Last year, a woman who had never exercised joined my circuits class. She had lost 59.5lbs (27kg) with weight-loss medication Mounjaro and wanted to start strength training.

She said that everything felt “very soft” after losing weight—even sitting down was less comfortable as there was less fat—and she felt that she’d lost muscle, too.

She worried she wouldn’t make it to the end of the hour-long exercise class, but she did—and returned for two more classes that week.

That was nine months ago and since then she’s been doing three classes a week consistently. Her transformation—both physical and mental—has been wonderful to watch.

Her body shape has changed, she’s developed noticeable strength and muscle definition, and she says her back pain has reduced and she feels more confident.

Strength training is essential during and after taking GLP-1 medications because weight loss can reduce muscle mass along with fat. That’s especially detrimental if you’re in your 40s and beyond, when muscle mass and bone density are already naturally in decline.

Resistance training, coupled with a protein-rich diet, can help prevent this muscle loss and support bone health during weight loss.

That’s why I’ve created this full-body kettlebell workout to build strength, stability and overall fitness while using GLP-1s.

The centre of mass on a kettlebell sits away from your hand, creating a challenge for your muscles to keep the weight stable. You have to work harder and recruit more muscles to control the weight, making kettlebell exercises a valuable tool for building all-over functional strength and muscle.

How to do the workout

You will need a medium-heavy kettlebell for this workout and maybe a slightly lighter one for the overhead press, depending on your strength level.

Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds then move on. Aim to complete three to five sets of the whole circuit.

The moves:

1. Goblet squat
2. Romanian deadlift
3. Single-arm row
4. Goblet reverse lunge
5. Single-arm overhead press

Exercise guides

1. Goblet squat

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out, holding a kettlebell upside down in front of your chest.
• Engage your core, and move your shoulders back and down.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Drive through your heels to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Why: Squats strengthen major lower-body muscles—including the quads, glutes and hamstrings—which are important for maintaining strength and function during weight loss. Building these muscles can help you stay active as your body weight changes, making everyday movements such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries easier.

2. Romanian deadlift

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell handle in both hands in front of your thighs.
• Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly, keeping your back flat.
• Lower the weight toward the floor, keeping it close to your legs throughout.
• Drive through your feet and push your hips forward to return to standing.

Why: The Romanian deadlift works the biggest muscle groups in your body—the glutes and hamstrings—while strengthening your posterior chain (the muscles running down the back of your body). These muscles encourage your body to maintain lean tissue during weight loss. The Romanian deadlift also improves core and back strength and stability, which can help you move more efficiently, making you more likely to stay active and mobile.

3. Single-arm row

Time: 40sec each side Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell handle in your right hand.
• Step your right foot back, keeping your right leg straight and bending your left knee.
• Lean forward slightly over your front knee, placing your left hand on your left knee for support if needed.
• Lift the kettlebell to your ribcage, keeping your elbow close to your side.
• Lower the kettlebell to the starting position with control.
• Continue on one side for 40 seconds, then switch sides.

Why: The kettlebell single-arm row is a smart addition to a GLP-1 strength-training workout because it targets muscles that people often overlook during weight loss—the back, shoulders and arms. The row is a pulling movement pattern, and pulling a challenging weight creates what is known as mechanical tension, signalling to your body that this muscle tissue is important and should be maintained. This can help preserve muscle tissue when you are in a calorie deficit or losing weight rapidly.

4. Goblet reverse lunge

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a kettlebell upside down at your chest.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower, keeping your chest facing forward and your left knee aligned above your left ankle.
• Pause at the bottom of the movement.
• Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Why: Like the deadlift and squat, the lunge works some of the largest muscles in your body, including your glutes and quads. Building and maintaining these muscles helps you stay strong and mobile, while encouraging your body to hold on to valuable muscle.

5. Single-arm overhead press

Sets: 5 Time: 40sec each side Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell handle in one hand in front of your shoulder.
• Engage your core.
• Press the kettlebell straight up until your arm is fully extended overhead, with your biceps close to your ear.
• Pause at the top, then slowly lower the kettlebell back to your shoulder with control.
• Continue on one side for 40 seconds, then switch sides.

Most racket sport enthusiasts follow the same routine.

They lace up their trainers, smash a few balls from the baseline, jump into a full-blooded hour or more of tennis, padel or pickleball, then retire to the clubhouse for liquid refreshment.

What's missing? An effective warm-up or restorative cool down that will ensure they can keep doing what they love, week after week.

As we get older, it becomes harder for our bodies to simply pick up where we left off. The same is true for the soccer pitch, the driving range or the batting cage.

And it's something I've felt first-hand after an action-packed vacation with Neilson Active Holidays.

Rotating from the tennis court to padel to pickleball at the five-star Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone resort in Sicily left my shoulders and lower back feeling especially tender.

"It's really important to maintain your core and your posture for all racket sports," says Carla Gibert, a certified yoga instructor working with Neilson.

"The shoulders are also really important for tennis," she adds. "I see a lot of people aggravate their shoulders because they simply haven't maintained strength and mobility."

One solution, she says, would be to simply perform a plank exercise daily, adding some scapular retractions to maintain mobility.

Another option is to perform a four-move spine and shoulder mobility routine before and after time on the court.

Having used this drill after two days of back-to-back serves and volleys, not to mention countless smashes out of the court or into the net, I can vouch for it.

How to do this mobility routine

Gibert says you can use this routine to warm-up up for a match, as well as recover afterwards. You just need to adjust the timings.

Before, she suggests cycling through the four exercises two to three times, spending 30 seconds on each, while keeping movements dynamic to prepare for the in-game action.

After, she recommends slowing the tempo right down, performing each move once but spending around three minutes on each stretch.

"That will really help open up your fascia—the layer of tissue that surrounds your muscles—that can get a bit dehydrated after exercise," she explains.

"You see so much more progress if you hold the stretch for longer. It can also be quite meditative and relaxing, triggering the same kind of recovery benefits as having a good night's sleep."

Here is the sequence of four moves that Gilbert recommends.

1. Child's pose (Balasana)

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees with your knees slightly wider than hip-width apart and your big toes touching.
• Sit your hips back toward your heels.
• Walk your hands forward on the floor, arms extended.
• Gently lower your chest toward the mat, lowering your forehead toward the floor.
• Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your torso soften between your thighs.
• Breathe slowly into your sides and back, feeling your ribs expand with each inhale and soften with each exhale.
• Once the time is up, slowly walk your hands back and lift your torso with control.

2. Downward-facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and your spine neutral.
• Tuck your toes under so you can press your upper foot into the floor and lift your knees and hips up to form an inverted V-shape with your body.
• If your hamstrings feel tight, keep a slight bend in your knees, focusing on lifting your hips and creating length through your back rather than forcing your heels down.
• Press through your hands, keeping your arms straight, to create separation between your ears and shoulders, and length in your spine.
• Breathe slowly and steadily, then gently lower your knees back down to the mat to come out of the position with control.

3. Cobra (Bhujangasana)

How to do it:

• Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and the tops of your feet pressing into the floor.
• Place your hands beside your lower ribs with your elbows bent and tucked close to your sides.
• Press through your hands to straighten your arms, lifting your chest and torso.
• At the same time, roll your shoulders down and back to open the front of your chest.
• Lengthen your spine and keep your neck long with your gaze straight ahead.
• If you feel a sharp pinch in your lower back, bend your arms to bring your chest closer to the floor.
• Breathe slowly and steadily for the allotted time, then gently release by lowering your torso and bending your elbows to come back down to the mat.

4. Thread the needle (Urdhva mukha pasasana)

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and your spine neutral.
• Reach your left hand out to your left side and rotate your upper body to the left raise your left arm as high as you can manage.
• Reverse the movements, and thread your left hand to your right side, moving it between right wrist and right knee.
• As you bring your arm under your body, slide your hand along the floor and lower your left shoulder and the left side of your head to the mat.
• Keep your hips stacked over your knees while your torso gently rotates, feeling a comfortable twist through your upper back and the back of the shoulder.
• Keep the supporting hand on the floor for balance—you can press lightly into it or walk it a little further forward to deepen the stretch.
• Breathe slowly and evenly, then press into your supporting hand to unwind back into tabletop, and repeat on the other side.

Increasing the distance of your run or hike every time you work out is rarely the smartest way to become a better runner or hiker.

Best case scenario, you’ll hit a plateau where your fitness stalls. Worst case, your body will break down from overuse.

A safer bet, according to personal trainer, ultramarathon runner and realbuzz ambassador Sam Tomlinson, is to strengthen the muscles and joints that help propel you from A to B.

“Running alone can develop excellent endurance, but it rarely provides enough resistance to build the strength and control needed to tolerate higher mileage and tougher terrain,” he tells Fit&Well.

Instead, Tomlinson has come to rely on a set of common lower-body strength exercises that can be performed with a set of dumbbells and a mini band, at home or in the gym.

“I recently completed my strongest ultra to date, and being consistent with this type of leg strength work played a major part in how well my body handled the demands of the event,” he says, referring to the 100km and 6,500m elevation of Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB he covered in 26 hours.

Even if you don't have the same gargantuan challenge ahead of you, regularly performing this workout should make your lower body more resilient when you next run or hike.

The six-move workout he swears by includes bilateral exercises like squats and Romanian deadlifts that are powered by the larger muscles around the hips and thighs.

It also features unilateral moves like the reverse lunge and single-leg bridge that train the body to “repeatedly absorb and produce force through one leg at a time”.

Banded lateral walks make an appearance, strengthening muscles around the outside of your hips, which help control the position of your knee and pelvis when your foot lands, and which can become compromised with fatigue.

And the final exercise is the calf raise, given that “the calves and Achilles tendon absorb and return a large amount of force during every stride”.

Here’s how to try Tomlinson’s session yourself.

How to do this lower-body strength workout for runners

Tomlinson's six-move lower-body workout is split into three blocks of two moves each.

Perform each block three times, completing exercise A and B back to back and resting a minute or two between blocks.

Tomlinson says the full routine should take around 25 to 35 minutes and is best performed on a running rest day or after a short, easy run to keep your legs fresh.

Start off by performing it once a week, gradually increasing that to twice a week as your strength and recovery improve, while slowly increasing the weights to ensure progression.

1A. Heel elevated goblet squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

• Hold one dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest, cupped in both hands.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your heels on the edge of a weight plate or sturdy hardback book.
• Turn your feet slightly outward and lower into a squat to a comfortable depth.
• Keep your torso upright, resisting the pull of the weight forward.
• Drive through your heels to stand without letting your knees cave in.

Make it easier: Perform a bodyweight squat to a bench or box behind you.

Make it harder: Increase the dumbbell load or pause at the bottom of each repetition.

1B. Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs and a slight bend in your knees.
• Push your hips back to lower the dumbbells, keeping them close to your legs, and your back flat and shoulders engaged.
• Pause when you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.
• Push your hips forward as you return to standing.

Make it easier: Use one lighter dumbbell held in both hands.

Make it harder: Increase the load or perform a staggered stance Romanian deadlift with one foot back and heel slightly lifted to target one leg more than the other.

2A. Reverse lunge

Sets: 3 Reps: 8 each side

• Stand with your feet close and your hands on your hips for balance.
• Take a big step back with one foot and lower your back knee toward the floor.
• Keep your torso upright rather than collapsing over your front foot.
• Maintain a 90° angle in your front knee aligned over your foot.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.
• Alternate sides with each rep.

Make it easier: Hold onto a wall or stable surface for balance. Reduce the depth of how far you lower your back knee.

Make it harder: Hold dumbbells by your sides to increase the load.

2B. Single-leg calf raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side

• Stand beside a wall or stable surface for balance if needed.
• Raise one foot, hovering it off the floor.
• Press through the ball of your standing foot to raise your heel.
• Lower slowly to lightly tap your heel on the floor and repeat.
• Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Perform the movement with both feet then progress to single leg.

Make it harder: Hold a dumbbell or perform the movement from the edge of a step so you increase how far your heel drops with each rep.

3A. Single-leg hip thrust

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10 each side

• Sit with a weight bench or couch behind you.
• Prop up onto your arms with your support roughly across your shoulder blades.
• Raise your left foot off the floor, moving from your hip.
• Press through your right foot to raise your hips until you form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause and squeeze your right glute.
• Lower your hips back to the floor with control.
• Complete all reps on one side, rest for a few breaths, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Remove the raised platform, performing a glute bridge with your shoulders on the floor instead.

Make it harder: Hold a weight across your hips or slow down the lowering phase of each rep to increase the time your muscles are under tension.

3B. Banded lateral walk

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 20-25 each side

• Stand with a mini resistance band round the balls of your feet.
• Take controlled steps to your side, avoiding your knees collapsing inward.
• Keep your feet facing forward, chest up and a slight bend in your knees.
• If space is limited, perform five reps one way, then five the other until you’ve completed all the reps.

Make it easier: Use a lighter resistance band or reduce the number of steps.

Make it harder: Use a heavier resistance band.

As you age, you might assume that you need to make big changes to your workout routine in order to see noticeable improvements in the way your body moves and feels.

But a new study published in European Review of Aging and Physical Activity found that six months of low-intensity exercise created noticeable improvements for women over the age of 85.

What did the study involve?

“​In this study, we investigated whether a structured, low-intensity exercise program could improve physical function and selected metabolic health markers in community-dwelling women aged 85 and older,” explains Sung Wook Chang, a co-author of this study and researcher at Pusan National University’s Institute of Physical Education & Sports Science.

Participants were split into three groups. One control group and two exercise groups. Of the exercise groups, one did aerobic exercise and the other followed a resistance training program.

What were the findings of the study?

It’s a fairly small study, so the results aren’t conclusive. However, what researchers found is promising.

Both sets of women in the exercise groups noticed improvements in functional fitness, which refers to their ability to do exercises that reflect the way they move in everyday life.

“​A primary motivation for this trial was that people aged 85-plus remain profoundly underrepresented in clinical exercise literature,” says Wook Chang. “We sought to determine whether meaningful physiological adaptations could occur at a very advanced age without relying on moderate or high-intensity workloads.”

The results are encouraging, as the study led to “significant gains” in participants’ ability to sit on and stand up from a chair, as well as their upper-body endurance.

“The resistance training group also demonstrated marked improvements in grip strength, alongside favorable changes in key metabolic biomarkers such as adiponectin, fasting insulin, and glucose,” Wook Chang says.

The study indicates that it’s never too late to start exercising and improving the way your body moves. “The core message is that advanced chronological age is not a barrier to meaningful adaptation,” Wook Chang says. “When appropriately designed and consistently supervised, low-intensity exercise is a viable, high-yield strategy for preserving functional independence in women over 85.”

The workouts researchers used to help women over the age of 85 improve their physical function

For this study, participants in the exercise groups completed a 24-week supervised program, training three times per week at a local public sports center under the guidance of professional exercise instructors.

Below, Wook Chang has shared the two workouts that the women in this study followed. However, she notes that they aren’t necessarily workouts you should follow at home. “I would caution readers against viewing this as a one-size-fits-all regimen to attempt independently without considering individual health status, functional baseline, and medical clearance,” she says.

