While a sculpted midsection might be the goal for some, I want a strong core so I can do the activities I love longer without hurting my back. Since taking up Pilates, I've seen a huge difference in my core, so when LJ, a master trainer at London's 1Rebel, shared a five-move Pilates-inspired core workout with me, I couldn't wait to try it.

If you don't have access to a reformer bed, you can try using sliders instead, which are cheap and easy to buy from Amazon. If you want to stick to low-impact exercises, you're going to love the moves below. You don't need weights or any other equipment, and it's also accessible for most levels.

Here it is!

Watch: Master trainer's 5-move ab workout

LJ hasn't programmed sets, reps, or timing, but as a personal trainer myself, I would recommend programming 45 seconds on and 15 seconds off for 3-5 rounds. To make it more challenging, slow your tempo and program 50 seconds on instead.

My stomach has always been a problem area for me, but workouts like this have definitely made an enormous difference in developing strength, muscle and shape. I still maintain that your diet will move the needle most when it comes to how much muscle definition you show there, as well as other factors like health conditions, sleep, stress, lifting weights and genetics.

• Kneeling side kick (lateral core and glute stability): Start in a side-kneeling position, one hand down under your shoulder and the top leg extended straight out to the side. Keep your torso tall and still; kick the top leg forward, then sweep it back with control, without letting your hips or ribs collapse. Working: Obliques and deep lateral core for stability, plus gluteus medius and hip flexors on the working leg. 
• Glute raise to heel slides outward: Lie on your back, knees bent, heels on sliders or the bed. Lift into a glute bridge, then slowly slide both heels outward to the sides, draw them back in, and lower with control. Working: Glutes, hamstrings and adductors, with the core working to keep the pelvis level. The slide adds an eccentric challenge to the hamstrings and inner thighs.
• Wheelbarrow: Start in a strong plank with your hands on sliders or the bed. Brace your core, then push the sliders forward or your knees backward in a controlled line, keeping your hips level and ribs down. Drive back in to the start. Working: Deep core (transverse abdominis) and rectus abdominis, shoulders and lats for stability, and serratus anterior for scapular control. 
• Glute bridge marches: Lie on your back with your knees bent, and lift into a glute bridge. Holding your hips high and level, alternate lifting one foot off the floor at a time as though marching on the spot. Working: Glutes and hamstrings holding the bridge, plus core and obliques resisting rotation and keeping the pelvis steady. This is great for single-leg stability.
• Criss-cross leg flutters: Lie on your back with your legs extended just off the floor and your lower back pressed into the mat. Flutter your legs up and down in small, quick movements,  crossing them over one another with each beat. Working: Lower abdominals and hip flexors, plus inner thighs from the crossing action. It’s a good test of core control and endurance.

What happened when I tried it

Try to keep the reps similar for each move in each round, and work both sides of the body. If you choose to do equal-number rounds, you could complete the reps on one side only, then switch to the other side on the next round.

This is a really great all-rounder, and you'll feel it everywhere. I kept my tempo slow and controlled, which delivered a strong burn in my core muscles and ensured I switched everything on to stay stable.

I used a reformer bed, but sliders work well, in my experience. I stuck to four rounds, which totaled a 20-minute workout, and my abs and shoulders were in pieces after. I had to keep remembering to use my breath, exhaling deeply during the phases of the exercises that created the most tension; this actually made me feel more in control and kept my body in a natural rhythm.

If you're new to core workouts or this type of routine, I strongly recommend taking it slowly and stopping if you experience any pain.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

This isn't just about hitting your abs, though, although the rectus abdominis muscles along the front of your stomach are targeted. It's also about building deep core strength and working the muscles that protect your spine, like your hips, glutes and stabilizing layers of muscle.

If you suffer from tight hips or back pain, some (or all) of these moves might be useful for you to try, but stop and rest if you need to.

If you're unsure how to engage your core properly, this short "bracing" routine might be helpful for you before you start the workout.

