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.
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 weights in front of the body with arms fully extended.
- Lift your weights by bending your elbows and your palms facing upwards.
- Tuck your elbows in to keep your arms close to your sides.
- When the weights touch your shoulders, lower back down.
- Repeat the movement until you feel the front of your arms have worked.
Lateral raise
- Standing up, 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 hands together.
- Keeping them pressed together turn your wrists 90 degrees.
- Hold this position for five seconds.
- Turn your wrists back through 180 degrees and press again.
- Keep changing every five 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 five 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.
- 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