The following exercises are aimed at people who are mobile. The activities are simple and easy to follow.
Where weights are mentioned, you can use a tin of food, such as baked beans or soup, instead of fitness weights.
Squats
Use a chair for support or safety at first.
- Stand in front of the chair and go to sit down.
- As you touch the seat, stand up again.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your thighs have had a good work out.
Press-ups
- Start off by standing approx two feet away from the wall.
- Place your hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your arms until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
- Push back against the wall until you are standing upright.
- Progress by increasing your distance away from the wall.
- Progress further by using a windowsill or bath
- Repeat the movement until you feel your chest and back of the arms have worked.
Upright row
- Hold weights in front of you against your body.
- Lift the weights up in front of you by raising your elbows, ensuring that your elbows are always higher than your wrists.
- Repeat the movement until you feel the back of your neck and front of the arms have worked.
Shoulder press
- Hold weights in front of your chest with your elbows bent and your palms facing inwards.
- Push your arms upwards in the air and twist your wrists.
- When arms are straight up your palms will face outwards.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your shoulders and the back of your arms have worked.
Bicep curl
- Hold the weights in front of the body with your arms fully extended.
- Lift your weights by bending your elbows and keeping your palms upwards.
- Tuck your elbows in to keep your arms close to your sides.
- When the weights touch the shoulders, lower back down.
- Repeat the movement until you feel the front of your arms have worked.
Calf raises
For this exercise, you will need a step.
- Stand with your toes on the edge of the bottom step.
- Use the banister or wall for support.
- Stand up on your tiptoes.
- Then lower yourself to put your heels towards the floor.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your calves have worked.
Step-ups
- Use a set of stairs to climb.
- Step up and down two steps each time if you can.
- If you don’t have stairs, step up and down using any secure step.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your thighs have worked.
Crunches
- Lie down on your back on a suitably cushioned surface.
- Put you feet flat on the floor with your legs bent.
- Hands behind or touching the ears.
- Squeeze your stomach muscles tight, as if pulling your navel towards your spine.
- Raise your shoulders off the floor and hold for five seconds.
- Return to the floor and relax the stomach muscles.
- Ensure normal breathing throughout.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your stomach has worked.
Dorsal raise
- Lie down on your front on a suitably cushioned surface.
- Put your hands behind your back pushing down towards your legs.
- Keeping your feet on the floor, raise your shoulders.
- Hold in the raised position for five seconds.
- Return your upper body to the floor.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your back has worked.
Lateral raise
- In a standing position, hold weights at your side and lift them sideways.
- When the arms are parallel to the floor, hold for two seconds.
- Return your arms to your side.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your shoulders have worked.
Russian twist
- Hold a small weight out in front of you with both hands.
- Twist round to the right as far as you can go – your head will naturally follow.
- Twist back round to the left as far as you can go
- Ensure that your arms remain straight and parallel to the floor.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your shoulders and stomach have worked.
Isometric flyes
- Hold your arms out in front of you.
- Press your hands together hard and hold for five seconds.
- Release the pressure before repeating the exercise.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your chest has worked.
Bicep/tricep press
- Hold your arms out in front of you and press your hands together.
- Keeping them pressed together turn your wrists 90 degrees.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds.
- Turn your wrists back through 180 degrees and press again.
- Keep changing every 5 seconds by turning through 180 degrees.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your arms have worked.
Leg extension
- Sitting down on a chair, put one foot behind the other.
- Place your rear foot against your front leg.
- Keeping your front leg firm, push forward with your rear foot.
- Push for five seconds at a time and swap over and do the other leg.
- Repeat the movement until you feel your thighs have worked.
Leg curl
- Sitting down on a chair, put one foot behind the other.
- Place your front leg (just above the heel) against your rear leg.
- Keeping your rear leg firm, pull backward with your front leg.
- Pull for 5 seconds at a time and swap over and do the other leg.
- Repeat the movement until you feel the back of your thighs have worked.
Feet tapping
- Sitting down on a chair.
- First tap your toes fast on the floor about 20 times.
- Then tap your heels fast on the floor about 20 times.
- Then keeping your toes still move your heels out and in x 20.
- Then keeping your heels still move your toes out and in x 20.
Fingers and toes
- Squeeze a ball using all your fingers separately.
- Click your fingers individually.
- Sit down on a chair.
- Put a towel on the floor under your bare feet.
- Scrunch the towel up with your toes.
- Alternatively, move your feet forward by curling your toes against the carpet.
Reviewed March 2010
Next review September 2011