You should always consult your doctor or another health professional before starting a new exercise regimen. If you want to start strength training, consider working with a certified personal trainer in person, so they can adjust exercise selection and offer modifications that reflect your current ability.

The aerobic exercise routine women over the age of 85 followed in the clinical trial

The 30 women who took part in the study prioritised treadmill walking as their main form of exercise.

“We deliberately maintained a relatively low intensity given the participants’ age,” Wook Chang says.

The aim was to reach about 30 to 35% of their heart rate reserve for the first 12 weeks of the study. For the final 12 weeks, there was a small increase to 36 to 39% of their heart rate reserve.

The study suggests that introducing regular light exercise can make a big difference for women over the age of 85.

The resistance training workout women over the age of 85 followed for the study

The women following a resistance training program performed a combination of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises.

They aimed for weights which reflected 30 to 40% of their one-rep max (the maximum weight they’d be able to lift for one rep) for the first 12 weeks. For the final 12 weeks, they increased the intensity to 40 to 49% of their one-rep max.

Each session was one hour or less, with two to three minutes of rest in between sets. Here are the moves included in the resistance training program:

• ​Dumbbell squat
• ​Dumbbell deadlift
• ​Dumbbell incline press
• ​Seated dumbbell press
• ​Dumbbell curl
• ​Dumbbell overhead triceps extension
• ​Crunch

Be sure to consult your doctor or another health professional before trying any of these exercises or changing your exercise regimen in any way.

Jill Brown is a 59-year-old board-certified health and wellness coach, personal trainer, Pilates instructor and Equinox instructor based in Beverly Hills.

Over the past five years, she’s had a hip replacement, a wrist reconstruction, spinal disc surgery and a shoulder reconstruction. “I’ve had to start over four times in the past five years,” she says.

“The doctor told me ‘you can’t do as much as you used to do and you have to be mindful of your age’ and I knew that I could either let that get me really depressed and just accept aging or I could work around it,” Brown continues.

Now, she’s revamped her workout routine to aid her recovery. Brown still works out regularly, but rather than lifting heavy, she focuses on lighter weights and higher volume.

“Instead of doing 25lb overhead presses, I don’t go heavier than 15 to 17lb, but I'll do four or five sets instead of three sets, and I’ll do 10 reps instead of six reps,” Brown explains.

This routine has helped Brown build muscular strength as well as endurance. “The difference between strength and endurance is that strength is how much weight you can lift, endurance is how many times you can lift it,” she says.

Below, Brown has shared an example of what a week of exercise looks like for her, as well as tips for people returning to exercise or getting started with strength training.

Jill Brown’s weekly workout routine

Monday 9am
HIIT workout featuring functional exercises.

Tuesday 6.30am and 9.30am
Teaching two Body Sculpt classes at Equinox and physical therapy exercises for shoulders and hips.

Wednesday 9am
Rowing machine followed by a core workout.

Thursday 9am
Teaching a Pilates class followed by a resistance training session, focusing on back and biceps.

Friday 6.30am
Teaching a Cardio Sculpt Step class, followed by a dumbbell workout and battle rope exercises.

Saturday 8am
Teaching a Body Sculpt class followed by a strength workout, focusing on the legs.

Jill Brown’s tips for developing an effective exercise routine

Try workout videos

“I really recommend starting with workout videos,” Brown says. “No one’s watching you so there’s nobody calling you out, but you have someone pacing you.”

Forget isolation exercises

“I think beginners waste a lot of time trying to tone specific muscles,” explains Brown. “Instead of doing a triceps kickback, do a plank, which works the triceps, but it also works a lot of other upper-body muscles.”

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

“Part of becoming a regular exerciser is getting comfortable with the notion that your body is going to be a little uncomfortable,” Brown says. “Get your mind comfortable with the fact that your body is going to be a little uncomfortable.”

A strong core is the foundation of our day-to-day movement, but building core strength is about more than endless planks, crunches or sit-ups.

“Not all core exercises are created equal,” says Courtney Goldate, strength director and lead personal trainer at Lionheart Gym & Wellness, who favors standing moves.

“With standing ab exercises, the core is forced to build strength in a more natural position,” she explains. “It focuses on movements we do daily.”

Goldate’s three-move standing ab routine mimics movements we perform as part of our everyday lives, from carrying groceries to reaching up to a high shelf.

“These exercises stabilize the spine and transfer force while the rest of the body moves,” she explains. “Other benefits include more total core activation, a challenge to balance and proprioception [your body’s sense of where it is in space], and better bracing.”

With minimal equipment needed, it’s also an easy routine to do at home.

“The core needs counterweight to challenge its engagement,” Goldate explains. “For this workout, you will need two equal-weight dumbbells or kettlebells, or you can use household items such as buckets, water jugs or tins of equal weight.”

How to do the standing ab workout

Goldate recommends doing the standing ab workout two to three times a week.

You can do it as a standalone workout or stack it onto another strength workout as an ab finisher.

Here’s an overview of the workout, followed by explanations of how to do each exercise.

1. Farmer carry
2. Overhead march
3. Suitcase carry

1. Farmer’s carry

Sets: 3-4 Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding weights by your sides, ensuring your ribcage is directly above your hips.
• Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Walk forward, ensuring your feet remain hip-width apart as you move—imagine walking on train tracks, not a tightrope.

2. Overhead march

Sets: 3-4 Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Hold weights overhead, with your arms extended.
• Engage your core, and tuck your pelvis so your ribcage and hips are stacked on top of each other.
• Exhale as you lift and bend your right knee towards your chest, moving slowly and with control.
• Inhale as you return your right foot to the floor.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Suitcase carry

Sets: 3-4 Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one weight by your side, ensuring your ribcage is directly above your hips.
• Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Walk forward, keeping your torso from pulling toward the weighted side.

I struggle with any task that requires physical coordination.

Ask me to pat my head and rub my tummy, and I’ll inevitably get the actions the wrong way round. I’m also terrible at ball games, with poor aim and an inability to catch.

Why do I find it so hard?

“Coordination relies on communication between the brain, nervous system, eyes, inner ears, sensory receptors in the muscles and joints and the muscles themselves,” explains Dr Gabriela Van Sickle, a physical therapist and the co-founder of Functional Physical Therapy.

When so many systems contribute to the process, there are many opportunities for malfunction.

“Even factors such as stress, lack of sleep and dehydration can negatively affect coordination and reaction time,” adds Van Sickle.

Thankfully, coordination—like any attribute—is something that you can work on and improve.

Van Sickle recommends doing the following four exercises to boost your coordination, as the moves will help reinforce your brain-body connection.

1. Dead bug

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

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Extend your arms up, reaching toward the ceiling.
• Lift your feet so your shins are parallel with the floor and your knees are over your hips.
• Brace your abdominal muscles while keeping your lower back flat against the floor and slowly lower your right arm behind you as you straighten and lower your left leg.
• Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

How to progress: As this gets easier, increase the number of repetitions.

“This exercise challenges coordination between the upper body and lower body while strengthening the core,” says Van Sickle.

“It requires the brain to control multiple body segments moving in opposite directions while maintaining trunk stability, necessary for walking and stair climbing.”

2. Bear crawl

Sets: 2-3 Duration: 20-30sec Rest: 45-60sec

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Keep your back flat and engage your core.
• Lift your knees an inch or two off the floor.
• Slowly move your right hand and left foot forward, followed by your left hand and right foot.
• Continue crawling forward with slow, controlled movements, breathing steadily and keeping your trunk flat. (If you run out of space, you can reverse the movement and crawl backwards.)
• After 20 to 30 seconds of work, return your knees to the floor.

How to progress: As this gets easier, increase the amount of time spent crawling.

“Bear crawls challenge whole-body coordination by requiring the arms, legs, core and nervous system to work together,” says Van Sickle.

“They involve cross-body movement patterns —right arm with left leg and vice versa—which help improve timing, body awareness, balance and motor control.”

3. Standing toe tap

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

How to do it:

• Stand on your left leg with a soft bend in your knee and a straight back.
• Imagine you are standing in the center of a clock. Keeping your weight on your left leg, lightly tap your right foot to the side at approximately the three o'clock position.
• Return your working foot to the center.
• Continue tapping around the clock, reaching two o'clock, one o'clock and then 12.
• Next, reach your foot across the front of your body to tap at 11 o'clock and 10 o'clock, and nine o'clock—crossing your body’s midline.
• Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching sides.

How to progress: Try tapping your foot on all the numbers of the imagined clock, including the numbers positioned behind you.

“This exercise combines balance and coordination by challenging you to maintain stability on one leg while reaching across your body,” says Van Sickle.

“Crossing the midline requires communication between both sides of the brain and helps improve body awareness, motor control and coordination during everyday activities and sports.”

4. Standing knee drive

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 45-60sec

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot back, extend your right arm forward and extend your left arm behind you.
• Bend your right knee and raise it in front of you, while bending your left elbow and swinging your left arm forward and right arm back.
• Pause for a moment while your right leg is raised.
• Step your right foot back again, while also returning your arms to the starting position (right arm extended forward and left arm extended behind).
• Complete all the repetitions on one side before switching sides.

How to progress: Move slowly and focus on control, rather than speed.

“This exercise combines balance, core stability and cross-body coordination,” says Van Sickle.

“Lifting one knee while reaching with the opposite arm mimics the natural movement pattern used during walking and running. It challenges the brain and body to coordinate movements across multiple joints while maintaining postural control.”

When we talk about longevity, we’re not just talking about living for longer.

“It’s about being able to carry on doing the things that give us joy and purpose into our old age,” explains Abby McLachlan, personal trainer and founder of East of Eden.

“The combination of strength and mobility is key to keeping the body moving well and feeling resilient throughout later life,” McLachlan tells Fit&Well.

“Strength and mobility training help counter natural age-related muscle loss, improve bone density, support joint stability and enhance balance. They will also boost your metabolic health, reduce fall risk, improve posture and increase overall energy,” she adds.

McLachlan’s six-exercise routine offers a strength-building workout for all abilities, with progression tips so that once you’re comfortable with the exercise, you can increase the challenge.

Try the six-move home workout for longevity

As with any workout, you’ll only notice the benefit if you do it consistently. McLachlan recommends doing this routine two to three times a week.

You will need dumbbells for two of the exercises, although you could use resistance bands instead if you don’t want to invest in dumbbells.

More importantly, you should know how to engage your core. This guide explains how.

Here’s an overview of the workout:

1. Squat: 3 x 8-12
2. Incline push-up: 3 x 8-10
3. Glute bridge: 3 x 12-15
4. Romanian deadlift: 3 x 8-12
5. Dead bug: 3 x 8-10 each side
6. Standing row: 3 x 12-15

1. Squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your chest facing forward and your knees tracking over your toes.
• Pause once your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as close as your mobility comfortably allows.
• Push through your heels to return to standing upright, maintaining control throughout the movement.

Benefit: Strengthens your legs, hips and core, and supports balance and everyday lifting.

How to progress: Once you are comfortable with unweighted squats and can complete three sets of 12 reps easily, add resistance. As you add extra weight, reduce the reps until you can complete every set with good form.

2. Incline push-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

How to do it:

• Place your hands on a bench or countertop. (To make it easier, place your hands on a wall.)
• Step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the surface with control, keeping your body in a straight line.
• Extend your arms to push back up.

How to progress: As you get stronger, take away the bench and place your hands on the floor.

Benefit: Builds upper-body strength and supports shoulder stability.

3. Glute bridge

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Press through your feet to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Lower slowly, keeping the movement smooth and controlled.

How to progress: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell on your pelvis as you get stronger.

Benefit: Strengthens your glutes and lower back, and supports hip stability and posture.

4. Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding weights in front of your thighs.
• Hinge at your hips, pushing your butt back, sliding the dumbbells down your legs to just below your knees, keeping your spine long and a slight bend in your knees throughout.
• Push your hips forward to stand upright.

How to progress: Go as light as possible to begin with. You can start with bodyweight until you’re comfortable with the movement before adding weights.

Benefit: The hinge movement works your back muscles, hamstrings and glutes, and the rest of your posterior chain, the collection of muscles that run down the back of your body.

5. Dead bug

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms raised and your knees bent directly above your hips.
• Gently press your lower back into the floor to engage your core.
• Lower your left arm behind your head and lower and extend your right leg, while keeping your lower back gently pressed into the floor.
• Return to the start, then repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Benefit: Strengthens your deep core muscles and improves spinal stability.

6. Bent-over row

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Hinge forward from your hips and push your hips back, keeping your spine long and letting your arms hang down.
• Pull your shoulders back and down to engage your back muscles—this is your starting position.
• Lift the dumbbells to your hips, bending and lifting your elbows past your torso, and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Reverse the movement with control to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

Benefit: Strengthens your upper back and improves your posture.

When we’re kids, we fall all the time and can bounce back almost instantly. Once we hit our teenage years, falls become rare, but if we do trip over, we can still brush it off most of the time. But in later life, a fall can have more serious consequences that can take longer to recover from.

So it’s imperative that older adults stay on their feet, but physical changes we all go through can make that a challenge.

“As we age, balance and body awareness decrease through natural age-related declines in muscle mass and joint stiffness,” says yoga teacher Lauren Anderson.

She adds that slower reaction times become a factor too, which can make it harder for older people to catch themselves if they do lose their balance.

But we don’t have to just accept these changes. “Loss of balance isn’t an inevitable part of aging—it’s often the result of moving less, becoming weaker and challenging ourselves less over time,” she says.

Anderson tells Fit&Well that consistent yoga practice can help improve your balance and mobility at any age.

“With regular practice, adults can improve their balance, strength and confidence well into their 60s, 70s and beyond.”

To get you started, Anderson suggests three accessible poses: tree pose, chair pose and supported crescent lunge.

“Tree pose is one of the best exercises for improving single-leg balance, ankle stability, core strength and proprioception—the body’s awareness of where it is in space,” says Anderson.

“These skills play an important role in reducing fall risk and improving confidence during everyday activities like climbing stairs or walking on uneven ground.

“Chair pose can help with lower-body strength in the glutes, quadriceps and core while reinforcing functional movement patterns needed for standing, climbing stairs and sitting down and standing up repeatedly.”

Supported crescent lunge “can help you build lower-body strength while improving hip mobility, balance and core stability,” says Anderson.

“Many adults lose hip mobility with age, which can shorten stride length and make walking less efficient. A supported version allows people to build confidence safely before progressing.”

Here’s how to do each pose.

1. Tree pose (Vrksasana)

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec each side Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand next to a wall or chair (for support if you need it) with a straight back and your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a moment to notice the pressure points in your feet and distribute your weight evenly between them.
• Slowly shift your weight onto your right foot, lifting your left heel. Focus your gaze on one fixed point to help maintain your balance.
• Leaving the toes of your left foot on the floor, rotate your left knee out to the left so that your left heel rests against your right ankle. If comfortable, you can slide your foot higher up your right shank.
• Place your hands wherever feels most comfortable, eventually aiming to have your palms together in front of your chest or raised overhead.
• Hold this position, breathing steadily.
• Repeat on the other side, then rest before starting the next set.

