abnormal sensations that require professional investigation.

Abnormal pain

Here are three signs that your pain may need further investigation.

If you experience any of the following sensations, contact your healthcare provider.

1. Unilateral pain

Hassan explains that if your pain is one-sided, that is a red flag. It is abnormal for pain to only appear in one limb or joint when you’ve worked out both sides equally,

“Normal soreness is usually bilateral. Both quads, both shoulders.”

2. Sharp pain

“Sharp or stabbing sensations are the body's primary alarm for structural distress,” says Hassan.

This sort of sensation points to issues in hard tissue, such as bone, meniscus (hard cartilage between joints), or labrum (the fibrocartilage of a socket joint).

“If pain increases as you work out, that points toward something structural, like a stress fracture or a worsening tear.”

“When a patient describes a movement that triggers a sharp, lightning-bolt sensation, the directive is simple: stop the movement and come in,” says Hassan.

“If a patient is having night pain that wakes them up, joint locking, or a limp they've developed to keep moving, those are signs to come in for a workup. Those aren't things to train through.”

3. Numbness

“Numbness, tingling, or pins and needles is a neurological signal,” says Hassan.

“It tells me the issue is pressing on a nerve, either peripherally or at the spine level. Unlike muscle fatigue, this needs an exam quickly.”

Normal pain

These three types of pain are less worrying and do not require immediate medical attention.

1. Soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) tends to start about 12 hours after you’ve put the weights down, when your muscles start to feel stiff and sore. If you’ve ever done a workout, felt fine after, gone to sleep and then woken up feeling like the rusted-up Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz—that’s DOMS.

“Normal DOMS peaks at 24 to 48 hours and is significantly better by 72. Pain that stays flat or gets worse after three days is worth a clinical look,” says Hassan.

2. Pain that disappears with movement

“If pain disappears once you start moving and the blood is flowing, it’s usually a functional mobility issue,” says Hassan.

3. Aching

“Dull, achy, diffuse pain is generally lower priority,” says Hassan.

“That heavy feeling usually points toward muscular fatigue or normal soreness, and it responds to active recovery.”

Sometimes, fitness instructors hate ab workouts, too. When I worked for a gym, I used to dread being assigned to take a class called Tabata Abs—unfortunately, it happened a lot.

I found the repetitive crunching of my abs and flexing of my hips uncomfortable. No matter which way I placed my hands near my neck to support it, I would always be left with neck strain.

What I didn’t know at that time was that I have joint hypermobility syndrome, a connective tissue disorder which means my body makes faulty collagen—the same stuff that makes up your ligaments and tendons. This means my unstable joints can not support those repetitive crunching movements.

However, training the abdominal muscles is important for muscle balance and optimum core stability, even more so for hypermobile people who need to strengthen their core to help stabilise joints and reduce lower back pain, so skipping abs was not the solution.

I needed to find a workout that would enable me to train my abs without being left with back and neck pain. I found my remedy in Pilates. I signed up for my local Pilates class and after three months, mastered a set of exercises that strengthen my abs—without any of the discomfort. It has been a game changer.

My Pilates-inspired ab workout

When many of us talk about our abs we are often thinking about our rectus abdominis muscles—aka our six-pack—which runs from the front of our rib cage to our pelvis. But our abdominal muscles consist of more than that.

There is the transverse abdominis, the deepest of our ab muscles that wrap around our spine, providing it with stability; the obliques, which run at the sides of your body and allow side bending and rotation, and a tiny muscle called the pyramidalis which aids in stabilizing the abdominal wall.

With these moves, I try to target as many of the core muscles as possible.

Focus on mastering good form before increasing the number of reps you perform. Think quality over quantity. Start off with one set and eight reps of each exercise and once you have nailed the form, you can increase to two or three sets.

All you need to get started is a Pilates mat or exercise mat. Here are the five moves:

1. C-curve
2. V-sit hold
3. Leg circle
4. Toe tap
5. Bird dog

1. C-curve

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8

How to do it:

• Sit at the front end of your exercise mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands underneath your thighs and engage your core.
• Inhale as you lean your torso backwards, rounding your spine, relaxing your shoulders and tucking your tailbone under to form a C-shape with your spine.
• Pause for one breath, and then exhale while slowly rolling yourself up to the starting position.

2. V-sit hold

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8

How to do it:

• Sit at the front end of your exercise mat with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Extend your arms out in front of you (or cross them over your chest) and engage your core.
• Inhale, and slowly lean back until you feel your lower abs switching on to stabilise you. Hold for a few breaths and slowly rise back up to the starting position.

As this becomes easier, you can make the exercise more advanced by holding the position for longer, or by lifting your legs off the floor when you roll back.