Also remember that training should make you feel good, so if ripped abs isn't the goal, that's great; focus on what you enjoy about the workout and let us know how you get on.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people to be more mobile in their 60s and 70s: 3 low-impact exercises you should start with
• Forget burpees —the 'Pilates burpee' is beginner-friendly and low-impact (and you’ll love it)
• A yoga instructor says this is the 5-minute yoga routine you need for strong and mobile hips and core muscles

Squats are one of the best-known exercises for building stronger legs, but that doesn’t mean they’re suitable for everyone. If you find squatting difficult because of stiff knees, limited mobility, or balance concerns, there are some great alternatives you can try — so you don’t have to miss out on building that all-important lower-body strength.

As we age, strong legs help us manage everyday activities like climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, and walking independently. And while squats are an effective way to train several lower-body muscles at once, they’re not the only option. Other exercises can also strengthen your thighs, hips and calves, without requiring you to lower your body into a deep squat.

Below, we’ve rounded up five alternative moves to help you build stronger legs. They can be adapted to different fitness levels, with options to use a sturdy chair or wall for extra support where needed.

The goal is to find exercises that feel comfortable for your body, while helping you maintain the strength and stability you rely on every day. Give the exercises below a try and you should start to notice a difference.

1. Seated leg extensions

If bending your knees deeply feels uncomfortable, seated leg extensions are a useful alternative for strengthening your quadriceps — the muscles at the front of your thighs. These muscles help straighten your knees and play an important role in everyday activities like walking and climbing the stairs. Best of all, you can practice them without having to support your full body weight.

How to do it:

• Sit towards the front of a sturdy chair, with your back straight and both feet flat on the floor.
• Slowly straighten one knee, lifting your foot until your leg is almost fully extended.
• Pause for a second, keeping your thigh on the chair.
• Lower your foot back to the floor with control.

Make it easier: Straighten your knee through a smaller range of motion, working only as far as feels comfortable.

Make it harder: Hold your leg straight for three to five seconds before lowering it, or add a light ankle weight if you can do the movement comfortably and with control.

2. Standing hamstring curls

Your hamstrings — the muscles at the backs of your thighs — help bend your knees and contribute to stability while walking. Standing hamstring curls strengthen these muscles without the effort of lowering your body into a squat. You can hold onto a sturdy chair or countertop if you struggle to balance on one leg.

How to do it

• Stand tall behind a sturdy chair or countertop, holding on for support.
• Keeping your thighs roughly in line with each other, bend one knee to bring your heel towards your buttocks.
• Avoid leaning forward or arching your back as you lift your foot.
• Slowly lower your foot back to the floor.

Make it easier: Bend your knee only a small amount, gradually increasing the range as your strength improves. Keep both hands on your support.

Make it harder: Add a light ankle weight or resistance band, provided you can maintain good form and balance.

3. Standing hip extensions

Our glutes are the primary engine for balance, posture, and independence as we age. Standing hip extensions target these muscles without the deep knee bend involved in squats, making them a useful alternative.

How to do it

• Stand behind a sturdy chair or countertop for support.
• Keep your back straight and your weight evenly distributed between your feet.
• Slowly raise one leg backwards, keeping your knee mostly straight and your toes pointing forwards.
• Stop before you feel the need to arch your lower back or lean forwards.
• Bring your leg back to the starting position with control.

Make it easier: Move your leg backwards through a smaller range, keeping both hands on the support.

Make it harder: Place a resistance band around your ankles, if you're comfortable using one.

4. Standing side leg raises

Standing side leg raises work the muscles around the outside of your hips, including the gluteus medius. These muscles help stabilize your pelvis when you stand on one leg during walking. It’s a particularly useful exercise for building hip strength without requiring a deep bend in the knees.

How to do it

• Stand tall beside a sturdy chair or countertop, holding on for support.
• Keep your feet pointing forwards and your torso upright.
• Slowly lift one leg out to the side, keeping your knee straight but not locked.
• Avoid leaning your upper body in the opposite direction or turning your toes towards the ceiling.
• Pause briefly, then lower your leg with control.

Make it easier: Lift your leg only a few inches, prioritising control over height. Use both hands on the support.

Make it harder: Add a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees.

5. Standing calf raises

Your calf muscles help propel you forwards as you walk and contribute to ankle stability, so it’s important we keep them in check. Calf raises are a tried and tested exercise for strengthening the calves without bending your knees into a squat.