Make it easier: Keep your fingertips on a wall or sturdy chair for support.

Make it harder: Try closing one or both eyes.

2. Chair pose (Utkatasana)

Sets: 3-5 Time: 15-30sec Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees and hinge at your hips, pushing your butt back, as if beginning to lower onto a chair. Keep your chest up and your weight in your heels.
• Raise your arms if comfortable, or keep your hands at your sides or your palms together at chest level.
• Hold this position, breathing steadily.
• Press through your heels to stand, and rest before beginning the next set.

Make it easier: Sit back against a wall or use the wall as support for one or both hands.

Make it harder: Lift one or both heels, or raise one foot a few inches off the floor for several breaths.

3. Crescent lunge (Ashta chandrasana)

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec each side Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand side-on to a wall with one hip resting against it.
• Step your left foot behind you, making sure both feet are pointing forward.
• Bend your right knee while keeping your left leg as straight as possible.
• You can use the hand closest to the wall for support, if needed.
• Hold this position, breathing steadily.
• Press through your front heel to return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side, then rest before starting the next set.

Make it easier: This pose can be made easier by starting with a kneeling position or by placing a chair under your front thigh.

kKnee pain is common among my personal training clients over 65. Whether from arthritis, overuse or old injuries, I see firsthand how limiting and debilitating knee issues can be.

To address this, there are four exercises that are mainstays for all my clients, no matter their age.

These moves are effective because they strengthen the muscles that stabilize and support the lower body, which reduces the strain on knees during movement.

They’re not only beneficial for knee health, but they’re great for improving full-body stability and balance as well.

How to do the four exercises for healthy knees

All you need is an exercise mat and a moderately-heavy looped resistance band, like this set from Amazon. Depending on your current strength level, you may need a heavier or lighter resistance band.

Start by doing one to two sets of 10 reps for each exercise. After a few sessions, increase to two or three sets and 12-15 reps. Eventually, aim to do three sets of 15 reps with a brief rest between sets. You should be able to do all reps in a set with good form without rest.

Try these moves three or four times a week on their own or as a warm-up for other workouts.

If you’re unable to get onto the floor for the banded clamshell and banded glute bridge, try the exercises on your bed or couch.

Consult a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise or workout program. These exercises are appropriate for all fitness levels, including beginners, but depending on your health history your medical team may recommend alternatives or advise you to avoid the movements.Consider meeting with a certified personal trainer or physical therapist for guidance, modifications and appropriate progressions.

1. Banded clamshell

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Lie on your right side with a looped resistance band around your legs, just above your knees.
• Prop yourself up on your elbow, with your hips vertical and your knees bent at 90°.
• Engage your core.
• Raise your left knee, but keep your feet connected.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
• Lower your knee back to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tips: Avoid your hips shifting out of alignment as you raise your knee. Keep your chest leaning forwards slightly to keep your hips stable and aligned. Squeeze the outside of your hip as you lift your knee.

2. Banded glute bridge

Sets: 2 Reps: 10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place a looped resistance band around your legs, just above your knees.
• Engage your core and press your knees outward into the band.
• Raise your hips and pause briefly at the top of the movement.
• Lower your hips back to the floor.

Trainer tips: Avoid arching your lower back as you raise your hips. Keep your knees pressed against the band throughout the exercise.

3. Banded monster walk

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a looped resistance band around your ankles.
• Engage your core and press your ankles out into the band to keep it taut.
• Walk forward, pushing your foot outward into the band as you go.
• Repeat the motion walking backward.

Trainer tips: Keep your stance wide and your toes pointed forward. You should feel the muscles on the sides of your hips engage. Keep the band taut throughout the exercise.

4. Banded kickback

Sets: 2 Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a looped resistance band around your ankles.
• Engage your core.
• Raise your right heel behind you, squeezing your right glute.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
• Lower your foot back to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tips: Avoid arching your lower back as you kick your heel. If you have balance issues, hold onto a sturdy surface for support. Avoid externally rotating your leg as you raise your heel.

I've worked at a desk for more than five years and sitting hunched over my laptop every day has taken its toll on my body.

I deal with stiffness in my shoulders, neck and, most frustratingly, my hips.

Another contributing factor to the physical strain is a habit of sitting cross-legged on my chair, rather than with both feet on the floor.

While sitting cross-legged occasionally isn’t a problem, doing it for longer periods can cause issues.

“As with any position, sitting for extended periods of time can cause discomfort, simply because we function best when we move regularly,” says Helen O'Leary, physiotherapist at Complete Pilates

After a particularly bad period of hip stiffness, I decided to kick the habit for good and challenged myself to avoid this position for 30 days.

What I noticed when I stopped sitting cross-legged

1. I developed greater body awareness

Changing my desk posture meant I had to be more aware of my position throughout the day.

It was easy to slip back into my familiar cross-legged set up but the goal was to find an alternative that was also comfortable.

There was lots of fidgeting and more getting up (never a bad thing) but overall I became more intentional over how I was sitting, and how often I was getting up for a break.

2. I experienced less hip stiffness

One of the reasons I prefer to sit cross-legged is because I’m hypermobile and the position opens my hips, which feels good on my joints.

You’d think that all that stretching would keep my hips feeling mobile, but for hypermobile people, too much stretching can lead to injury and discomfort. A physiotherapist once described my ligaments and muscles to me like an elastic band that was too loose. This meant I was flexible but lacked strength.

I suspect that too much stretching and not enough strengthening weakened my joints and contributed to me experiencing a lot of discomfort in my hips, especially while exercising and walking.

After a month of trying to reduce the time spent in a crossed-leg position, my hip stiffness has definitely reduced, both while sitting and when moving my body.

3. My knee pain got better

Sitting cross-legged puts your knees into flexion and with a long-standing knee injury, I didn't realize that sitting like this for long periods could be exacerbating my knee pain.

Since changing up my desk posture, I’ve experienced much less achiness in my knees. Win-win.

When it comes to getting fit, most people are impatient. They want to run before they can walk, walk before they can crawl, then give up when they don’t see immediate results.

That all-or-nothing approach, according to A-list celebrity strength and conditioning coach Jason Walsh, is where most people go wrong with exercise.

Having trained half of Hollywood since opening his Los Angeles gym in 2005, the co-founder of plant-based protein brand RISE311 highlights New Year’s resolutions as a prime example.

“It’s the wrong mentality,” Walsh tells Fit&Well, between training sessions with Jake Gyllenhaal for Road House 2 and Sebastian Stan for the next Batman saga.

“People go to these boot camps and training classes, but you have to prep your body before you can take it from zero to 60,” he says.

As a result, “people get burnt out, hurt, and have to start the whole process over, telling themselves, ‘Well, screw it, we’ll see what happens next year.’

“That’s just the wrong approach,” says the 50-year-old. “Stop trying to go from zero to fit in a matter of weeks.”

The simplest thing you can do for your long-term health

Instead of annual resolutions, which are unlikely to last, Walsh prefers to encourage new clients to view exercise as a daily habit like brushing your teeth.

“You should want to do it. Even on the days you don’t want to do it, there should be a discipline [that makes it part of your routine].

“It becomes habitual. It becomes part of your life.”

Above all, he advocates doing one thing every day if you're truly determined to change your body composition and improve your long-term health: walk.

“In Los Angeles, people don’t walk,” he says.

“One of the easiest and simplest things you can do is get people to start walking. Then all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Wow my back pain went away. All I had to do was start walking.’

“Go for hikes, get out in nature. It’s all there. You have the ability. The simplest thing you can do is just add movement. Just move. It’s so simple.”

How to put the advice into practice

It might sound oversimplistic, but the goal is to raise your baseline of activity and make movement—and therefore exercise—part of your routine so it no longer feels like a chore.

“If you don’t walk a lot, get out and walk. If you’re walking and you’re trying to change your body composition it’s one of the easiest and best ways,” he says.

If walking isn’t for you, Walsh says that’s not a problem.

There’s no “right or wrong” way to exercise. You might like lifting weights, or using a bike.

“It’s just moving and giving the body stress and adapting to that stress. That’s all it is. It’s a pretty simple process.”

Swimming is another option. “I trained Bradley Cooper for A Star is Born. Man, we did some pool workouts that were just brutal and it changed his whole physique.”

The bottom line: just move.

“Bike, walk, do recreational things. Just start moving. That’s the baseline. That’s it. That’s as easy as it gets.”

Planks are an effective way to strengthen your core, recruiting all the muscles around your stomach and lower back to stabilize and protect your pelvis and spine.

But, truth be told, they’re not much fun.

Enter, stage left, this dance-inspired 360˚ plank challenge from Les Mills group fitness presenter Bronté Terrell, certain to shake up any tired abs routine.

Terrell recently shared the short routine on her Instagram, and I couldn’t help but ask how it might be modified so anyone could give it a try—even someone as uncoordinated as me.

“That was a pretty tough plank challenge,” she admits.

“Flipping over from front to back is especially tricky. Figuring out which arm goes where.”

But, she adds, learning to perfect the choreographed routine is worth persevering with.

“We spend a lot of time wanting to keep our bodies strong and healthy, and fit and young, but doing anything that challenges those neural pathways in the brain is also so, so important for our brain health, especially as we navigate through life and get older,” says Terrell.

Watch Bronté Terrell’s dance-inspired plank challenge

Timed to music, Terrell’s plank challenge starts in a high plank. She lifts one leg, brings her knee to her elbow, then pivots to a high side plank with knee tucked.

Next she extends her arm overhead and points her toes, returns to the knee-tucked high plank, then flips 180˚ into a reverse plank with that knee still tucked, before kicking her leg into the air, a la Flashdance.

It’s fairly exhausting just typing that out, let alone attempting it.

“[When you flip round] you’re squeezing your glutes to lift your hips up high. It’s almost like a reverse plank challenge. I really felt that the next day after doing that,” she says.

“A really great way to adapt it would be to drop down to your knees, break it up into sections and really slow down the full routine,” she says.

Here’s how Terrell suggests breaking it down.

How to adapt this plank challenge for relative beginners

If you can perform a plank on your toes, start by performing each of the five moves below for five to 10 seconds. Rest 60 seconds then repeat the routine on the other side.

Once you can comfortably hold each one for 10 seconds, look to perform them back to back, again building up from five seconds per move to 10.

When you can perform all five moves for 10 seconds each, back-to-back, you should be ready to attempt the full routine.

Bonus points for filming it and tagging @wearefitandwell in your post. Good luck.

If you can’t hold a plank on your toes, start on your knees.

“Even if you start with a 10-second hold, come up onto your toes for one second, then drop back to your knees, eventually, one second becomes two seconds, and before you know it you’ve built that strength,” says Terrell.

Below are the single moves you need to master.

1. Straight arm plank

Time: 5-10sec

• Position your hands under your shoulders, feet together and engage your core.
• Keep your body aligned from shoulders to ankles, breathing normally.

2. Knee to elbow

Time: 5-10sec

• Next, without letting your hips sag, bring your left knee out to your side to touch your elbow on the same side, and hold.

3. Rotate to side plank

Time: 5-10sec

• From here, pivot to the outside of your right foot as you turn your body to the side.
• Your weight should be supported by one foot and one hand. The raised arm can be extended over the head or bent at the elbow with the hand near your ear.
• You have the option of keeping your knee tucked, leg extended or bringing your feet together into a high side plank. The easier version would be feet together.

4. Rotate to reverse plank

Time: 5-10sec

• When ready, bring your feet together into a high side plank and pivot to your heels while bringing your other hand to the floor to support your weight.
• Your chest should now face up, with your weight supported on your hands and heels.
• Keep your glutes engaged and hips high.

5. Lift one leg to single-leg reverse plank

Time: 5-10sec

• Lastly, lift your left leg off the floor, bending your knee 90˚.
• Hold this final pose without letting your hips drop.

Recently, a friend asked me how to build strength. It’s not unusual for friends to ask for training advice, but this friend is 71 years old and has decided to invest in her physical health for the years ahead. Of course, I was delighted to help.

She is absolutely correct that building strength is essential for living well as we get older and I was happy to reassure her that it’s never too late to start—you just have to train smart.

My friend plays tennis weekly but has never done any dedicated strength work—not even a squat. While her regular doubles matches are great for supporting her cardiovascular health, agility and multi-directional movement—all excellent components for longevity—she is missing other essential pieces for aging well.

To fill those gaps, I created a plan that includes strength and muscle-building movements to help combat the natural decline in muscle and bone density, which affects everyone but women in particular. I also added core and balance moves to improve stability, alongside push and pull exercises to build upper-body strength for everyday life.

The moves in this workout are useful for everyone but the versions are more suitable for beginners and those who have never exercised before. If you’re comfortable with the moves, skip to the advice on how to make them harder and work through the progressions.

How to do the bodyweight strength workout for beginners

1. Chair squat: 3 x 8-10
2. Pulse lunge: 3 x 8-10 each side
3. Wall push-up: 3 x 8-10
4. Standing march: 3 x 10-12 each side
5. Single-leg hold: 3 x 8-10 each side
6. Superman pull-down: 3 x 8-10
7. Dead bug heel tap: 3 x 8-10 each side
8. Glute bridge: 3 x 8-12

Complete three sets of each exercise, working through the moves in order. So, perform three sets of the chair squat, then move on to perform three sets of the pulse lunge, and so on.

Complete the workout two or three times a week, and keep going until you’re comfortable with the moves. Once the exercises feel easier to perform, gradually add some of the progressions I’ve included to keep challenging your body.

Here’s how to do each exercise.

1. Chair squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a chair just behind you.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, until your butt taps the seat of the chair.
• Push through your feet to stand upright.

Make it harder: Perform a bodyweight squat without support. If you can already do a bodyweight squat, progress this further by adding a brief pause at the bottom of the squat.

2. Reverse lunge with pulse

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side; 3 pulses each rep Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Take a big step back with your right foot, and pause to find your balance.
• Bend both knees to lower until your right knee is just above the floor.
• Push through your left foot to rise halfway, then lower until your right knee is just above the floor again—perform this pulse three times in total.
• Step your right foot forward to return to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it harder: Alternate sides with each rep.

3. Wall push-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand an arm’s length away from a wall and place your hands on the surface at shoulder height and shoulder width.
• Engage your core and ensure your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall with control.
• Pause when your head is almost touching the wall.
• Push powerfully through your hands to extend your arms and return to the starting position.

Make it harder: Lower the surface you place your hands on, such as a couch or table.

4. Standing march

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Bend and lift one knee to hip height.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Make it harder: Slow down the march and hold briefly at the top of each knee raise to challenge your balance.

5. Single-leg hold

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side Hold: 3-5sec each rep Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, lightly holding on to a chair or other sturdy object for support.
• Engage your core.
• Bend and lift one knee to hip height.
• Hold this position for three to five seconds.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Make it harder: Remove the support and aim to raise and hold your knee higher or for longer.