3. Leg circle

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8 each side

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and legs extended.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your right knee in towards your chest, then extend your right leg up. Turn your right foot slightly inwards while pointing your toes.
• Draw a circle in the air with your toes, moving to the left across your body first. Be careful not to rock your hips.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

4. Toe tap

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Lie flat on your back with your legs raised, knees bent to 90° and shins parallel to the floor, and your arms by your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale and lower your right foot down towards the floor, toes pointing towards the mat, but don’t touch the mat.
• Exhale and raise your leg back towards the starting position.
• Repeat with your left leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Bird dog

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Get on all fours on your mat, with a slight bend in your elbows, hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips, and a neutral spine.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale and extend and lift your right leg behind you while lifting your left arm in front of you, keeping your hips as still as possible. Your body should form a straight line from right heel to left fingertips.
• Exhale and bring them back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, lifting your left leg and right arm.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

We all know that staying active is essential to aging well and maintaining independence.

The challenge is knowing what to do, where to start or how to do it without risking injury.

"In clinical practice, I work with many individuals who want to stay active but are unsure how to do so safely," Dr Corbin B. Skinner, a doctor of physical therapy at Houston Methodist in Texas, tells Fit&Well.

The solution, he says, is short, accessible routines that focus on balance, mobility, strength and endurance while minimizing risk of injury.

"I often recommend a simple routine that can be done most days of the week and focuses on controlled, repeatable movements rather than intensity," Skinner continues.

You don’t even need a gym. Just a chair, wall or counter for support, plus an optional pair of light dumbbells or a resistance band.

This workout has proven effective, Skinner says, because it "rebuilds confidence by breaking movements into manageable steps and allowing people to succeed before progressing".

Over time, those small wins restore trust in your body.

How to do the workout

Skinner is keen to stress that the exercises he has recommended below are for general informational purposes only—they are not intended as a personalized exercise prescription.

If you have a history of falls, underlying medical conditions, or any concerns regarding how to do the moves safely, you should consult a physician or licensed physical therapist before starting.

Modifications may be necessary to ensure they are safe and appropriate for you, he adds.

1. Tandem stance

Sets: 1 Time: 30-60sec each side

• Stand facing a counter or wall for support.
• Place one foot directly in front of the other as though on a tightrope.
• Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.
• Switch feet and repeat.

Skinner says: "This is a very functional position that demands full core control. By simply stacking one foot in front of the other and holding the position, it challenges most individuals beyond what they expect. It can be progressed from holding onto a stable surface in front, to one on the side, to eventually not holding onto anything. Being able to hold this position in either of the variations for 30-60 seconds is a strong starting point."

2. Child's pose

Sets: 1 Time: 30-60sec

• Kneel with your toes together and knees hip- or shoulder-width apart.
• Sit your buttocks back onto your heels and lower your forehead toward the floor.
• Stretch your arms along the floor in front and relax into the stretch.
• If your forehead can’t reach the floor, rest it on your stacked hands.

Skinner says: "This is a very common and easy exercise that helps with knee, hip and low back mobility. The pose can be held for minutes at a time or you can work in and out of it with small oscillations [back and forth movement] if desired."

3. Seated hip stretch

Sets: 3 Time: 30-60sec each side

• Sit in a stable chair and cross one foot over your other knee.
• Apply a light pressure on your bent knee to increase the stretch in the outside of your hip on the same side.
• Keep your foot flexed to help protect your knee joint.
• Hold, then swap sides.

Skinner says: "A highly practical exercise, it can be used at home, in the office or when out and about. By crossing one leg over the other and applying a slight pressure on your knee, you can create a gentle stretch in your hip joint. Striving to hold for 30-60 seconds for three sets each side is a moderate starting point.”

4. Supine bridge

Sets: 3 Reps: 15-20

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor close to your buttocks, hip-width apart.
• Place your hands palms down on the floor by your sides for stability.
• Push through your heels to raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause at the top, then lower with control.

Skinner says: "Your glutes are a large and important muscle group that is often ignored but key for any tasks requiring you to squat or lower to the floor. The bridge is a simple exercise that can be done on your bed, couch or floor. Starting on your back and lifting your hips into the air activates the all-important glutes."

5. Sit to stand

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

• Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and the back rest of another chair in front of you that you can reach toward.
• Press through your feet to stand, reaching toward the chair in front.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower back onto the seat with control.

Skinner says: "Building upon the bridge, simply standing up from a chair and sitting back down with control can be a very effective strengthening exercise. The key to a safe and effective performance is making sure there is a stable surface in front of you. With this configuration you will instinctively reach forward and mimic the natural motion of a squat."

6. Marching in place

Sets: 1 Time: 60sec

• Stand in front of a counter or wall for support.
• Lift and lower each foot alternately on the spot.
• To progress, perform without a support and aim to raise your knees until they’re parallel with your hips.

Skinner says: "Combining the foundations of balance with movement, marching in place in front of a stable surface can be a safe and effective way to improve endurance and balance. Not only can this be done in most places of your home, but it can also easily be progressed by removing one hand to increase the challenge and demand."