How to do it

• Stand behind a sturdy chair or countertop, with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold on for support and keep your torso upright.
• Slowly lift your heels off the floor, rising onto the balls of your feet.
• Pause at the top, then lower your heels slowly back to the floor.

Make it easier: Try seated calf raises instead. Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, then lift your heels while keeping the balls of your feet grounded.

Make it harder: Try raising one heel at a time or slowing down the lowering phase to make your calves work harder.

These exercises are proof that you don’t have to squat to build lower-body strength. Together, they target key lower-body muscles that support walking, balance and everyday movement as we age.

Start with one set of controlled repetitions for each exercise, and aim to practice them twice a week. Over time, your legs should start to feel stronger and more capable.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Despite my part-time job as a personal trainer, my full-time work as a fitness editor means I spend quite a lot of time sitting during the day. Sure, I like to get up and move around often, work out, and my dog gets plenty of long walks, but that doesn't always counteract the effects of prolonged sitting.

When I've spent arguably too long at my desk, I have one of the best yoga mats rolled out and on standby; when I get a spare few minutes, I'll work through a short mobility routine or gentle stretching, just to get things moving. It offers gentle muscle tension relief and allows me to move my joints and free up some space in my body.

It only takes 10 minutes, and I share the routine below, plus some benefits you can expect with regular practice. And remember, how well you move determines how well you live in the future.

Watch: 10-minute anti-sitting routine for muscle tension

You can microdose these routines into your week; they're an anti-aging tool for healthier joints and more active muscles.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

What are the benefits?

Not only is a daily 10-minute yoga flow easy to build into a habit, but it also delivers both physiological and psychological benefits. Physically, it's perfect for moving your muscles and joints through range of motion, which can ease stiffness, release tension and open stiff joints. This is ideal to counter the slouching you probably do without noticing as you sit behind your phone or laptop.

Connecting with your breath allows you to breathe more deeply and rhythmically, activating the diaphragm and down-regulating your nervous system, which allows your body to enter rest-and-repair mode.

Short practices also improve sustainable consistency. By removing the barrier to exercise (equipment, time), you can improve mobility, strengthen your body and increase mental clarity after you step off the mat.

In just 10 minutes, this routine moves your spine through gentle extension and flexion, opening your chest and shoulders, releasing back tension and neck tightness that could impact posture.

Dynamic movement and stretching also stimulate blood flow and circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients around your body.

You don't see results unless you stay consistent, so daily short-form stretching can help keep muscles and fascia more pliable and joints lubricated, meaning better mobility, flexibility and range of motion.

And finally, by regulating your nervous system, your heart rate and cortisol levels can lower, helping your body relax. If you tend to work from home often, a brief 10-minute sequence buffer between work and your personal life, which should help you find better balance.

Joints, ligaments and fascia respond well to low-impact movement, so a routine like this can serve you well if you're just starting. And remember, you might not notice progress straight away, but over time, you'll see huge benefits. Give it a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• According to a personal trainer, this exercise is 100 times more effective than crunches. I tried it and was humbled
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

It’s never too late to start exercising. As a certified personal trainer, I work with so many clients in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s that are embarking on their very first fitness journeys. And when they start seeing real progress, it’s thrilling for both of us.

It’s important to always start with the basics, though, so when I meet with a beginning-level senior client for the first time, I start them off with the following four exercises. These moves are relatively friendly on the joints, help build the strength needed for more advanced exercises, and can make everyday activities easier and safer.

You won’t need any equipment right off the bat, but as you get stronger, you can start using a set of dumbbells for a few of these exercises.

How to do the four exercises

Consult a doctor before trying any new activity. They may caution against certain movements based on your health history.

This workout is appropriate for most beginners, but getting your form right is crucial. Consider meeting with a certified personal trainer who can teach you how to do the moves correctly. Exercising with improper form can cause pain or injury.

You’ll just need a section of bare wall and a sturdy chair for this workout.

Start with one set of 10 reps for chair squats, standing dead bug, and wall push-ups, and hold the wall plank for 30 seconds. If that feels easy, add an additional set or two, gradually increase your reps to 12-15, and hold the wall plank for 45-60 seconds. Eventually, you’ll want to complete 3 sets for each exercise, 3-4 times per week. Once that stops being a challenge, you’ll be ready for a more advanced routine.