6. Superman pull-down

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 60-90sec

• Lie on your front with your arms extended forward.
• Engage your core and clench your glutes.
• Lift your arms and legs, keeping your gaze on the floor and your neck in a neutral position.
• Bend your elbows and move them toward your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Extend your arms forward.
• Continue, keeping your arms and legs raised throughout.

Make it harder: Increase how long you hold the pull as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.

7. Dead bug heel tap

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 60-90sec

• Lie on your back.
• Raise and extend your arms, and raise your legs and bend your knees, so your knees and hips are both bent to 90°.
• Gently press your lower back into the floor to engage your core.
• Keeping a 90° bend in your knee throughout, lower your right leg so your right heel or toes lightly tap the floor.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Make it harder: Lower both feet simultaneously if you can maintain contact with the floor with your lower back.

8. Glute bridge

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

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms by your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Push through your feet to lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Lower to the starting position with control.

Make it harder: When you can maintain stability as you hold and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, progress to a single-leg glute bridge with control.

When I say core workout, your mind may immediately jump to crunches and scissor kicks, but these aren’t your only—or even best—options.

“True core strength goes far beyond a visible six-pack; it is the foundation of total-body stability, spinal protection and powerful movement,” says Faith Ellis, a level three certified kettlebell specialist and the founder of women’s kettlebell training app and community, The KettleBelle.

Rather than hammering out hundreds of crunches, Ellis recommends incorporating a kettlebell.

“I have been teaching kettlebell mechanics for more than four years, and they are hands down my favorite tool for building an ironclad, functional core,” she says.

“They are inherently asymmetrical and dynamic. Unlike dumbbells, a kettlebell’s center of mass is displaced from its handle.

“This forces your deep stabilizing muscles, like the transverse abdominis and obliques, to fire constantly just to keep your body balanced.

“Every kettlebell movement is an active core movement.”

Ellis recommends the following three moves for a powerful core workout that will challenge your strength and stability.

Kettlebell core workout

1. Plank kettlebell drag: 3 x 10-12 each side
2. Kettlebell halo: 3 x 8-10 each direction
3. Kettlebell snatch: 3-4 x 6-8 each side

Use the moves in a workout as below, read on for how to do each kettlebell exercise with good form.

1. Plank kettlebell drag

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side

How to do it:

• Begin in a high-plank position on your hands and toes and your body in a straight line from head to heels and a kettlebell on the floor just behind your left wrist.
• Ensure your shoulders are directly over your wrists, your feet are hip-width apart for a stable base, and your core, glutes and quads are tightly engaged.
• Reach underneath your body with your right hand, grasp the kettlebell handle and pull it across the floor to the right side, placing it just behind where your right wrist was.
• Keep your hips completely square to the floor, without rocking or tilting as you move the weight.
• Return your right hand to the floor.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Ellis says: “This is the ultimate anti-rotation exercise. While it looks like an arm movement, your core is working overtime to prevent your hips from shifting,” says Ellis.

“It forces deep core activation and teaches you trunk stability.”

2. Kettlebell halo

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each direction

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back straight, holding the kettlebell upside down by the sides of the handle in front of your chest.
• Tuck your pelvis slightly to engage your lower abs and pull your shoulders down and away from your ears.
• Bring the bottom of the kettlebell over your left shoulder, dip it behind the nape of your neck, bring it around, over your right shoulder and return it to the starting position in front of your chest.
• You can alternate directions for each rep or complete all reps in one direction before switching.

Form tips:

• Keep the kettlebell as close to your neck as possible, like a collar.
• Do not move your head to dodge the kettlebell; keep your head and torso perfectly still and let your core brace against the moving weight.

Ellis says: “The kettlebell halo is a phenomenal dynamic stability movement. As the weight moves around your head, your center of gravity constantly shifts.

“Your core has to react in real time to keep your torso perfectly upright, which beautifully carves out the obliques.”

3. Kettlebell snatch

Sets: 3-4 Reps: 6-8 each side

How to do it:

• Stand over the kettlebell with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Hinge at your hips and push your butt back, keeping your back straight.
• Grasp the kettlebell handle with one hand, tilting the kettlebell toward you.
• Engage your core.
• Pull the kettlebell between your legs, then push your hips forward to snap upright, raising the kettlebell close to your body.
• As the kettlebell reaches chest height, punch your hand up, rotating the kettlebell smoothly around your wrist.
• Brace your core tightly at the top of the movement.
• Carefully reverse the movements to lower the kettlebell back into the hip hinge to smoothly transition into the next rep.

Form tips:

• The power comes from your hips and a strong core brace, not your arm. Think of your core as the brakes that stabilize the explosive energy at the top of the movement.
• Punch up powerfully when lifting the kettlebell overhead to avoid slapping your forearm.

Ellis says: “This is an advanced, explosive, full-body power movement.

“The kettlebell travels from the floor all the way overhead in one fluid motion, so it requires maximum deceleration at the top.

“I love it because it forces the entire abdominal cavity to stabilize to catch the weight safely overhead.”

Straw poll: who actually takes the time to warm up before a run?

I know I never used to. I’d lace up, set off, and wonder why my knees were grumbling from the first mile to the last.

Then I signed up for my first marathon—Berlin this month—embarked on a training plan, and realized I’d been missing an integral first step in the process.

Like any form of exercise, warming up makes the main part of your workout easier.

Mentally, it helps you focus for the session ahead.

Physically, it will gradually elevate your heart rate, increase oxygen delivery to your muscles so they can work more efficiently and act as shock absorbers with every stride, and lubricate joints with synovial fluid to help everything run more smoothly.

Crucially, especially for me and my fragile knees, introducing a light impact warm-up will also signal to your tendons and ligaments to become stiffer and more springy, helping stabilize your joints.

This routine, which I’ve borrowed and adapted from fitness app Runna, is a gentle way to ease into your next run.

I use it before every session, whether it’s a slow and steady long run or high-tempo interval workout.

I’ve also started using it with members of a weekly run club I lead—where ages can vary from early 20s to late 60s—to help reduce risk of injury.

Commit it to memory and put it to good use next time you plan to step on a treadmill or head out for a jog.

Use this five-minute running warm-up before your next session

This warm-up relies on dynamic stretches, an active form of gentle movement, which works your muscles, joints and ligaments through their full range of motion.

Rather than static stretches, which are best performed at the end of an exercise session, dynamic stretches get your body moving, with the aim to gradually build the intensity until you’re ready for action.

Always start gently, working well within your range of movement, then gradually increase your range or the intensity of each exercise as your body wakes up.

The warm-up consists of eight moves which are listed below. Keep scrolling down for an explanation and demonstration video of each movement, and finally a follow-along timer video.

The warm-up in brief

1. Torso rotation x 30sec
2. Side bend x 30sec
3. Standing diagonal toe tap x 30sec
4. Hip circles x 30sec
5. Open and close the gate x 30sec each side
6. Squat into calf raise x 30sec
7. Walking A-skip x 30sec
8. Pogo jumps x 30sec

1. Torso rotation

Time: 30sec

• Start with your feet hip-width apart.
• Gently rotate your torso from side to side, looking over your shoulder as you twist.
• Keep your arms soft at the elbow as you swing them, too.
• Increase your range with each twist, staying loose and relaxed.

2. Side bend

Time: 30sec

• Widen your feet and stand upright with your arms at your sides.
• Reach your left arm overhead and to the right, and lean your torso to the right.
• Feel a gentle stretch in your obliques that run down the left side of your torso.
• Return to the middle and repeat the reach on the other side.

3. Standing diagonal toe tap

Time: 30sec

• Widen your feet further still, then hinge forward at your hips to reach your hand to your opposite foot—letting the other arm extend above you.
• Rotate your torso to the other side, reaching your other hand to your opposite foot.
• Keep alternating side to side, looking up at the hand in the air to increase rotation through your core if mobility allows.

4. Hip circles

Time: 30sec

• Bring your feet back to shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips.
• Slowly trace big circles with your hips to help release tension around your pelvis and lower back.
• After 15 seconds, switch direction.

5. Open and close the gate

Time: 30sec each side

• Stand with your feet together.
• Lift and bend your right knee to hip height, then rotate your right leg to the right so your knee points to the right side and lower your foot to the floor—all in one flowing motion. This is called opening the gate.
• Reverse the movements back to the start to close the gate.
• Continue for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

6. Squat into calf raise

Time: 30sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower, until your thighs are parrallel to the floor, or as close as your mobility allows, keep your heels down and knees wide apart.
• Push through your feet to stand upright.
• As you come to standing, flow into a calf raise, rising onto the balls of your feet.

Form tip: Initially, only lower into the squat as far as you can comfortably, increasing your depth as mobility improves.

7. Walking A-skip

Time: 30sec

• From standing, lift and bend your right knee to hip height while raising your left arm, aiming for a 90˚ bend in your hip, knee and ankle.
• Pause momentarily.
• Lower your right foot to the floor in front of you and continue into the next rep on the other side.
• If you feel able, add a small hop between each rep to progress this into a dynamic A-skip pattern, driving your foot down to the floor with each step.

8. Pogo jumps

Time: 30sec

• Stand with your hands on your hips.
• Jump vertically, starting with small hops.
• Keep your action springy and reactive, gradually increasing power with each rep.

Follow-along timer

Press play for a countdown that leads you through this five-minute warm-up for runners.

Traditional strength training is great for keeping your legs strong as you age. But practicing Pilates alongside this will help maintain your mobility and stability.

“Pilates is a highly effective method for developing lower-body strength, as it focuses on controlled movements, resistance and proper muscle engagement,” says Nicolle Lopez-Lamberty, a Pilates instructor and the founder of NuPilates.

Pilates is particularly effective for maintaining healthy knees and hips, as many of the exercises target deep stabilizing muscles surrounding the joints.

I asked Lopez-Lamberty which exercises she would pick when working with someone new to Pilates.

She chose the five moves below, which are equipment-free, scalable and target all the major muscle groups in the lower body.

“Together, these movements strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves and hip stabilizers, creating a strong foundation for everyday movement while also improving balance, stability, mobility and core strength,” she says.

The exercises

1. Glute bridge
2. Side-lying leg lift
3. Quadruped leg lift
4. Hamstring curl
5. Squat

Lopez-Lamberty has also provided advanced variations for each move to try once the exercise begins to feel easy.

“As you progress to the more advanced variations, challenge yourself by minimizing rest between repetitions and taking 30 to 60 seconds of recovery between each set,” says Lopez-Lamberty.

1. Glute bridge

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

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Place your arms next to your body with your palms facing down.
• Engage your core by gently drawing your belly button toward your spine without tipping your pelvis.
• Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips. Lift until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line.
• Pause at the top for a second or two, while maintaining core engagement.
• Slowly lower your hips back to the mat.

Form tips:

• Avoid arching your lower back as you lift your hips.
• Breathe steadily throughout, inhaling as you rise and exhaling as you lower.

Progression: Perform a single-leg glute bridge while extending your arms toward the ceiling.

2. Side-lying leg lift

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your side with one leg on top of the other.
• Support your head with one hand while placing your opposite hand on the floor in front of you.
• Bend both knees to approximately 90°.
• Keep your feet together and engage your core.
• Lift your top knee, opening from your hip.
• Pause briefly when your knee is lifted and squeeze your working glute.
• Slowly lower your knee.
• Complete all repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Modification: If you have any neck or shoulder issues, lower your head and rest it on your arm.

Progression: Perform the same exercise with both legs straight.

3. Quadruped leg lift

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Begin on your hands and knees with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
• Keep your spine in a neutral position and engage your core.
• Extend one leg straight behind you.
• Exhale as you lift your extended leg to hip height, squeezing your glute at the top of the movement.
• Inhale and slowly lower your leg without touching the floor.
• Complete all repetitions on one side before switching legs.

Form tip: Keep your hips square to the floor throughout the movement.

Progression: Perform the move with your knee bent at 90°.

4. Hamstring curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Lie face down on the mat with your legs extended.
• Place your hands under your forehead for support, keeping your neck straight.
• Engage your core and gently press your hips into the mat.
• Exhale as you bend one knee and bring your heel toward your glute, keeping your thighs pressed into the mat.
• Pause briefly and squeeze your hamstring muscle, at the back of your thigh.
• Inhale as you slowly extend your leg back down.
• Complete all repetitions on one leg before switching sides.

Progression: Perform double-leg hamstring curls.

5. Squat

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

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
• Engage your core and keep your chest lifted with your shoulders relaxed.
• Inhale as you bend your knees and hips, as if sitting into a chair.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as low as you can while maintaining good form.
• Exhale and press through your heels to return to standing.
• Squeeze your glutes as you stand, then repeat.

Form tip: Keep your weight evenly distributed through your heels and midfoot.

Progression: Perform a heel-lift squat, raising your heels either when you’re at the lowest point in the squat, or throughout the movement. This will challenge your balance, ankle mobility and lower-body strength.

While you may not be the sort of person who deadlifts heavy weights in the gym, it's probably a movement that you do on a daily basis without even realising it.

“It’s one of the most functional movements you can do,” says Stephanie McNally, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach at Life Time Boca Raton.

She explains that actions such as picking up kids and groceries or moving furniture all use a deadlift pattern.

So, learning proper deadlift mechanics can build strength and help you to lift more safely in your day-to-day life.

McNally thinks that desk workers in particular could benefit from a regular deadlift.

“It’s a compound lift that trains the entire posterior chain, which matters more than ever now that so many of us spend our days sitting,” says McNally. “Sitting deactivates the exact muscles this lift is designed to wake back up.”

But it isn’t as simple as just picking up a barbell.

When McNally first started deadlifting, she found that she had some bad habits that she needed to break. The major one was not engaging her core properly.

“I didn’t understand what it actually meant to brace my core, and that’s still the number one thing I notice when I’m coaching others through their deadlifts,” she says.

Secondly, McNally was given some bad coaching advice that actually compromised her form: she was told to look up.

“The intent was to help flatten my back, but as the load increases, that cue actually puts unnecessary strain on the cervical spine,” she explains.

“It’s a superficial fix for a deeper positioning issue, and it’s one of the first things I coach people out of now.”

McNally fixed these issues by practising one simple move before her deadlifts: the stability ball dead bug.

Why the stability ball dead bug?

This move encourages the body to engage the core properly and keep the spine neutral—vital for a good deadlift.

“Even now, I use a stability ball dead bug as a priming movement before I deadlift,” says McNally.

“The ball gives constant feedback on core engagement, while the rib-cage-down, pelvis-tucked cue teaches the actual mechanics of bracing, so you can feel immediately if that position breaks down,” she adds.

She says that when you pair this move with steady breath control, it further encourages proper core engagement.

“Once I could feel that tension, and recognize the moment it broke down, I could carry that same awareness into the deadlift itself.

“What surprised me was how much this one fix cascaded into everything else,” she says.

“On the way up, I cue thinking about pushing the floor away rather than pulling the weight up, which keeps the drive coming from the hips and legs instead of the lower back.