7. Walking

Sets: 1 Time: 15-20min

• Walk, allowing your arms to swing by your sides.
• To progress, increase your pace or walk on different terrain to make it more challenging.

Skinner says: "Walking may seem basic but simple activities are usually the most effective. For beginners, cardiovascular improvement is driven by consistency more than intensity. Brisk walking, light cycling, or similar activities for 15-20 minutes several days per week can gradually improve endurance and heart health without overwhelming the body."

There are no shortcuts to building a strong core, but there is a Pilates technique you can use to make your training more effective.

In Pilates, every move is led by an inhale or an exhale, and many in-person Pilates classes start with at least five minutes of breathwork, but quick routines online often don't include this.

That’s a pity, according to Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription, Rebecca Dadoun.

"I think people don't focus on their breath enough or activate their core properly to begin with," she says.

Below, Dadoun has shared a quick and easy breath practice you can do before your Pilates session to help maximize your core engagement, making sure you’re using the intended muscles to perform the movement.

"You can do it sitting comfortably, but you actually get more feedback if you're lying down on your back, because then you can 'feel the breath going into the mat'," Dadoun says.

Pre-Pilates breathwork practice

Dadoun recommends doing this before every Pilates workout.

• Sit or lie comfortably, placing your hands around your ribcage.
• Inhale deeply through your nose and feel your hands expand outward.
• Exhale fully as though you're fogging up a pair of glasses.
• On your next exhalation, feel your fingers move closer together as your ribs close, engaging your diaphragm.
• On your third exhalation, draw your belly button in toward your spine, engaging your lower back and pelvis.

Repeat this sequence a few times for maximum core engagement.

Try to feel different parts of your core engaging during each step.

When you’ve had a long day, it can be tempting to unwind with some scrolling on social media. I get it, I do it too.

The problem is that before you know it, you’ve been looking down for hours.

When you look up again, you may find that your neck feels stiff and sore. This phenomenon is colloquially known as tech neck.

Thankfully, there are a few exercises you can do to make your stiff neck feel better.

Ashley Katzenback, a doctor of physical therapy and the owner of Cape Concierge Physical Therapy, suggests the following two stretches, which can be done anywhere for a quick release.

If you catch yourself squinting at your phone for too long, run through a few rounds of each exercise and watch your stiff tech neck melt away.

How to do the neck stretches

Watch Katzenback talk you through the exercises above, or scroll down for quick clips and written form guides.

1. Chin tuck with extension

Sets: 3 Reps: 5

How to do it:

• Sit in a chair, or stand with your arms by your sides and your feet flat on the floor.
• Tuck your chin back, so your ears are in line with your shoulders. You should feel a stretch in the back of your neck at the base of your skull.
• Slowly, look up at the ceiling and tilt your head back using only the muscles in your neck. You will feel the muscles in the front of your neck activating.

Form tip: This is a small motion focused on moving your skull on top of your spine.

2. Anterior neck stretch

Sets: 3 Time: 20sec each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your hands by your sides and your feet hip-width apart.
• Tuck your chin back, so your ears are in line with your shoulders, then tilt your head to the side.
• Look up slowly toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch in the front of your neck.
• Put your hands behind your back to intensify the stretch.
• Repeat on the other side.

Form tip: Only allow motion in your neck; do not let your trunk arch back as you look up.

Finally, it might sound like tech neck is just about the neck muscles, but it is important to stretch and strengthen your shoulders, chest, upper and mid back too, to ensure your neck and head are properly supported.

With so many different types of exercise out there to get excited about, as a beginner, merging a few styles can be a great way to get started.

Eloise Skinner is a qualified personal trainer, Pilates instructor and yoga teacher, so her expertise is extensive, and she says there are a few things that beginners should focus on.

"The things I think about most with clients are strength, mobility and flexibility," Skinner says.

Skinner recommends starting with simple bodyweight exercises, explaining, "I prioritise dynamic movements rather than static poses."

Moving dynamically means there is motion within the exercise, rather than holding a pose or a stretch. It's great for mobility and building strength.

Below, Skinner has shared her three favourite beginner-friendly exercises, inspired by a range of disciplines including yoga and Pilates. They're also great for people who spend a lot of time sitting down.

"For people who work at a desk, the place you'll mostly feel that is in your hip flexors, shoulder and back," Skinner says, explaining that these moves will help to offset the effects desk working has on the body.

Eloise Skinner's top three moves for beginners

1. Downward dog to plank

Sets: 1 Reps: 8

• Begin on all fours. Hands should be flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart with fingers spread wide.
• Tuck your toes under, then straighten your legs and lift your hips toward the ceiling into your downward dog.
• Press firmly into your hands and look slightly ahead of your fingertips and shift your entire body forward by rolling onto the balls of your feet, moving your shoulders toward your wrists until they are directly above them. Your body should form one straight line from your head through your hips to your heels.
• From your plank, push into the hands and hike your hips into the air to move back into downward dog, that’s one rep.