Here’s how to do the exercises:

1. Chair squats

• Stand tall in front of a chair with your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core muscles, drawing your belly button towards your spine.
• Hinge your hips behind you.
• Bend your knees and slowly lower your hips towards the seat.
• Lengthen your arms in front of you for balance.
• Tap your hips onto the seat, then stand back up.
• Continue for 10-15 reps.

2. Wall planks

• Stand facing a wall.
• Place your forearms on the wall. Keep your elbows aligned with your shoulders.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Step your feet away from the wall.
• Maintain a straight line with your body, from the top of your head to your toes.
• Hold for 30-60 seconds.

3. Standing deadbug

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back against the wall.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Lift your left arm above your head while bringing your right knee to a 90-degree angle.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your left arm and right leg.
• Lift your right arm above your head while bringing your left knee to a 90-degree angle.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your right arm and left leg.
• Continue alternating between your two sides for 10-15 reps each side.

4. Wall push-ups

• Stand facing a wall.
• Lengthen your arms and place your hands against the wall.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the wall, keeping your head, hips, and feet in alignment.
• Push yourself back up to the starting position.
• Continue for 10-15 reps

Benefits of these exercises

This workout targets major muscle groups in the lower body, upper body, and core, responsible for everyday movements like walking, getting up from a seated position, pushing yourself up, and balancing.

These exercises are beginner versions of more standard movements. Mastering chair squats prepares you for bodyweight squats, and mastering wall planks, standing deadbugs, and wall push-ups prepares you for regular push-ups, planks, and deadbugs. The chair and wall provide assistance as you strengthen your body progressively and with good form.

Since this workout is done standing, it’s appropriate for seniors who have trouble getting onto the floor. For those unable to do standard push ups, planks, and deadbugs, there are easy ways to make the standing versions of these moves more challenging: small weights can be held during the standing deadbug, and stepping further away from the wall will amp up the difficulty of the wall plank and wall push up.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people to be more mobile in their 60s and 70s: 3 low-impact exercises you should start with
• Forget burpees —the 'Pilates burpee' is beginner-friendly and low-impact (and you’ll love it)
• A yoga instructor says this is the 5-minute yoga routine you need for strong and mobile hips and core muscles

"Longevity" is the word on everyone's lips lately, and we all seem dialed into the best ways to boost longevity as birthdays relentlessly come and go. Recently, I spoke with expert Leslie Kenny, co-founder of the prestigious Oxford Longevity Project, who shared three exercises she recommends for maintaining muscle as you age.

"One of the most important things we can do for healthy aging is preserve our muscle mass," Kenny says. "From our 30s onwards, we can gradually lose muscle, particularly if we’re sedentary. This becomes increasingly important in our 40s, when hormonal changes, particularly during perimenopause for women, can make maintaining muscle more challenging."

The good news is that you don’t need an expensive gym membership or complicated equipment to start protecting your muscles. Three simple bodyweight exercises can make a real difference. We share them below.

What are the three bodyweight exercises for longevity?

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

1. Squats: For strong legs, metabolic health and maintaining independence

"My colleague at the Oxford Longevity Project, Sir Muir Gray, always says that the quickest route to a care home is when you can no longer sit down on the toilet and get up again unaided," says Kenny.

"It sounds rather blunt, but he makes an incredibly important point. The ability to sit down and stand up independently is one of the fundamental movements that allows us to remain independent as we age.

"Squats strengthen some of the biggest muscle groups in our bodies, particularly the quadriceps in our thighs and the gluteal muscles in our buttocks. But here’s something many people don’t realize: our muscles aren’t just there to move us around. They’re also endocrine organs, producing signaling molecules called myokines, some of which have powerful anti-inflammatory effects."

Contracting muscles during exercise means releasing myokines into the bloodstream that can help regulate inflammation, support metabolic health and communicate with other organs, including the brain.