“The same goes for keeping the bar close to the body: a proper brace keeps the ribcage aligned over the pelvis, which makes it easier for the lats to stay engaged, rather than letting the weight drift away and stress the lower back.”

How to do the stability ball dead bug

• Lie on your back with your knees bent to a 90° angle, holding a stability ball between your hands and knees.
• Apply steady pressure into the ball with both your hands and knees to activate the core.
• Set your position by drawing your rib cage down and slightly tucking your pelvis so your spine stays neutral.
• Maintain that tension as you slowly extend one arm overhead and the opposite leg out straight.
• Return to the starting position and switch sides.

Form tip: Inhale as you extend your arm and leg away from you and exhale as you draw them back in.

I once thought Tai Chi was just gentle exercise for old people. That was until I spoke to Mark Peters.

Peters is a Tai Chi and qigong expert based in the UK who has taught many health and fitness professionals how to apply these practices as rehabilitative tools.

He explained that Tai Chi is fundamentally a martial art, underpinned by mindful movement, breathwork and a complex system of biomechanics.

He pointed out that most people—including myself—don’t think about what their bodies are doing when they’re still or moving.

To illustrate his point, he had me try rising onto my toes in two different ways: first by simply lifting my heels and then by imagining I was pushing the floor away with my toes.

“When you think about pushing down, although you're still lifting your body, your brain tends to think more towards your feet and it often feels more stable,” Peters explains.

I noticed the difference. When I focused on pushing the floor away rather than lifting myself, my body didn’t tip as far forward.

With my first lesson learned, I asked Peters how he teaches beginners to access the level of physical awareness they need for Tai Chi.

Two Tai Chi lessons for beginners

1. Lower your center

“Where attention goes, energy flows,” says Peters.

“When people think of themselves, they imagine themselves in their head and their center shifts up,” he explains. “It puts you slightly off balance. If you lower your center, your body adjusts.

“Your knees soften, your neck feels long and it lowers the physical center of gravity and improves stability.”

2. Synchronize your movement with your breath

Once you have located your stable center, Peters suggests you try floating your hands up and down in sync with your breath.

“As you breathe in, your hands should gently float up as if you're in water or holding a balloon under your hand,” he explains.

“I teach that as a starting movement because people often float down and bend over rather than just floating down upright,” says Peters.

The idea is that the exercise should teach you to align your movement with the rhythm of your breath.

Once you have mastered this, you are ready to begin.

One of the best tricks I’ve learned for staying consistent with exercise is removing the barriers between me and my workout.

That means leaving my fitness equipment in plain sight, so I can grab it when I have a spare minute.

However, I also have two small, curious kids, which means that it’s not safe for me to leave heavy dumbbells unattended.

For that reason, I’ve started using resistance bands instead.

This is the quick workout I’ve been using for the past few weeks to hit most of my major muscles in 20 minutes or less.

All you need to try it is a long-looped resistance band (I bought this set from Amazon) and an exercise mat.

20-minute resistance band workout

1. Quadruped glute kickback: 3 x 10-15 each side
2. Bent-over row: 3 x 10-15
3. Knee push-up: 3 x 8-10
4. Kneeling overhead press: 3 x 10-12
5. Optional finisher: Squat: 3 x 30sec

Rest for 15-30 seconds between sets.

Use a lighter band if you’re new to exercising with bands, but aim for the higher end of the rep range. This will allow you to focus on getting your form right while still challenging your muscles.

On days when I have more time, I add a few sets of fast-paced squats after doing the strength exercises. I like the cardio challenge, plus it ensures that my leg muscles get more of a workout.

1. Quadruped glute kickback

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
• Pin the resistance band underneath your hands and loop it under the center of your right foot.
• Engage your core.
• Slowly extend and lift your right leg, until it is in line with your torso.
• Bend your knee to return to the starting position.
• Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other leg.

This is a glute-focused exercise but it’s a challenge for core strength and stability, too. Focus on engaging the muscles in your mid-body before you push back with your leg, to make sure you don’t wobble.

2. Bent-over row

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

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
• Loop one end of the resistance band underneath your feet and hold the other end in both hands.
• Engage your core.
• Keeping your back flat, hinge forward from your hips until your torso is at a 45° angle to the floor—this is your starting position.
• Pull the resistance band toward your ribs, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then lower the band back to the starting position with control.

3. Knee push-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Walk your knees back until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Engage your core.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower your chest. Your arms should be out at a 45° angle from your torso and your body should remain in a straight line.
• Push through your hands to extend your arms and return to the starting position.

If you need to an easier, modified push-up, try doing a wall push-up or placing your hands on an elevated surface, like a couch. If you need more of a challenge, do push-ups on your toes instead.

I like to do one toe push-up, then the knee push-ups. Every two to three weeks, I’m increasing the number of toe push-ups I do in the routine to keep building strength.

4. Kneeling overhead press

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Kneel on the mat with your torso upright, so your knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line.
• Loop one end of the resistance band under your knees and hold the other end in both hands at shoulder height.
• Engage your core.
• Extend your arms to push the resistance band straight up, making sure you don’t arch your back.
• Lower with control.

Optional finisher: Squat

Sets: 3 Time: 30sec Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing slightly out.
• Keep your chest upright and clasp your hands together.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Push through your feet to stand upright.
• Continue at pace.

I like to add this fast-paced set of squats onto the end of the strength exercises to raise my heart rate and challenge my thigh muscles. Rather than focusing on a set number, I try and push myself hard for the 30 second. If you’re new to fitness, make sure you take a longer rest after this exercise.

A recent house move left me with just one weight: a 13lb (6kg) kettlebell—with the rest of my home gym equipment being placed in long-term storage.

Instead of giving up on strength training at home, I tried different techniques to create enough of a challenge with this one kettlebell to make working out worthwhile.

I tried a higher-rep count at first. While it worked, it made my workouts too long for my liking. Then I tried doing unilateral versions of my favorite exercises.

So my goblet squat became a Bulgarian split squat, and my deadlift turned into a single-leg Romanian deadlift.

Flush with success, I contacted Richard Bennett, a strength and conditioning coach and owner of Calibre Performance, to get an expert view on unilateral training, and a short routine readers could try at home.

Bennett agreed that unilateral exercises allow you to work with a lighter weight and still make progress, but he listed off plenty of other benefits.

• Unilateral exercises allow you to train each side independently, identifying and reducing muscle imbalances.
• They’re great for developing hip and trunk stability.
• For athletes, they are great for preparing for sports that rely on strength from the dominant side of the body (such as bowling, shotput, javelin).
• When you are injured, they allow you to continue working the unaffected limb.

He did flag that unilateral moves are not the quickest way to work out and stressed that, in most cases, fitness programs should contain both bilateral and unilateral exercises, which complement each other.

Unless you are injured or training for something specific, Bennett suggests approaching unilateral workouts by completing all reps on your weaker side first.

You can then match it with your stronger side to reduce muscle imbalances over time.

Bennett recommends the following three lower-body unilateral exercises, featuring some favorites he and I share.

1. Step-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side

How to do it:

• Stand in front of a box or other stable platform that allows you to place your whole foot securely on top without excessively rounding your lower back or rotating your pelvis.
• Engage your core.
• Place your left foot flat on the box, keeping your knee aligned over your toes.
• Push through your left foot to extend your knee and hip, lifting your right foot onto the box, maintaining a controlled and upright upper-body position throughout.
• Step down with control, leading with your right foot.
• Do all your reps on one leg, then switch legs.

Bennett says: “The step-up is simple, scalable and has a clear crossover to everyday tasks like climbing stairs. It also allows people to train one leg at a time without needing the flexibility or balance required for some more advanced single-leg exercises.

“It primarily trains the quadriceps and gluteus maximus, with contributions from the hamstrings and calves.”

2. Bulgarian split squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-10 each side

How to do it:

• Stand with the top of your right foot resting on a bench behind you, and your left foot far enough forward that you can descend without losing balance or lifting your heel.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your left knee to lower, keeping your knee aligned above your foot and letting it travel forward naturally in line with your toes.
• Descend as far as you can while maintaining control, keeping a neutral spine and your left foot flat on the floor.
• Push through your left foot to return to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one leg, then switch legs.

Bennett says: “This is one of my favorite unilateral strength exercises because it provides a substantial training stimulus without requiring the same total external load as a heavy bilateral squat.

“It is easy to progress using dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell, but can also be regressed to a bodyweight or supported version. Small adjustments to torso position and stride length can also make it slightly more knee (quad) or hip (glute) dominant.

“The main muscles involved are the quadriceps and gluteus maximus, with assistance from the hamstrings, adductors, calves and core muscles—responsible for stabilizing the hip and trunk.”

3. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-10 each side

How to do it:

• Stand holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in your right hand by your right side.
• Shift your weight into your left foot so you are ready to stand on your left leg, and bend your left knee slightly.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips backward and hinge your torso forward, lowering the weight and lifting your right leg behind you as a counterbalance, keeping your keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor.
• Stop when you reach the end of your available hamstring range, or before your pelvis begins to rotate or your back rounds.
• Contract your glutes and drive your hips forward to return to standing.
• Avoid leaning backward or excessively extending your spine at the top of the movement.
• Do all your reps on one leg, then switch legs.

Make it easier: “For people struggling with balance, I usually regress to a kickstand variation or allow them to hold the wall lightly for support,” says Bennett. “Balance should not prevent the target muscles from receiving an effective stimulus.”

Bennett says: “Many programs include plenty of knee-dominant, single-leg work but neglect unilateral hip-dominant strength.

“The single-leg RDL develops the posterior chain [the muscles that run down the back of the body] while also challenging control of the pelvis, hip, foot and trunk. Holding the weight in the opposite hand creates an additional anti-rotation demand.

“This predominantly trains the hamstrings and gluteus maximus. The spinal erectors, adductors, foot and ankle muscles, and lateral hip stabilizers also contribute.”

Not knowing what to lift or how hard to push yourself during a workout is a common issue for those new to exercise.

But it’s all the more daunting for the 40 million or so Americans living with diabetes.

People with this chronic condition—representing around 12% of the US population according to the CDC—can find their blood sugar levels are too high because their body is unable to produce enough insulin or can’t use it effectively.

While exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, promote glucose metabolism and maintain blood sugar levels at a healthy level, too strenuous a workout could trigger glucose levels to rise or drop rapidly, leading to potentially dangerous side effects.

Despite these implications, certified strength and conditioning specialist Garett Reid of the BetterMe app says there is “no inherent reason” why someone living with the condition can’t train exactly the same as anyone else.

“You just need to take adequate precautions and learn how your body responds to exercise over time,” he says.

Reid was speaking to Fit&Well as BetterMe has recently launched a series of workouts for people with diabetes in collaboration with charity Diabetes UK.

Here, the NSCA-certified trainer outlines three ways people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can get started with exercise or modify their usual routine to train safely.

Three ways you should exercise differently with diabetes

Before outlining how people with diabetes should modify their approach to exercise, Reid says it’s imperative to remember that this condition can affect everyone differently.

“One thing that should be very clear is that everything we say is a guideline,” he says.

“Diabetes is a very personalized condition, whether you have type 1 or type 2, or how far along you are, so everything should be very personalized.”

But the general gist is to “approach training to see how your body adapts and that generally means lower intensity and shorter sessions.”

1. Take it slow for the first month after your diagnosis

Long-term, Reid says people with diabetes “do not intrinsically have to train differently down the road” so long as they take it slow when getting back into exercise.

Reid tells his clients to take it slow and exercise caution, especially in the first month.

“You should be a little bit more careful with everything,” he says.

“Your sessions should be a little bit shorter. A little bit less intensity. A little bit less volume. And your main focus should be on testing your blood sugars.”

An optimal session would be no more than half an hour with plenty of rest between exercises.

“Keep sessions short—no more than 30 minutes. Longer workouts of 60 or 90 minutes have more of a dramatic effect on glucose levels,” he says.

2. Test before, test after and test later

Not everyone will need to regularly test their blood sugars. For example, some people with type 2 diabetes will not be on glucose-lowering medication.

But if you've been told you need to, regularly monitoring your blood sugar levels 30 minutes before, immediately after exercise and two-to-four hours later will help build a picture of how your body responds to exercise, Reid continues.

• 30 minutes before: to determine if your levels are safe
• Immediately after: to monitor the immediate effect of the workout
• Two-to-four hours later: to see how your levels have settled

BetterMe’s plan incorporates regular reminders via voice prompts during its workouts to check blood sugar levels so users can adjust intensity or take action if needed.

Tracking these fluctuations and writing down your results will allow you to recognize trends in how your body responds to exercise.

Over time, the accumulation of this knowledge is what allows you to increase your training intensity and duration.

“Resistance training can cause a spike in blood sugar levels when glucose is released into the bloodstream,” explains Reid.

Whereas “prolonged cardio is more likely to decrease glucose levels.”

Testing two-to-four hours after finishing your workout helps you avoid “making brash decisions,” he says, meaning you’ll know if your levels have returned to normal naturally or if you need to start making adjustments with insulin or dietary choices.

You may also need to continue to check them for up to 24 hours after exercise, as your body may be more sensitive to insulin, increasing your risk of delayed hypoglycemia.

“Dangerously low blood sugar is an exception,” notes Reid.

“If your blood glucose falls too low during or immediately after exercise, stop exercising, consume 15–20g of fast-acting carbohydrates, wait about 15 minutes, then recheck your blood glucose. Only resume exercise once your levels have recovered and you feel well.”

3. Prioritize strength training—but don't neglect cardio

Both strength training and cardio workouts can improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.

However, strength training is generally regarded as especially beneficial for people with diabetes because it helps increase lean muscle mass which can aid glycogen storage.

“About 80-85% of glycogen, the stored form of glucose, is stored within your muscles,” says Reid. “So having more muscle mass means you don't have as much glucose running through your blood.”

That said, cardio training, including walking, running, cycling and swimming, can improve muscle function, helping make that muscle “work even better and be even more sensitive to insulin.”

Reid says a good beginner plan for someone with diabetes should be built around a full-body strength workout, repeated two to three times per week, focusing on using one compound movement per body part.

For example, a squat for the legs, chest press for the chest, bent-over row for the back and shoulder press for the shoulders.

“Generally, you can use free weights or machines,” he says.

“Start off with two sets per exercise, eight to 12 reps per set, and stop three to four reps before failure to keep intensity low,” he says.

Take it slow, see how your blood sugar levels react, and build gradually from there as you start to learn how your body responds to exercise.

How to progress safely over time

As you become accustomed to each workout and learn how your body responds, Reid says you can start to cautiously increase the duration and intensity of these sessions.

However, you should adopt the same precautions outlined above whenever you try a new form of training.

“If you only strength trained for a few months, then planned to add prolonged steady-state cardio, follow the same precautions because your body might respond differently,” he says.

“Ideally your body's [response to exercise] will have improved but it's still good to note and be mindful of how it reacts to a different stimulus.