Skinner says: "This combines deep strength work—engaging your core, arms and legs in the plank—and rippling movement, which is really good for the mobility of the spine. You're moving your spine into flexion during downward dog and then into neutral for the plank.

"This will also improve mobility in the hamstrings."

2. Shoulder bridge

Sets: 1 Reps: 8

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your feet about hip-width apart and close enough that your fingertips can almost touch your heels. Rest your arms alongside your body with palms facing down.
• Press your feet into the floor and lift your hips upward, peeling your lower back, mid back, then upper back off the floor—until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause very briefly at the top while keeping your hips level.
• Lower down slowly by bringing your upper back, then mid back, then lower back to the floor one section at a time—until your hips return to the mat.
• Flow straight into the next rep to keep the movement dynamic.

Skinner says: "Shoulder bridges are something that come up across yoga and Pilates, so they're interesting tools, because you can use them in different ways.

"For a Pilates bridge, you would focus on engagement of the posterior chain, so the glute muscles and the back of the legs. For yoga, it's more of a flexibility tool."

3. Thread the needle

Sets: 1 Reps: 3 each side

• Start on all fours. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Keep your back flat and look down at the floor.
• Lift your right hand off the floor and slide it underneath your left armpit, reaching across your body. Continue sliding until your right shoulder and the side of your head rest gently on the floor.
• Lift your head and slide the right arm out and extend it towards the ceiling.
• Flow straight into the next rep to keep the move dynamic.
• Complete reps on one side, and then repeat on the other side.

Skinner says: "This is a great stretch for the shoulders and the hips. It also allows some rotation through the spine."

Poor posture should be corrected at any age, but it becomes especially important once you reach your senior years.

Slouching shoulders, weak back muscles, and lack of upper-body mobility can affect your overall balance, result in chronic aches and pains, and make you more susceptible to injury.

Many of my senior personal training clients struggle with poor posture, so it’s usually one of the first things we address in our sessions together.

I often recommend doing four simple exercises every day to help improve posture. They are: wall angels, cat-cow stretch, doorway stretch and resistance band rows.

“Some of the most effective posture exercises are also the simplest,” says Dr Stephanie Duffey, PT, DPT, after I tell her about the exercises I use.

The physical therapist and owner of Empower Physio and Wellness goes on to add: “The great thing about these four exercises is that they are easy and safe to perform. You need minimal equipment, just a resistance band, and they can be done right at home.”

How to do the four exercises

You’ll need a light resistance band (like this one), a yoga mat (like this one), a section of bare wall, and a doorway for these exercises.

Start by doing the wall angels, cat-cow stretch, and resistance band rows for one set of eight to 10 reps, and hold the doorway stretch for 15-30 seconds.

Once you’ve built some strength and mobility, gradually increase to 15-20 reps and 45-60 second holds, adding one rep or 5 seconds every time you repeat the workout.

Try these exercises three to five times a week at first, slowly working your way up to five to seven times a week as your comfort level allows.

“When starting any new mobility or exercise program, meet your body where it’s at,” Duffey recommends.

“Don't push into pain, but know that moving your body in a new way can bring some productive soreness. Be gentle with yourself and integrate these movements slowly into your weekly routine.”

Clear any new activity with your doctor before proceeding. These exercises are beginner-friendly, but if you’ve just recently started to work out regularly, meet with a certified personal trainer for guidance on correct form.Duffey also recommends caution depending on your health history and background. “If you have a spinal fracture or had spine or shoulder surgery within the past three months, these exercises may not be appropriate for you,” she says. “If you have a hypermobility condition like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, you would benefit from doing these under the supervision of a physical therapist to ensure proper form and joint protection.”

Here’s how to do the moves:

1. Wall angels

Sets: 1 Reps: 8-20

• Stand about six inches in front of a wall, with the wall behind you.
• Lean your back against the wall.
• Raise your arms, bringing your elbows to shoulder height, resting your forearms against the wall.
• Lift both of your arms overhead, maintaining contact with the wall.
• Lower your arms, bringing your elbows back to shoulder height.

Trainer tips: Be sure that your shoulders, forearms, and wrists stay in contact with the wall throughout the movement. Avoid arching your back away from the wall as you lift your arms. If you’re unable to lift your arms without arching your back, or you’re unable to keep your wrists against the wall, reduce your range of motion and focus on keeping good form. Don’t let your shoulders shrug towards your ears. Keep your core muscles engaged as you lift the arms.

2. Cat-cow stretch

Sets: 1 Reps: 8-20

• Come to all fours on the mat.
• Round your back, moving the crown of your head and your tailbone to point towards the floor.
• Pause briefly.
• Arch your back, aiming the crown of your head and your tailbone towards the ceiling.
• Pause briefly.
• Continue alternating between the two positions.