Tips:

• Start with 10–15 slow, controlled squats, keeping your feet approximately shoulder-width apart and your knees tracking in the same direction as your toes.
• If you’re a beginner, simply practice sitting down on a chair and standing up again without using your hands. It’s a surprisingly effective exercise.
• As you get stronger, slow the lowering phase to three or four seconds, or progress to more challenging variations. And remember, the goal isn’t just to be able to do squats in your 40s. It’s to still be able to get up from the toilet unaided in your 90s!

2. Push-ups: For upper-body strength and bone health

"Push-ups are wonderful because they work several muscle groups simultaneously, including the chest, shoulders, triceps and core," Kenny tells us. "Upper-body strength is particularly important for women, who generally have less upper-body muscle mass than men.

"Push-ups are also a weight-bearing exercise, placing mechanical stress through the arms and shoulders, which can help support bone health alongside a comprehensive resistance-training program. They also help us preserve the strength needed for everyday activities, from lifting shopping bags to pushing ourselves up from the floor."

Tips:

• If a traditional floor push-up feels too difficult, start with your hands against a wall or sturdy kitchen counter.
• Keep your body in a straight line, engage your abdominal muscles and lower yourself slowly.
• Aim for 8–12 controlled repetitions, choosing a variation that makes the final few repetitions challenging without compromising your technique.
• As you become stronger, gradually lower the incline until you can perform push-ups on the floor.

3. Reverse lunges: For balance, stability and preserving muscle as we age

"Reverse lunges strengthen the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings while also challenging balance and coordination," Kenny says. "I particularly like single-leg exercises because they help address differences in strength between our left and right sides.

"They also challenge the stabilizing muscles around the hips, knees and ankles, which are essential for walking, climbing stairs and reducing the risk of falls as we age. And because lunges recruit several large muscle groups, they provide another opportunity to stimulate muscle contractions and the release of beneficial myokines."

Tips:

• Stand tall, step one foot backward and lower yourself slowly, bending both knees as far as is comfortable.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.
• Start with 8–10 repetitions on each leg. If balance is difficult, hold onto a sturdy chair or kitchen counter.
• For an extra challenge, pause briefly at the bottom of each repetition or slow down the movement.

Final tips from a longevity expert

"Muscle isn’t just about strength or looking toned. It’s metabolically active tissue that helps regulate blood glucose, supports insulin sensitivity, protects our joints and bones, and helps us remain independent as we get older," explains Kenny.

"The real secret to maintaining muscle mass isn’t doing hundreds of repetitions every day. It’s progressive overload — gradually increasing the challenge to your muscles, so they have a reason to stay strong. You can do this by increasing repetitions, slowing movements, progressing to more demanding variations, or eventually adding resistance."

Kenny says these three exercises "make an excellent short daily movement routine, but for meaningful muscle maintenance, I recommend performing challenging resistance-training sessions at least two or three times a week, allowing muscles sufficient time to recover. Ideally, a complete strength program should also include pulling movements to strengthen the back."

Finally, consider your protein intake. While exercise stimulates muscle growth and maintenance, protein provides amino acids which are essential for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue.

"I often remind people that muscle is our longevity currency. The strength we build and preserve in our 40s is an investment in how well we move, function and live in our 70s, 80s and beyond. After all, we don’t just want to live longer. We want to remain strong enough to enjoy those extra years!"

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• According to a personal trainer, this exercise is 100 times more effective than crunches. I tried it and was humbled
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Squats are one of the most functional exercises, and doing them regularly as you age helps you preserve strength, muscle and power for activities like climbing stairs or going to the bathroom unaided; in short, strong legs keep you independent.

But not everyone can do squats, whether that's due to mobility, injury, health conditions, or preference. So, I turned to physical therapist Leighton Roberts, managing director at Grosvenor Mobility, for some advice.

“Here are five simple exercises I'd recommend trying, provided they're suitable for your individual health and mobility needs," says Roberts. Read on for the moves and how to do them.

5 lower-body exercises from a physical therapist to build leg strength and power

"Maintaining joint strength is essential for staying active, mobile and independent," Roberts tells us. "For those experiencing joint stiffness or reduced mobility, gentle bed exercises are a great starting point. They help strengthen the muscles surrounding your hips without needing specialist gym equipment. An adjustable bed can also offer additional comfort when positioning yourself before and after exercise."