“You may have adapted to strength training but you'll still need to monitor how your body reacts to cardio.”

Ultimately, the benefits of exercise for people with diabetes far outweigh the risks, but it’s always best to consult a healthcare professional first to fully understand what is suitable for your individual needs.

I try to make all my workouts efficient, focusing on full-body strength and mobility routines that will help me age well. This involves a lot of repetition, which can get a bit boring.

I decided to shake things up recently by trying a routine from trainer Lindsey Bomgren of Nourish Move Love—and I was glad I did.

Deep within the workout was a move that humbled me and exposed a blind spot in my longevity training: the double-hop skater.

Double-hop skater

Want to see how it’s done? Skip the YouTube video above to the last exercise in circuit 5, scrub to 9min 25sec left on the overall timer for the workout.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and raise your right foot.
• Hop forward and backward on your left foot.
• Jump laterally to the right, landing on your right foot.
• Bend your right knee to lower your hips and tuck your left leg behind you to perform the skater. (Reach your left hand over to your right foot to increase the difficulty)
• Stand and jump to the left, landing on your left foot.
• Repeat for 30 to 40 seconds, then switch sides.

Tips: Start slowly to make sure you can execute the move properly. Once you’ve found your rhythm, make sure your lateral jumps have some explosive force behind them to test your balance and strength.

Why the move has a new place in my workout routine

As I flailed around in my living room trying to perform this move, I realized that my strength workouts have helped me build muscle but not balance, agility and coordination.

That’s because my usual routines mostly keep both my feet on the floor and focus on slow, controlled moves.

If I want to maintain my ability to move quickly and stay steady on my feet, I need to include this kind of explosive lateral training.

For that reason, this double-hop skater is now a permanent fixture in my home routines.

I’m also going to make sure I keep adding variety to my exercise sessions, because while repetition and heavy weights can help you build strength, getting bored can kill consistency and progress.

If you can’t sit cross-legged, you probably have some tight muscles limiting your movement.

“Instead of forcing the position, focus on improving hip mobility through slow, controlled Pilates movements,” suggests Nicolle Lopez-Lamberty, a Pilates instructor and the founder of NuPilates.

She recommends doing these five beginner-friendly exercises to stretch and strengthen your hip flexors, glutes, inner thighs and deep hip stabilizers.

“With consistent practice, you’ll notice it’s easier to sit cross-legged, along with improvements in everyday movements like walking, climbing stairs and getting up from the floor,” she says.

The exercises

“While performing these hip-opening exercises two to three times per week will help improve mobility, practicing them daily is the most effective way to increase flexibility and restore healthy movement,” says Lopez-Lamberty.

1. Supine figure four
2. Butterfly
3. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch
4. Happy baby
5. High-knee psoas hold

1. Supine figure four

Sets: 2-3 Hold: 30-60sec each side

Muscles targeted: Glutes and external hip rotators

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
• Cross your left ankle over your right thigh and interlace your fingers under your right thigh below your knee.
• Gently pull your right leg toward your chest until you feel a stretch in your left hip.
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then release and repeat on the other side.

Regression: Keep your foot on the floor if pulling your leg toward your chest is too intense.

2. Butterfly stretch

Sets: 2-4 Hold: 30-60sec

Muscles targeted: Inner thighs and groin.

How to do it:

• Sit on the mat with your back straight and the soles of your feet pressed together.
• Relax your legs and allow your knees to fall to the sides. Notice where you begin to feel a stretch in your inner thighs.
• Hold your ankles and keep your back straight.
• Gently lean forward from your hips if comfortable and hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Regression: Sit on a yoga block to elevate your hips to make the stretch less intense.

3. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch

Sets: 2-4 Hold: 30-60sec each side

Muscles targeted: Hip flexors

How to do it:

• Kneel on the floor.
• Place your left foot on the floor in front, with your left knee bent at 90°.
• Extend your right leg behind you, keeping your knee and shin on the floor.
• Keep your back straight and shift your weight forward so it is over your left leg.
• Tuck your pelvis slightly to deepen the stretch without arching your back.
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat on both sides.

Regression: Use a folded towel or yoga block under your rear knee to reduce pressure on your knee and improve balance.

4. Happy baby

Sets: 2-4 Hold: 30-60sec

Muscles targeted: Hip flexors, inner thighs and lower back.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs bent.
• Lift your feet off the floor and bring your knees toward your chest.
• Grasp the outside of your feet or ankles.
• Bring your knees toward your armpits while keeping your lower back on the mat.
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds while breathing deeply.

Regression: Hold your shins or the back of your thighs instead of your feet.

5. High-knee psoas hold

Sets: 2-3 Hold: 20-30sec each side

Muscles targeted: Psoas, deep core and glutes.

How to do it:

• Stand with a straight back and your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core and shift your weight onto your left leg.
• Lift your right knee to hip height and interlace your fingers on your shin, just under your knee.
• Keep your pelvis level and hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Lower with control and repeat on the other side, alternating with each rep.

My shoulders and neck are prone to aches and pains if I don't move around enough, which makes long car journeys a nightmare.

Sitting in an upright position for hours leaves me incredibly stiff and it often takes days for my body to get back to normal.

I was struggling with this recently after a five-hour trip. I really wanted a massage to soothe my aches, but I decided that it would be cheaper and easier to try some stretching.

Searching for a cure, I came across a 30-minute practice created by Charlie Faulkner, a yoga instructor based in London.

It’s a gentle session designed to help you connect to your heart and emotions, but it also physically targets the chest area and upper body. Thankfully, this was just what I needed.

How to do the 30-minute yoga practice

You don’t need any equipment to do this routine—just a yoga mat—but I also used a yoga block for a couple of the movements to provide more support.

There’s one sequence that’s repeated throughout the routine, which involves holding the arms out to the side, with your elbows bent and hands pointing up, then gently arching your back to open your chest. You then round your back and extend your arms in front.

The variations on this sequence become more challenging throughout the practice, but you can always go back to the simplest version of the flow if you find any of the advanced poses too taxing.

How it helped

The sequence repeated throughout this routine both arches and rounds the upper body in the same way a cat-cow does.

The arching movement reverses the hunched posture I had during most of the car trip, providing some relief to my tight upper-body muscles, while the rounding lengthened my muscles and helped to decompress my spine.

This combination felt super satisfying for my upper body and the repetition of it throughout the practice meant that I could move deeper into the stretches each time.

By the end of the 30 minutes, my shoulders and neck felt significantly better than when I sat down on my mat.

I’m saving this routine so I can use it whenever I need some relief—after a long car journey or a day spent hunched over my laptop.

If being stuck on a treadmill or static bike for miles is your only idea of cardio, then Lucy Borrie is out to change that.

The professional dancer and personal trainer recently launched BeBody, a workout method inspired by ’80s aerobics designed to be fun and effective.

It features classic bodyweight strength-training moves set to upbeat music; the faster tempo means you’ll get a cardio workout while testing your muscles.

Below, she's shared three of her favorite low-impact cardio movements you can try at home. They will help you build strength all over and boost your heart health too.

Borrie recommends putting on some fast-paced music and doing the workout in time to embody the BeBody method.

How to do the low-impact cardio workout

Before you jump in, Borrie says you should do two slow repetitions of each exercise to make sure you can execute it comfortably.

“Any movement I do, I always start slow, even if it’s a cardio movement,” she says. “I like to feel the move rather than rush into it, and then pick up the pace.”

Perform this workout as a circuit, doing each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by a 20-second rest. After you’ve done all three exercises, you’ve completed one round. Complete three rounds in total.

1. No-jump burpee

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Squat and bring your hands to the floor.
• Step your feet back, one at a time, so that you're in a high plank position with your body in one straight line. Keep your core engaged and shoulders over your palms.
• Step your feet back in between your hands, one at a time.
• Stand and reach your hands overhead, without jumping.

2. Slow cross-body mountain climber

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Start in a high plank with your shoulders above your hands and your back flat.
• Slowly drive one knee toward your opposite elbow.
• Hold briefly then return it to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side and continue alternating.

3. Power lunge

Time: 20sec each side Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then step one foot back.
• Lower your back knee toward the floor until both knees are at roughly 90° angles.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.
• As you do, drive your back knee forward and up toward your chest. Drive your opposite hand and elbow to chest height for momentum.
• Complete your repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

No one is born knowing how to perform an exercise correctly. We all have to learn from scratch, even people who go on to become trainers and coaches.

I wanted to find out which exercises experts struggled with as beginners and, looking back with the perspective of a specialist, what helped them finally master it.

Camden Wilson, a fitness specialist at Memorial Hermann’s Rocket Sports Medicine Institute, tells Fit&Well that one of the moves that didn’t come easy was the Romanian deadlift (RDL), and he says it’s one of the hardest movements for his clients to master, too.

It’s an exercise everyone should learn how to do properly, though. It’s a great starting point for the hip hinge movement pattern, which is at the root of a whole family of exercises.

Plus, the RDL is an effective way to strengthen the muscles that run down the back of your body and getting the movement pattern right helps you pick heavy things off the floor safely.

Very few people nail a hip hinge at the first time of asking, with many people bending their knees too much, making the movement more of a squat, so Wilson’s general advice is to start with a light weight and move slowly.

“There’s plenty of time to load the movement once we get the right pattern down,” he says.

There’s a form guide below if you need an overview of the movement, but Wilson revealed a unique cue that made all the difference for him.

“I had to learn to have better foot pressure as I hinged,” he says. “This is one area most people are struggling with and not even realizing.”

As you lower, your weight will shift over your heels, but focus on maintaining pressure over your whole foot by pressing your big toe into the floor.

How to do the Romanian deadlift

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells or a barbell in front of your thighs.
• Bend your knees slightly and tuck your chin to your chest.
• Engage your core, squeeze your glutes and move your shoulders back and down to engage your lats (the large muscles in your back).
• Push your hips back and hinge your torso forward to lower the weights, keeping your hands close to your legs and your back in a neutral position.
• Lower as far as is comfortable, making sure your back doesn’t round.
• Push your hips forward to lift the weights and stand upright.

Form tip: To hinge at the hips, imagine you are trying to touch a wall behind you with your butt.

Alternative exercises

If you aren’t yet confident in your RDL form, Wilson recommends the following two exercises to build strength in the same areas.

They are both performed on gym machines, which will help you to master the form safely and get your body used to the mechanics of an RDL.

1. 45° back extension

“A 45° back extension trains hip extension and posterior chain development,” says Wilson. “Often, it can be easier for a newer lifter to execute than a full RDL.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your front on the machine with the pad just below the crease of your hips, allowing them to move freely. Place your calves under the bottom pad for stability.
• Start with your torso in line with your legs, then push your hips backward to lower your head and torso toward the floor.
• Only lower as much as you can while still maintaining control and tension with your hips and glutes.
• Drive your hips into the pad and squeeze your glutes to lift your torso back to the starting position.

Form tip: Don’t overextend at the top of the movement—keep your legs and torso aligned.

2. Seated hamstring curl

“The seated hamstring curl will target many of the same hamstring muscles as an RDL and can be a great option for overall hamstring development.”

How to do it:

• Sit on the machine with the lower leg pad under your calves, just above your ankle. Secure the higher pad firmly over your thighs—it should feel a little snug.
• Begin with your legs extended at the hips and a slight bend in your knees.
• Bend your knees and pull your heels toward your body.
• Pause at the bottom of the movement and then slowly and with control bring your legs back to the starting position.

My step count fluctuates wildly.

On workdays when I’m at my desk, I’m lucky if I make 6,000. But on weekends, when I’m chasing after a three-year-old, I regularly hit 14,000 steps a day.

This sudden uptick in activity often leaves the front of my hips incredibly stiff due to the strain on the hip flexor muscles.

The best antidote I’ve found is something called the couch stretch, a move introduced to me by physical therapist Dr Andy Fata-Chan.

It’s the only thing that delivers the deep release my hip flexors crave.

I tack it onto the end of my day when I’ve got a higher-than-average step count, but I get the greatest benefit when I do the stretch both before and after long periods of walking.

How to do the couch stretch

Sets: 1 Time: 30-45sec each side

• Kneel facing away from a wall, weight bench or couch.
• Step your right foot forward while keeping your left knee on the floor.
• Slide your left knee back so it's at the base of the wall, bench or couch.
• Rest the top of your left foot against the wall or your chosen surface.
• You should feel the stretch in the front of your left thigh and hip.
• Move your torso forward to deepen the stretch.

Why does (nearly) everyone have tight hip flexors?

If you’re reading this piece, I’m guessing you have tight hips.

It’s a common problem because prolonged sitting places the hip flexor muscles in a tight, shortened position.

Excessive walking and running can also make these muscles unhappy, as the repetitive lifting of the leg forces them to contract repeatedly.

So when I do these things back-to-back, my hips start to complain.

Using the couch stretch provides some immediate relief, but I’ve found that doing it two or three times a day stops my hips from getting stiff in the first place.

That’s why whenever I have time, I make sure I do it before a big day of walking, as well as after.

Keeping these muscles flexible also means that your gait isn’t restricted by tightness, so your legs can swing freely when you’re walking to a playground or running after your kids.

The move can be tough on your knees. If you have sensitivity in the joint, I’d recommend switching this for a static lunge stretch, which is another physio-approved move.

If you haven’t jumped since you were in the school playground or you’ve been cautiously avoiding it, maybe it’s time to reconsider.

“The first thing that goes as we age is actually power, not strength. You lose that ability to jump,” says personal trainer Angie Wilkinson, aka the Strength Queen.

Jump training is also an effective way to look after your bones, because it can stimulate bone-building and improve density.

“Our bone density is highest at about 30 and then after that it’s declining. It [the decline] tends to accelerate in menopause because of the lack of oestrogen.”

One of Wilkinson’s favorite exercises for introducing impact is the pogo jump (or pogo hop), where you perform rapid bounces as if you’re on a pogo stick.

Unlike a conventional jump where you might focus on cushioning your landing, Wilkinson explains that the impact created in a pogo jump is intentional.

But you don’t need to launch straight into pogo jumps, especially if you haven’t jumped in a while or find jumping too strenuous on your pelvic floor.

You can work up to it with this five-level, beginner-friendly progression plan.

The moves

1. Seated foot taps
2. Marching
3. Stepping
4. Small hops
5. Pogo jumps

1. Seated foot taps

Sets: 2-3 Time: 30-45sec

• Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or stool with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Raise both heels and tap the balls of your feet rapidly on the floor.
• Build up to a fast and light double tap.
• Keep your core engaged and chest upright—avoid hunching forward.

Form tips: Build a steady, comfortable rhythm rather than rushing—this is about getting your feet and lower legs used to quick, repeated movement. Breathe naturally and steadily throughout.

When to progress: If you can keep a steady rhythm for 45 seconds without your legs fatiguing or your form breaking down, you're ready to move on to marching.

2. Marching

Sets: 2-3 Time: 30-45sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the back of a sturdy surface lightly for balance if needed.
• Raise one knee toward hip height, then lower it and repeat on the other side.
• Build up to a steady marching rhythm.
• Keep your chest lifted and avoid leaning back as you raise each knee.