Trainer tips: Move slowly through each position and focus on reaching the endsof your range of motion. If you’re unable to get onto the floor, try the stretch on your bed or couch. Place a pillow or rolled-up towel underneath your knees for additional cushioning, if needed.

3. Doorway stretch

Sets: 1 Time: 15-60sec

• Stand in front of an open doorway.
• Place your forearms against the doorframe, with your elbows at shoulder height.
• Step one foot through the doorway, keeping your forearms braced against the doorway, and carefully move your hips and torso forward.
• Once you feel a stretch through your chest, hold.

Trainer tips: Don’t allow your shoulders to shrug towards your ears. Keep your neck relaxed throughout the stretch. Maintain a tall posture, and avoid excessive arching in your lower back.

4. Resistance band row

Sets: 1 Reps: 8-20

• Loop a resistance band around a strong anchor point, like a stair railing, at chest height.
• Extend your arms and hold the ends of the band in each hand.
• Step away from the anchor point until the band is taut.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the ends of the band towards you, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Pause briefly.
• Extend your arms with back to the start with control.

Trainer tips: Don’t allow your lower back to arch. Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed throughout the movement. If you notice tension in your shoulders and neck, step closer to the anchor point or use a lighter resistance band. Move slowly and with a controlled tempo.

The benefits of these four exercises

“These movements are accessible for all fitness levels, especially beginners and seniors, and have a big impact on protecting and improving posture throughout your life,” says Duffey.

“There are two aspects to improving and maintaining posture. The first is mobility. You need to get your joints moving through a bigger range of motion to maintain your mobility and hold yourself upright. This is where the cat-cow and doorway stretch come into play. These mobility drills keep the spine and chest open and moving well.

“The second step is to build strength around those joints so you can hold yourself upright all day,” she continues.

“This is where the wall angels and resistance band row come in. These drills target the upper back and core, the primary muscle groups that hold you upright every single day.”

My exercise classes don’t run over the summer break because too many people are on vacation and for those with children, childcare can be tricky when school is out. But many of my clients worry about the six-week break without having a consistent fitness plan.

Some find they lack the motivation to work out consistently when they’re by themselves, which is why they love the accountability group exercise provides.

Some are new to exercise and don’t feel confident about what to do at home, so for them, I’ve created a seven-move home workout that can be done anywhere.

It’s bodyweight by design so it can be done on vacation without having to worry about finding a gym or fitness equipment. It’s also good for beginners who might not yet have invested in any home fitness kit.

It’s a full-body routine that will keep you moving over the summer, wherever you are.

How to do the workout

Perform the following eight exercises as a circuit. Take a 20-second break between exercises, and once you've completed one round of the exercises, rest for one minute. Complete three rounds in total.

The workout in brief

1. Squat x 8-10
2. Reverse lunge x 8-10 each side
3. Self-resisted biceps curl x 8-10 each side
4. Floor triceps dip x 8-10
5. Bird dog x 8-10 each side
6. Plank x 10sec
7. Glute bridge x 8-10

Exercise guides

1. Squat

Reps: 8-10

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping your chest upright.
• Pause, squeeze your glutes, then push through your heels to return to standing.

2. Reverse lunge

Reps: 8-10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower with control, keeping your front knee directly above your foot.
• Pause when your right knee is just above the floor.
• Push through your left foot to return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Self-resisted biceps curl

Reps: 8-10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
• Clench your right fist and place your left hand on your right forearm.
• Bend your right elbow to raise your right fist to your right shoulder, pressing on your right forearm with your left hand to create resistance.
• Slowly reverse the movement to the start, still pressing on your right forearm with your left hand.
• Complete all the repetitions on one side, then repeat on the other side.

4. Floor triceps dip

Reps: 8-10

• Sit on the floor and place your hands on the floor behind you, fingers pointing forward.
• Engage your core and lift your hips.
• Bend your elbows to lower your hips, tapping your butt on the floor.
• Push through your hands to extend your arms and lift your hips.

Form tip: Keep your shoulders down throughout the move.

5. Bird dog

Reps: 8-10 each side

• Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your knees under your hips.
• Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back, creating a straight line through your body.
• Keep your hips level with the floor and avoid twisting from side to side.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

6. Plank

Time: 10sec

• Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands.
• Step both feet back then lower onto your forearms, forming a straight line from your head to your feet.
• Engage your core and squeeze your buttocks to avoid letting your hips drop or rise.

7. Glute bridge

Reps: 8-10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Slowly raise your hips, engaging your lower core and squeezing your buttocks at the top of the movement.
• Hold briefly then return to the starting position with control.

The urge to improve your health comes to us all at some point, and often that leads people to try running. The first time you set off, however, will probably be a shock to the system.

Our bodies take time to adapt to new activities and going straight into non-stop running—even for a short period—puts the body under stress it just isn’t used to.

As well as feeling awful, you may suffer an injury, or at the very least feel uncommonly sore the next day.

But there is a better way.

When you start running for the first time, you should spend more time at a walking pace than running, says Marwa Ahmed, founder and CEO of The BodyMind Coach.

The NASM-certified personal trainer and running coach, with more than seven years of experience in turning walkers into runners, tells Fit&Well that while you may have your heart set on running a 5K tomorrow, your lower body just can’t make the jump that quickly.

“When transitioning to running, the impact forces jump up significantly, from about one to one and a half times your body weight per step in walking to two to three times your body weight in running,” she says.

“That means your connective tissues, like Achilles tendons and plantar fascia, need weeks to adjust and adapt to the new load.”

She adds that rushing this process is how people end up with pain and injury, which takes months to recover from.

If you have never run before, Ahmed suggests building up gradually, taking at least eight weeks.

In fact, she has an eight-week plan that can follow.

How to do the eight-week walk-to-run plan

Ahmed sets one walk-run workout per fortnight, which is to be performed three times a week, leaving at least one rest day between each session.

“Your body rebuilds and strengthens during recovery, not during the workout itself,” she says.

Each workout follows the same pattern. You begin with a five-minute warm-up, walking at a slow pace. Then you jog for a set period of time, followed by two minutes of walking to to complete one round of the workout. Complete five to six rounds in total. Finally, you cool down with a slow walk for five minutes.

Note that the jogging part of each session should feel easy. You should be able to chat comfortably with no gasping or heavy breathing.

The first time you do a workout, do the fewest number of rounds. After repeating the workout a few times, add another round—this will help you to progress safely.

Keep in mind that you may need more than eight weeks to complete the plan, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

“Pay close attention to how your body feels during and after the session,” says Ahmed.

“A bit of muscle soreness 24-48 hours later is totally normal as you're building new capacity. But sharp, localized pain in your shins, knees, or the bottom of your foot is your cue to drop back to the previous week's progression for another full week.

“Give your body the time it needs to adapt and don't rush the progression.”

Ahmed also suggests selecting an easier terrain to run on.

“When you can, start your walks or runs on softer surfaces like grass, dirt trails, or tracks,” she says.

“Concrete and asphalt place more stress on your joints over time, especially if you’re doing higher volume or higher speeds,” she says.

“Slow down and focus on building endurance first, not speed.”

Here’s the exact eight-week plan Ahmed gives clients who don’t run at all.

Weeks 1-2

Warm-up: 5min slow walking

Workout: 1min jog / 2min walking recovery x 5-6

Cool-down: 5min slow walking

Weeks 3-4

Warm-up: 5min slow walking

Workout: 2min jog / 2min walking recovery x 5-6

Cool-down: 5min slow walking

Weeks 5-6

Warm-up: 5min slow walking

Workout: 3min jog / 2min walking recovery x 5-6

Cool-down: 5min slow walking

Weeks 7-8

Warm-up: 5min slow walking

Workout: 5min jog / 2min walking recovery x 4-6

Cool-down: 5min slow walking

What to do next

Once you’ve completed the eight-week plan without pain or injury, add one or two minutes to your run segments each week while trimming down the walking sections, until you’re stringing together 20-30 minutes of straight running.

“Stay at a conversational pace,” advises Ahmed. “If you can't talk in full sentences, you're pushing too hard.”

GLP-1 medications are often characterized as a silver bullet in the media, but the reality is that the weight loss that results from taking the medication isn’t the end of the story, according to women’s health dietitian, Dr Linia Patel. It’s just phase one.

The dietitian, founder of Linia Nutrition and author of new book Life After Weight Loss Medication tells Fit&Well that phase two is all about maintenance.

“GLP-1 medication helps you lose weight, your habits determine whether you keep it off,” she says. “The hard work doesn’t stop just because you’ve reached your goal weight.”

Studies suggest that many people regain a significant amount of weight after stopping GLP-1 drugs, with one meta-analysis finding they will regain around 60% of the weight lost within one year, and eventually regaining around 75% before weight plateaus.

But that doesn’t mean everyone will go back to their starting weight, says Patel, explaining that weight regain after stopping GLP-1 meds isn’t a “personal failure” it’s just biology.

Patel explains that when you lose weight, your body perceives it as a threat to survival. It reacts by making you hungrier, increasing cravings and slowing down the amount of calories you burn in an attempt to save energy.

GLP-1s help quieten those hunger signals. But when you come off the drugs, many people feel hungrier than ever, despite taking steps to maintain their new weight.

Patel says it’s the healthy habits built during, as well as after, taking GLP-1s that will protect you when you come off the treatment. Here, she shares her five strategies to help you keep the weight off.

1. Plan ahead with healthy food

GLP-1s reduce food noise and appetite, but these can return with a vengeance when you stop.

“Suddenly you start focusing more on food and feeling hungrier. You need to rebuild the body-brain trust that the medication gave you a taste of,” says Patel.