Form tips: Let your arms move naturally as if you are walking briskly. Keep your breathing steady and rhythmic.

When to progress: When you can march at a good pace with control and without holding onto anything for balance, you're ready for stepping.

3. Stepping

Sets: 2-3 Time: 30-45sec each side

• Stand in front of a sturdy step or low platform.
• Place one foot onto the step.
• Step up, pressing through your heel.
• Bring the other foot onto the step.
• Step back down one foot at a time.
• Alternate your leading foot each time, keeping your movements slow and intentional.

Form tips: Exhale as you step up, inhale as you step down—avoid holding your breath.

When to progress: Once stepping up and down feels controlled, with no wobbling or needing to hold on to anything for balance, you're ready for small hops.

4. Small hops

Sets: 2-3 Time: 30-45sec Rest: 30sec

• Stand on your right foot, with your left knee bent and left foot elevated.
• Hop onto your left foot, lifting your right foot and bringing your right knee up.
• Alternate feet and repeat.

Form tips: Avoid over-cushioning your landing—feeling the impact travel through your foot and leg stimulates your bones, whereas a soft landing absorbs the force away. Keep your breathing continuous, exhaling every few jumps. Rest as needed between small sets, this is about quality, not speed.

When to progress: When your hops feel light, your landing is controlled and you can maintain your form without any pain or discomfort, you're ready to try pogo jumps. Pogo jumps are a natural progression if you can do all four stages comfortably and with good control.

5. Pogo jumps

Sets: 2-3 Time: 10-15sec Rest: 30sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, legs engaged and your knees slightly bent.
• Bounce continuously on the balls of your feet, using your ankles to drive the movement.
• Aim for a fast, light skipping motion.

Form tips: Land with control but let the impact travel through your foot and leg to stimulate your bones. Breathe out with each landing or every couple of jumps—avoid holding your breath. Keep your core braced throughout, and stop if you feel any joint discomfort, this move should feel springy not jarring.

Wilkinson says: “Once you’re consistently doing pogo jumps, research on jump training suggests aiming for around 20 to 50 jumps a day, three to four days a week, though this can be built up gradually and split across the day.

“To start, try 10-15 seconds of continuous jumping for two or three rounds, resting fully between rounds, and build up from there.

“Where possible, break jumps into smaller clusters with short rests—around 30 seconds—between rounds, as this is more effective for bone health than doing them in one long, unbroken set.

“Bone cells become less responsive to continuous loading, and brief rest periods between sets help restore that responsiveness.”

When to progress: There's no need to rush any stage—some people are happy to stay at the small hops or pogo jumps stage long term.

“Or you can progress onto single-leg pogo jumps. Impact-loading like this is one of the exercise categories most strongly linked to supporting bone health as we age, though everyone's starting point and pace should be individual.”

A strong mid-section is a runner’s secret weapon.

It helps your body absorb the repetitive impact of every stride, maintain an efficient upright posture, maximize the efficiency of your run and make the whole experience much more enjoyable.

That’s why personal trainer, ultramarathon runner and Realbuzz ambassador Sam Tomlinson insists that all his running clients include this five-move core workout in their weekly plan.

“Core training for runners is not just about strengthening the abdominal muscles,” he tells Fit&Well.

Instead, the trainer says runners should focus on building the glutes, hips, lower back and deeper trunk muscles, which all work together to keep the pelvis and spine stable while running.

“Running is essentially a series of repeated single-leg landings,” Tomlinson continues.

“The muscles around the side of the trunk and hips must prevent the pelvis from dropping or rotating every time the foot hits the ground.”

Here, the UK-based trainer shares the core workout he swears by and how it can be adapted for runners of all levels.

How to do this five-move core workout for runners

Tomlinson recommends completing this circuit after an easy run, once or twice a week.

“It is one I regularly use with my running clients, adapting the exercises to suit their current ability,” he says.

Perform the exercises in order, resting approximately 10 seconds between moves and one minute between rounds.

Complete three rounds in total, using Tomlinson’s regressions or progressions to match your ability.

1. Hollow hold

Time: 20-40sec Rest: 10sec

• Lie on your back and press your lower back into the floor by engaging your lower core muscles.
• Raise your head, shoulders and arms, then raise your legs to create tension through your whole body.
• Hold for your target time.

Make it easier: Bend your knees toward your chest to reduce the pressure through your lower back.

Make it harder: Extend your arms overhead and lower your legs closer to the floor.

2. Side plank

Time: 20-30sec each side Rest: 10sec

• Lie on your side with one foot stacked on top of the other, and rest your weight on your forearm, with your elbow positioned under your shoulder.
• Raise your hips to form a straight line from your head to your feet.
• Hold this position; avoid rotating forward or backward.

Make it easier: Keep your bottom knee on the floor to reduce the strain on your core.

Make it harder: Lift and hold your top leg away from your bottom leg.

3. Plank hip roll

Reps: 10 each side Rest: 10sec

• Get on your hands and knees.
• Step your legs back so your body forms a straight line.
• Lower onto your forearms, with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
• With your feet together, slowly lower your hips to one side, then the other.
• Control the rotational movement through your trunk while keeping your shoulders strong and stable.

Make it easier: Lower your knees to the floor and keep your hips low.

Make it harder: Slow the movement down and pause just above the floor on each side.

4. Bear plank shoulder tap

Reps: 8 each side Rest: 10sec

• Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
• Lift your knees just off the floor.
• Hold this position while you tap your left shoulder with your right hand, moving your arm as slowly as possible while keeping your back and hips level.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Make it easier: Perform the shoulder taps with your knees on the floor but keep your core engaged by pressing through your palms to engage your shoulder blades.

Make it harder: Move your feet closer together to increase instability.

5. Single-leg glute bridge

Reps: 10 each side Rest: 1min

• Lie on your back with your right knee bent and right foot flat on the floor, and your left leg extended.
• Place your hands on the floor by your sides for balance.
• Raise your hips and your extended left leg, avoiding any twist in your pelvis as you raise your hips.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of the lift, then lower with control.
• Complete 10 repetitions in total, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Perform the movement with both feet on the floor.

Make it harder: Pause for a few seconds at the top of each repetition or place a dumbbell across your hips.

One of the best ways to strengthen your core is to tag in a friend, grab a resistance band and challenge your abdominal muscles the way they have to work in real life.

That means working to keep you stable, balanced and your spine protected.

Exercising with a friend rather than solo, according to a 2019 study, could also improve your mental wellbeing—something I’m sure you'll discover during this fun follow-along workout.

Designed by trainers Matt Van Mol and Cyan Koay, co-founders of Strong Band, this four-move routine is guaranteed to strengthen your entire core and get you smiling.

“This 12-minute routine trains your core the way it was designed to work: under tension and through a range of different movement patterns,” Van Mol tells Fit&Well.

Working with a partner, he adds, will ensure you don’t slacken off mid-set.

“With someone on the other end of the band, either pulling it away from you, or bracing so you can move with a strong core, you can’t fake it,” he says.

“Performing these partner workouts consistently will help you develop real-world, functional core strength that supports you in everything that life throws at you.”

How to perform this core workout

The four exercises Van Mol and Koay have selected in this workout are designed to stress test a wide range of the core’s key functions.

“Dead bugs challenge anti-extension and towel pull-ups improve lower back strength,” explains Koay.

“While side plank rows work on lateral stability and Pallof presses using your partner as the anchor build control through rotation.”

It might sound technical, she adds, “but it is designed to flow and meet you where you are at, no matter your current level of ability”.

Before hitting play on the follow-along video below, assign you and your partner the number one or two. Partner one will follow the male trainer, Van Mol. Partner two will follow the female trainer, Koay.

Try to keep pace with the trainers in the video, resting as needed.

You can use this workout as a standalone session or tag it onto the end of a full-body routine as an effective core-focused finisher.

Van Mol suggests aiming to perform it once or twice a week.

In the video, the trainers refer to “progress lines” on the band that help determine the amount of tension you’re working against. Progress lines are what separate Strong Band’s resistance bands from other brands, but you can still get just as effective a workout using a regular long-loop resistance band.

Van Mol and Koay also use two bands. One provides medium resistance and the other light resistance, so bear this in mind if you have a few bands to choose from.

Here’s the workout as a follow-along YouTube workout, posted on Strong Band’s channel, followed by form guides and reps for each exercise, in case you’re in the gym and can’t easily watch the video.

Watch the follow-along core partner workout

Exercise guides

1A. Banded dead bug

Sets: 2 Reps: 8 each side

• Place your exercise mats end to end and lie on your backs, with your heads next to each other.
• With both of you holding one end of the band in both hands, raise your arms straight up—there should be a challenging amount of tension in the band; adjust your positions until this is the case.
• Lift your legs and bend your knees to 90° until your knees are directly above your hips and your shins are parallel to the floor.
• Engage your core and gently press your lower back into the floor—this is your starting position.
• Exhale as you extend and lower one leg slowly, tapping your heel on the floor.
• Inhale as you return to the starting position.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep and trying to move in unison.

1B. Banded pull

Sets: 2 Reps: 8

• Flip over onto your fronts, still both holding the band.
• Lift your chest and your feet slightly off the floor, and squeeze your glutes to stabilise your body.
• Pull the band into your chest like a row or pull-up.
• Hold briefly at the end of this range, then extend your arms back to the start position.
• You can either lower your chest and feet to the floor between reps or, for hold the raised position for an extra challenge.

2. Knees-down side plank with row

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Use a lighter band if you have one for this exercise.
• Lie on your side, facing your partner, propped up on your forearm, with your knees bent and feet behind you.
• Engage your core and squeeze your glutes, then lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Both of you should hold one end of the band in your top hand—this is your starting position.
• Partner two holds their end of the band by their hip and acts as the anchor point, and partner one pulls the band just past their hip, keeping their elbow tucked into their body.
• Partner one performs eight reps, then swaps roles with partner two.
• Complete all reps on one side, then change sides.

3. Pallof press with rotation

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Stand side by side with your partner, with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
• Both of you should hold one end of the band in both hands, with your fingers interlocked, and your arms extended in front of you at chest height.
• Step away from your partner to create tension in the band.
• Partner one should step to the front of your mat and partner two to the back of your mat—or if not using mats, position yourself so partner one is a bit in front of partner two.
• Keep your arms straight throughout as partner one brings their hands to their chest, then pushes out and rotates away from partner two as if in a woodchop motion.
• Return the band to the start with control.
• At the same time, partner two should be keeping their arms outstretched, hands in front of their chest, bracing against the force created by partner one.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and breathing steady throughout.
• Partner one performs eight reps, then swaps roles with partner two.
• Complete all reps on one side then swap sides and repeat.

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Healthy aging and maintaining your independence are great goals to have, even in your 20s and 30s.

However, once you creep past 40, they should be a big focus of your workout routine.

That’s why I teach all my clients over 40 the lateral lunge to balance.

This exercise strengthens lower-body muscles and improves full-body stability.

Kandis Daroski, a physical therapist and clinical program manager at Medbridge, says practicing these types of movements is crucial for aging well.

“Your 40s are a great time to be intentional about your side-to-side strength and your balance, before you ever notice a problem,” she says.

“In life, we move side to side, we go up and down curbs, we turn and twist. This exercise builds resilience, so your body is ready for whatever real life throws at it.”

How to do the lateral lunge to balance

This is a bodyweight version of the lateral lunge to balance but as you get stronger, you may want to perform it with a weight for an additional challenge.

Begin with one set of eight to 10 repetitions (reps), keeping them slow and controlled.

“By slowing down and controlling the movement, you’ll challenge the muscles more than moving quickly through 20 reps,” Daroski suggests.

Over time, build to 12 reps for two or three sets, two or three times per week.

If you're suffering from an injury or have other health issues, get clearance from your medical team before trying this move.

Reps: 12

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and engage your core.
• Take a large step out to your right side with your right foot.
• Bend your right knee and push your hips back as you lower toward the floor.
• Keep your chest up and core engaged.
• Push through your right foot, bringing yourself back to center, and raise your right knee to hip height while balancing on your left foot.
• Pause briefly, then go straight into the next rep.
• Complete all the reps on one side, then the other.

Form tips: “In the lunge position, keep your chest up tall and hinge from the hips instead of rounding your upper back forward,” says Daroski. “Exhale as you push through your whole foot to come back up.”

Keep your toes pointing forward throughout the movement, and avoid letting your foot externally rotate as you step to the side.

How to make the lateral lunge to balance easier

If you’re a beginner, there are ways to simplify the exercise.

Instead of raising your knee to balance at the end of the movement, perform a standard lateral lunge by returning your foot to the floor.

You can also reduce your range of motion and limit how low you go when performing the lateral lunge.

If your leg isn't strong enough to support your weight yet, practicing step-ups and lateral step-ups will help build the muscles you need.

How to make the lateral lunge to balance harder

If you can do 12 reps of this exercise without feeling fatigued, you’ll want to increase the difficulty so that you don’t lose out on its strength-building benefits.

Hold a weight—a dumbbell, kettlebell or even a weight plate—at your chest as you do the exercise. Start with a light weight and when that starts to feel easy, try a weight in each hand.

Continue aiming for eight to 12 reps with good form. If you notice that your form starts to fail before you get to eight reps, use a lighter weight.

Your next progression is to add an overhead press by holding a weight in the opposite hand to your side-lunging leg and pressing it overhead when you raise your knee to balance.

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask experts 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.

It wasn't until she turned 21 that Bronté Terrell learned she was neurodivergent.

By that time, she'd already excelled at school and earned a place at a prestigious London drama college that would lead to a role on the British TV series Hollyoaks.

Yet, in the back of her mind, Terrell knew acting wasn't her true calling.

“My mum got me into spin classes and I ended up training as a fitness instructor as a way to cover classes when I wasn't acting,” she tells Fit&Well.

“Over the years, I found myself booking incredible acting jobs but being in the trailer with itchy feet because I just wanted to be moving.”

That yearning eventually led to her taking a leap of faith and throwing herself fully into the fitness industry as a Les Mills group fitness presenter.

She explains that it's the best move she ever made to help manage her symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“With ADHD you have a million and one different thoughts and all this energy,” says the 34-year-old.

“You get these extreme highs but also extreme lows. For me, my hook in is certainly exercise. It's such a healthy way to be able to channel your energy.”

Leading group fitness classes, in particular, is something she relishes.

“You're spinning so many plates when you teach classes.

“Your attention and focus is on your members, keeping them moving safely and effectively. You're pulling from memory to deliver choreography or workout plans in time to the music.”

All that multitasking, says Terrell, “lends itself incredibly well to a brain that has a thousand and one thoughts going on anyway”.

High-tempo fitness classes can be similarly beneficial for participants whose minds are always racing, she adds.

“If you are an ADHD person or have a brain that's got a thousand and one things going on, it's just an opportunity to shut the door on everything else and lock in on this moment.

“That intensity pushes you to think about nothing else for that 30 or 45 minutes.”