“It means you need to make structure your ally. You want to make sure you are eating regular meals rather than skipping them, because if you have long gaps in between eating that is going to amplify your cravings.”

And this is when you’re likely to turn to unhealthy foods. “It’s going to make you more tempted to eat foods like crisps and biscuits,” says Patel. “Building a routine is really important, and you almost need to make healthy eating as simple as possible, for example, having your three go-to meals you eat on repeat.”

Patel says planning ahead and having a well-stocked fridge with healthy ingredients takes decision fatigue out of the equation when you’re tired and hungry.

“I travel so much for my job, and when I get home I’m tired, but I know that if there’s healthy food in the fridge, I’m much more likely to eat healthily.”

2. Check in with your emotional triggers

One reason people regain weight after coming off GLP-1s is because they go back to their old habits without addressing the root cause of why they overeat.

“It’s easy to focus purely on what you eat, but we know that behaviour is driven by far more than hunger,” says Patel.

“Cravings after GLP-1s are also about sleep, stress, emotions and habits; they're all going to shape your environment and influence appetite.”

She says it’s important to check in with your emotional triggers as a way to control cravings.

“When a craving hits, ask yourself: am I hungry? Am I angry? Am I anxious? Am I lonely? Am I tired? Am I bored? What hunger am I experiencing right now? Because sometimes food noise can be an unmet emotional need in disguise, especially for women.”

“What I find with many people I work with is they start feeling the food noise and their appetite comes back about two weeks after coming off the medication, depending on which drug they are on. Of course it’s variable from person to person.”

She suggests that more research is needed to understand why some people’s cravings come back stronger than others. But being curious about why you’re having cravings can help tackle the issue.

“If you just used the medications to reduce your appetite but your eating patterns and coping strategies didn’t change during treatment, then I would suspect the return of appetite might feel harder to manage afterward, and your cravings would go through the roof when you came off the drugs.

“But if you really worked on understanding and getting curious about what your cravings were trying to tell you, being compassionate with yourself, then you are going to be more likely to keep the weight off.”

Patel suggests becoming your own “biggest cheerleader” and “really understanding the signals that your body is giving you.”

3. Make protein and fiber your priority

Eating enough protein and fiber is just as important when you come off weight loss drugs as it is while you’re taking them.

“Your muscle mass drives your metabolism, and we can protect it by eating enough protein and fiber,” says Patel.

Muscles are metabolically active, so maintaining or building muscle helps support a higher resting metabolic rate. When you don’t eat enough and calories are low, the body can break down muscle for energy, which can slow metabolism and affect weight gain over time.

Protein is important because it helps preserve lean muscle during fat loss, supports muscle repair and growth and naturally increases fullness (satiety).

Fiber supports fullness, appetite regulation and metabolic health—stabilizing blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, and lowering cholesterol—while also being good for the gut.

Good sources of protein include chicken, tofu, yoghurt and cottage cheese, while good fiber sources include vegetables, fruit, flaxseed, berries and chia seeds. Combine the foods in meals or opt for foods like lentils, which tick both high protein and fiber boxes.

4. Try satiety stacking

When you stop taking weight loss drugs, the ways in which they control appetite also stops, says Patel. “So, the key thing now is you need to keep meals satisfying to fill you up,” she says.

“In my book, I talk about a strategy called satiety stacking, which basically builds meals around a combination of protein, fiber and healthy fats.”

She suggests making soups, and dishes rich in legumes and vegetables. “These are high volume foods—items rich in protein, fiber and water— that slow the digestive process and increase fullness signals.

“You also need to remember that the texture of foods is really important. For example, crunchy food increases chewing time and sensory satisfaction,” explains Patel.

“When you have to chew for longer, that helps with satiety signals, whereas if you’re eating very soft food that doesn't need much crunch, you’re more likely to overeat.

“Think of processed foods like ice cream. You can literally spoon that down, right? Whereas you can crunch on a carrot for ages and that will fill you up more.”

5. Be consistent with training

During and after weight loss, resistance training protects muscle mass but “that doesn’t mean you have to become a gym bunny,” says Patel. “It’s about finding a movement that you like, that you’re going to be consistent with.

“The public health message is that we all need to do 150 minutes of physical activity, but if somebody is not even doing five minutes then that can feel unrealistic and overwhelming.

“So my advice is always: one minute is a good start to build on, and keep progressing. Consistency trumps intensity.”

Patel says weight maintenance post-GLP-1s is all about empowerment. “You have agency, but you need to be proactive. The medication is just one piece of the puzzle.

“Medication can kickstart weight loss, but long-term maintenance is built through lifestyle, nutrition, movement, sleep and healthy habits. The first part of the weight loss takes effort, but the hard work carries on to maintain it—and that lasts for life.”

Before you hit the trail, it is important to warm up your muscles and joints to reduce your risk of injury.