Below, Terrell shares the weekly workout schedule that helps calm her active mind, along with advice for anyone looking to build their own fitness routine.

Bronté Terrell's week as a Les Mills instructor

Outside of the fitness studio, Terrell says she loves cycling and competing in triathlons.

“If I have events booked in I'll kind of sharpen up for that discipline,” she says.

Otherwise her primary focus is staying fit, healthy and ready to deliver her best effort in every Les Mills class.

“I've learned the hard way that it can't just be high impact all the time. It's important to have a blend of stretching and mobility, and Pilates.”

Classes vary from Les Mills' spin-focused Sprint class to signature strength workout Bodypump, and Shapes—which blends power yoga with barre.

Bronté Terrell's weekly workout routine

Here is what her typical week in workouts looks like.

Monday
Leads two 30-45min Les Mills classes in the AM and PM.

Tuesday
Leads two Les Mills classes in the AM and another 30min class in the PM.
She then tags her own 30min push/pull strength session in the gym onto her final class.

Wednesday
Leads two 45min Les Mills classes in the AM and one 45min class in the PM.

Thursday
Leads two Les Mills classes in the PM.
She then tags her own 30min full-body push/pull strength workout onto her final class.

Friday
Leads two 45-55min Les Mills classes in the AM.
She then keeps the afternoon and evening reserved for “me time”.

“I might spend it with my family. I love walking. I'm really fortunate that I live near the forest where I can get out and walk. I love music so I might go out to an event,” says Terrell.

Saturday
Leads two 45min Les Mills classes in the AM.

"Saturday is like the sign off day. We have a real blast out. I teach spin on that day so it's like a party on a Saturday morning," she says. “And then: rest.”

Sunday
Rest day.

“This is non-negotiable unless I’m doing an event,” she says. “Rest is just as important as work, especially at the end of a full-on working week.”

Bronté Terrell on how to build a routine to match your mood

Terrell found her calling in leading group exercise classes, but experimenting with a variety of classes as a member expanded her fitness horizons and taught her new skills.

Here's her advice for anyone new to exercise.

1. Find the thing that sets your soul on fire

If you're sitting in a yoga class or Pilates studio and find your mind wandering “a million miles an hour” you don't have to stick with it if it doesn't bring you joy, says Terrell.

“Instead, find the thing that sets your soul on fire. Find the thing that gets you hooked.”

Terrell says that class for her was cycling to music.

“I only ever wanted to teach because I just loved cycle [classes]. I love how riding on that beat of the music comes together with this energy and atmosphere.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god. This is like the closest thing to being in the club, but in a healthy way.’ That's what got me hooked. Cycle to music is my heart and my love.”

2. Use group exercise classes to expand your fitness skillset

Classes are another safe space to introduce your body—and mind—to new forms of exercise.

For Terrell, Les Mills' Bodypump strength class helped build confidence that meant she knew how to lift weights effectively on the gym floor.

“People often tell me they want to step on the weight floor but don't know what to do,” she says.

“For me, learning how to lift and pick up weight, and learn movements I'd never done before, like a clean and press: those foundations were learned in doing Les Mills' strength-based program.

“That's one of the beautiful things about Les Mills programs. They are accessible to everybody and can be the stepping stone into other things in the fitness world.”

3. Remember your get-out-of-jail-free card

Of course, dabbling with lots of new classes could result in you landing in a workout that doesn't suit your present mood.

At times like these, teeing up your get-out card is one of the tricks of the trade.

“I always say, if you're ever trying out a class and not sure if it's going to be for you, tell the instructor that you've got an important phone call you're waiting for,” says Terrell.

“It's like a get-out-of-jail-free card.”

You can use it to slip out of a class without interrupting the instructor or making them feel bad.

Getting up from the floor becomes harder as we age, but there's a simple way to make sure you can keep doing it: practice.

Dr Christynne Helfrich, a doctor of physical therapy at Hinge Health, recommends doing it repeatedly in a safe space, near a sturdy couch or chair, if you're trying to rebuild this skill.

“This is called specificity of training, which just means practicing exactly the skill that you need to do.”

If you find that challenging, Helfrich recommends doing these three exercises to build your strength and mobility.

The exercises

These are the three exercises that Helfrich recommends:

• Sit-to-stand
• Wall push-up
• Squat

Helfrich recommends doing moves three to four times per week, either as part of a workout or as an exercise snack to break up your day.

1. Sit-to-stand

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 30-60sec

How to do it:

• Sit in a stable chair with your feet hip-width apart. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
• Without using your hands, push through your feet to stand.
• Pause in a standing position.
• Bend your knees to sit into the chair slowly.

“Sit-to-stands are one of my favorite exercises for older adults because you’re practicing something you do daily—getting yourself from a seated position to standing,” says Helfrich.

“You're strengthening your glutes and legs and practicing pressing through your feet to bring your body upright.

“It's also easy to practice at home with a sturdy chair, and you can focus on moving slowly and with control rather than worrying about speed or intensity.”

2. Wall push-up

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 30-60sec

How to do it:

• Stand a few feet away from a wall.
• Place your hands flat against it at about chest height with your arms straight.
• Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the wall.
• Press through your hands to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
• Complete each repetition slowly, keeping your movement controlled.

Form tip: Keep your body aligned, without letting your hips dip toward the wall or push backward.

“You might think getting up from the floor is all about leg strength, but your upper body and core are important, too,” says Helfrich.

“I recommend wall push-ups because they strengthen your arms, chest, shoulders and core.”

She explains that the wall takes some pressure off your upper body and joints, making this an accessible starting point for those who lack the strength to do a traditional push-up.

“As you get stronger, you can progress to using a sturdy table or countertop for added challenge,” she says.

3. Squat

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 30-60sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, near a sturdy chair or countertop if needed for support.
• Clasp your hands in front of your chest and keep your chest lifted.
• Slowly bend your knees and push your hips back, as if you’re going to sit in a chair.
• Lower only as far as feels comfortable and controlled.
• Press through your feet to straighten your legs and return to standing.

“If you're getting yourself up from the floor, there comes a point when you've brought a foot underneath you and need your legs to help push you upright. That's where this type of lower-body strength becomes particularly important,” says Helfrich.

“For older adults, the goal isn’t to see how deeply you can squat, but to move through a comfortable range of motion with control.

“Squats can strengthen the hip and thigh muscles you rely on to stand, helping build the lower-body strength needed to push yourself upright from the floor.”

Trainer Jason Walsh's celebrity clientele reads like a stroll down Los Angeles' iconic Walk of Fame. Matt Damon, check. Emily Blunt, check. Bradley Cooper, check.

The Hollywood trainer and co-founder of plant-based protein brand RISE311 is behind some of the most eye-catching physical transformations to grace the silver screen.

From John Krasinski in 13 Hours to Miles Teller in Top Gun: Maverick and Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, the 50-year-old strength and conditioning coach is well-versed in building blockbuster muscle.

But regardless of their fame or past sporting pedigree, there are six fundamental movement patterns he gets everyone who walks through his gym door to master before moving on.

Fail to do so, he says, and everything falls apart.

“The foundations are so important,” he says, moments after cutting short a remote training session with Road House actor Jake Gyllenhaal to speak with Fit&Well.

“You might have a plan to build this beautiful house, but if you don’t anchor the house with an incredible foundation, something could come along that just f**** it all up, you know.”

Walsh prefers to nail down those fundamentals with primitive movement patterns we’ve learned since birth: lunging, squatting, carrying, rotating, pushing and pulling.

“These are the basics,” he says. “These are the fundamentals of the house.”

Failure to master these fundamentals, he argues, is the reason most people struggle to build momentum and consistency with exercise.

“If you don’t, you’re going to get hurt. You’re going to get frustrated. You’re going to get p****d off and you’re going to stop. Then this whole cycle starts over again.”

Pressed on which of his Walk of Fame celebrities still practice these fundamentals, and how often, he replies: “Everyone. Every day.”

“We work them into our warm-ups. We never ever lose the fundamentals. It’s not an Instagram workout. It’s not flashy or cool. We teach people. We stress them. We rinse and repeat.”

Over time, through repetition, that mentality builds discipline, he says.

It builds the foundations that allow you to build the house—or body—fit for the big screen.

“You can’t replicate it. There’s no pill for it. There’s no shortcut.”

How to put Walsh’s advice into practice

Whenever Walsh works with a new client—celebrity or otherwise—he starts with a movement screen to address any injuries or weaknesses.

“I treat everybody like they’re new,” he says. “We do an assessment. I look to see how their body moves, look for the red flags and then I address those issues.”

His work with The Odyssey star Matt Damon is a prime example.

“He’s a client I’ve worked with for years and years. [Before our first session] he was very frustrated. He told me his shoulder hurt and he couldn’t lift his arm over his head. He couldn't play with his kid because his back hurt.”

Previous trainers, he explained, hadn’t addressed underlying issues and asymmetries.

Walsh took two weeks to unlock Damon’s tight shoulder. Then another two to fix his back.

“It was like this weird ah-ha moment. At that point he was like, ‘Dude, I’m all yours. You’ve earned it.’ All of that stuff gave Matt the foundation and ability to train hard.”

To resolve long-standing imbalances, as he did with Damon, Walsh will break down and rebuild six key movement patterns: the lunge, squat, carry, rotation, push and pull.

These will then become the cornerstone of every warm-up, using bodyweight and isometric holds to improve muscular strength and joint stability.

Here’s how you can apply Walsh’s technique to your next workout.

Build your session by choosing one exercise from each of the options below. Each variation increases in difficulty from left to right.

Perform each exercise as straight sets for two to three sets of 10-12 reps (30-60sec for the carries), resting 60 seconds between sets.

Pick a weight that allows you to perform each exercise with good form but that challenges you to complete each set flawlessly.

The options:

• Lunge: Split squat, reverse lunge, Bulgarian split squat
• Squat: Sit-to-stand, bodyweight squat, goblet squat
• Push: Wall push-up, push-up, dumbbell bench press
• Pull: Inverted row, dumbbell bent-over row, pull-up
• Carry: Farmer’s carry, suitcase carry, waiter’s walk
• Rotation: Russian twist, dumbbell wood chop, cable Pallof press

For example, a beginner-friendly version could look like this, resting 60sec between sets:

1. Split squat: Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12

2. Sit-to-stand: Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12

3. Wall push-up: Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12

4. Inverted row: Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12

5. Farmer’s carry: Sets: 2-3 Time: 30-60sec each side

6. Russian twist: Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12 each side

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) sounds, well, intense.

With a name like that, you may think it is only suitable for seasoned exercisers, but it can easily be tailored to beginners.

Angela Brooks, a NASM-certified personal trainer from VASA Fitness, explains that the goal of HIIT is to push your heart rate up using bursts of high effort.

What gets my heart rate up will be less than what it takes for an Olympic athlete doing HIIT, but as long as I put the appropriate amount of effort in at the appropriate amount, I’ll benefit.

And HIIT offers some great benefits. “HIIT produces outsized results relative to the time invested,” Brooks explains.

“Steady-state cardio—like a 30- to 45-minute jog—has its place, especially for active recovery and aerobic base-building.

“But for people pressed for time who want to build cardiovascular fitness, improve metabolic health, and see measurable body composition changes, HIIT consistently outperforms [steady-state cardio and takes] less time.”

Brooks shared the following 10-minute, equipment-free, beginner-friendly HIIT workout for you to try.

10-minute beginner HIIT workout

“This workout was designed around two principles: accessibility and scalability. Each movement is low-impact at its base level, and I’ve included a progression for those ready to push further,” says Brooks.

Perform each of the following five exercises for 45 seconds, resting for 15 seconds between exercises, to complete one round. Perform two rounds in total.

1. Overhead march
2. Squat to calf raise
3. Reverse lunge to knee drive
4. Bear crawl hold
5. Lateral shuffle to rotational punch

Exercise guides

1. Overhead march

Time: 45sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms extended overhead.
• Bend and lift your right knee to hip height and lower your hands to tap your knee.
• Return to the starting position then repeat on the other side.
• As you warm up, increase your speed.

Add a challenge: Continue moving through the full 60 seconds without rest.

“An overhead march is the perfect opener,” says Brooks.

“It elevates your heart rate gently, warms your hip flexors and core, and forces overhead shoulder stability.

“Plus, it’s a low-impact movement pattern that works for every fitness level. Marching with arms raised also cues proper posture.”

2. Squat to calf raise

Time: 45sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower until your thighs are parallel with the floor, or as low as your mobility allows. Keep your chest facing forward and your knees aligned over your feet.
• Press through your heels to stand.
• Once you are stanging upright, shift your weight forward, lift your heels and raise both arms overhead.
• Return to the starting position.

Add a challenge: Replace the calf raise with a jump squat by pushing explosively off the floor at the top of each rep.

“This compound movement targets the primary lower-body muscles in a single fluid motion,” says Brooks.

“The squat builds glute and quad strength, and the calf raise at the top adds an ankle stability and calf endurance component.”

3. Reverse lunge to knee drive

Time: 45sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower until both knees are bent to 90°.
• Push through your left heel to rise, bringing your right leg forward, raising your right knee to hip height.
• Pause, then return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Add a challenge: After the knee drive, transition directly into three fast high knees before switching sides.

“The reverse lunge is one of the safest lunge variations for beginners because it places less shear force on the knee,” says Brooks.

“Adding the knee drive at the top turns it into a balance and hip flexor challenge, and a natural progression into more dynamic movements. It’s unilateral (single-leg), which also develops stability and corrects side-to-side imbalances.”

4. Bear crawl hold

Time: 45sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your legs extended behind you. Your body should form a straight line.
• Step your feet forward so that your knees are bent to 90° and are directly under your hips.
• Hold this position for a breath, then step your feet back out to high plank.
• Hold the plank for a breath, then step your feet forward into a bear hold.
• Continue, alternating between these two positions.

Modification: You can place your hands on a bench or elevated surface to reduce the pressure on your wrists and shoulders.

Add a challenge: Add a push-up each time you return to the high plank position.

“This movement trains both the superficial core—the muscles you can see—and the deep stabilizing core—the muscles that protect your spine,” says Brooks.

“Moving between a high plank and a bear crawl position demands full-body tension and coordination. It's deceptively challenging without any jumping or joint impact.”

5. Lateral shuffle to rotational punch

Time: 45sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stand in an athletic stance, with your feet hip-width apart, your knees slightly bent and your hips pushed back slightly, and your hands raised to eye level.
• Take two side steps to the right.
• Punch to the left with your left hand, pivoting on your left foot and turning your hips and torso to face right.
• Shuffle back to the left and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Add a challenge: In the final 15 seconds, drop into fast feet with alternating jabs so you are making rapid-fire punches on both sides.

“The lateral shuffle activates the glutes and inner/outer thighs in a way most exercises miss,” says Brooks.

“This exercise trains the side-to-side movement patterns that are essential for athletic function and injury prevention.

“The rotational punch at the end of each shuffle activates the obliques and trains the body to generate rotational power from the hips.”