If you’re going to be walking on particularly uneven terrain, it is also advisable to do a warm-up that incorporates a balance challenge to make sure your stabilizing muscles are primed for action.

You will also need to dynamically stretch your primary walking muscles and get your joints running smoothly through their full range of motion before you begin. Even for a short walk, this can be a helpful exercise.

However, let’s be honest, not everyone can be bothered with a warm-up at the start of a walk or hike.

What if I told you that you could get away with just one move? High knees.

“This exercise is a favorite of hurdlers,” says Peter Conroy, a NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of The Difference App.

“It can be hard to incorporate lower-body and core exercises into walking because you are in an erect position, but this one is easy to fit into an average stride.

Why high knees?

“This exercise strengthens your iliopsoas muscles (hip flexors), which are the main driver you use to lift your knees, quadriceps (main thigh muscles), gluteus maximus (posterior), and rectus abdominis (front abs).

“High knees are also great for stabilization, as they require balance on the planted leg, resisting rotation, and proper hip alignment.”

Conroy explains that high knees can be done on the spot or in motion, before explaining how to get started.

“For a beginner, a good starting point for this exercise is three sets of 10 reps—alternating, so each side gets five reps per set—for a total of 30 reps, with 30-second rests between sets,” he says.

“As you become stronger, you can increase the number of reps in each set from 10 to 20, or even 30.”

How to do high knees

Sets: 3 Reps: 5 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a step on the spot, raising one knee as high as possible, then placing your foot back where it started.
• Do the same on the other side.
• You can also do this exercise while in motion (as in the video) by taking exaggerated steps, as though stepping over an obstacle.
• Alternate sides until your set is complete.
  

You can hold your hand out to gauge how high you are lifting your knee and challenge yourself to get your thigh high enough that it hits your palm.

Forget your age, your weight, even your step count.

There is one metric above all others, according to ISSA-certified personal trainer Connor Darnbrough, that determines how well you are likely to age.

"Your VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, is the single strongest predictor of longevity," he tells Fit&Well.

It's more important, he says, than blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI).

VO2 max is considered one of the most accurate ways of measuring cardiovascular fitness—indicating how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles can convert oxygen into energy.

One major 2018 study found participants with the highest—or elite—cardiorespiratory fitness had around five times lower mortality risk than those in the lowest fitness group.

Yet even moving from low fitness to average or above average was associated with a significant reduction in risk.

"The good news is that VO2 max is highly trainable at any age, including for complete beginners," says Darnbrough.

And the approach for older adults is more accessible than most people expect.

Darnbrough, who is co-founder of Smart Fit Method, says that to improve your VO2 max you should start by building your cardiovascular foundations with consistent training in the second of five heart rate zones, popularly known as zone 2 training.

"Zone 2 is any sustained aerobic activity where you can hold a full conversation, not gasping, not completely comfortable, but able to speak in complete sentences," he explains.

Walking briskly, light jogging, cycling at a moderate pace, or swimming steadily all qualify.

"At this intensity, your body builds the mitochondrial density and fat-burning efficiency that underlie all aerobic fitness," says Darnbrough.

Here is a beginner VO2 max workout you can use to build your aerobic capacity.

How to do the workout

Darnbrough recommends starting out with 20-30 minutes of brisk walking, light jogging, cycling or swimming at a zone 2 intensity three times per week.

"For beginners, this is the entire prescription to start," he says.

"No intervals. No intensity. Just consistency at a conversational pace. Most people see measurable improvements in how they feel and recover within four to six weeks."

Your target heart rate for zone 2 training is approximately 60-70% of your maximum.

If you don't have a suitable wearable device to read your pulse, Darnbrough says you can use the talk test.

"You should be able to speak a full sentence without pausing for breath," he says.

If that's easy, speed up slightly. If you need to take a breath mid-sentence, throttle down your pace to bring your heart rate back in check.

How to progress this VO2 max workout

Consistent zone 2 training for six to eight weeks should have built your base, says Darnbrough.

"Next, short high-intensity intervals layered on top will produce the largest VO2 max gains."

For older adults, he recommends this structure as an accessible way to introduce intervals safely:

• Warm-up at a light zone 2 intensity for five minutes.
• Alternate 30 seconds of harder effort with 90 seconds of easy recovery.
• Repeat this pattern for four to six intervals.
• Finish with a five-minute cool-down.

"The key is that the hard portions feel genuinely hard," he adds. "Not all-out, but uncomfortable enough that conversation is not possible."

This elevated intensity triggers the cardiovascular adaptations that raise VO2 max most effectively, he says.

For the best results, Darnbrough recommends pairing these cardiovascular workouts with strength training to helps build and preserve muscle mass.

"Muscle mass is metabolically active tissue," he explains.

"The more muscle mass you carry, the greater your body's capacity to absorb and use oxygen."

So in addition to protecting your joints and strengthening your muscles and bones, resistance training can raise your aerobic ceiling over time.