It's up to you where you perform these exercises, of course, whether that's on a bed or using an exercise mat rolled out at home.

1. Straight leg raises

"These target the hip flexor muscles, helping with everyday movements such as walking, climbing stairs and lifting your legs," says Roberts.

• Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides
• Engage your core and lightly tuck your pelvis toward you
• Lift your legs into the air, keeping a soft bend in your knees
• With control, lower your legs toward the floor. Only lower them as far as you can control without your back arching away from the mat
• Continue for 6-10 reps and 2 sets.

2. Hip bridges

"Hip bridges strengthen the gluteal muscles, improving hip stability and supporting movements such as standing up and walking."

• Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent
• Press through your heels and lift your hips into the air
• Squeeze your glutes at the top and pause
• Slowly lower through your spine to reset
• Continue for 6-10 reps and 2 sets.

3. Side-lying leg raises

"These strengthen the outer hip muscles, which help stabilize your pelvis and maintain balance when walking."

• Lie on your side with your elbow resting and legs extended
• With control, lift your top leg into the air and squeeze your glutes at the top. Your hips should stay facing forward
• Lower your leg and repeat. Switch sides
• Continue for 6-10 reps and 2 sets.

4. Heel slides

"Heel slides encourage gentle movement through the hip and knee joints, helping improve flexibility and relieve stiffness after periods of inactivity."

• Lie on your back with your legs extended
• Slowly bend one knee and slide your heel toward your butt
• Hold for a few seconds, then slowly slide your foot away to extend the leg again
• Continue for 6-10 reps and 2 sets per side.

5. Clamshells

"Clamshells target the muscles around the outer hips, helping improve stability, balance and control during everyday movements."

• Lie on your side with your hips, thighs and ankles stacked at 90 degrees
• Keep the inner sides of your feet pressed together, then slowly open your top knee and squeeze your outer glutes as you open your hips. Keep your hips facing forward
• Pause, then lower your knee with control
• Continue for 6-10 reps and 2 sets per side.

Start with these exercises two to three times a week, alongside other activities such as walking, running, lifting weights, or gardening. Overall, consistency is one of the most important factors in maintaining strength and long-term mobility.

While these exercises are recommended by a qualified physical therapist, you should always listen to your body and stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, or tingling. Working with a physical therapist, physician, or similar professional will help you determine the issue and provide specialized recommendations based on your personal journey.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

You don't need a fancy, expensive gym membership to build muscle and strength. Sure, you might have more equipment available at a gym, but you can do a lot more than you may realize with just a set of adjustable dumbbells or even a medium-heavy set of fixed dumbbells and your exercise mat.

Most importantly, you need to focus on three key areas with your workouts: consistency (several times per week, if you can), staple functional compound exercises and progressive programming. That means repeating exercises and tweaking them to feel more challenging over time while focusing on multiple muscle groups. Do that, and it doesn't matter if you're at home or in the studio.

Not long ago, my 50-year-old client asked for a home dumbbell workout she could do between sessions. These are the four moves and the routine I gave her. Just remember, this routine was designed with someone in mind. If you experience pain or feel unwell, stop immediately and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Watch: 20-minute dumbbell workout

If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting this routine.

• Curtsy lunges: 3-4 sets of 6-8 heavy reps per side.
• Start with your feet hip-width apart, weights at your sides or one weight held at your chest. Step your right foot out to the side on your toes, then circle the right foot back behind your left in a wide arc over to the left. Imagine you're drawing a smiley face. Bend your knees and lower into a lunge, hinging forward slightly at the hips with a straight back. It should look like you're curtsying. Drive up through your legs and core to stand, then repeat the lunge. Switch sides after you complete your reps.

• Thrusters: 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and rack your dumbbells to your shoulders, elbows drawn upward for support. Brace your core. Sit your hips back and squat, sitting as low as you can while pressing through your feet. Your chest should be proud, back straight. Drive upward to stand and press the weights overhead in one move. Keep your arms close to your ears to stabilize the weights. As you sit back into the squat, bring the weights back to your shoulders.

• Suitcase deadlifts: 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps.
• Stand holding your weights at your sides, feet hip-width apart and core active. Set your shoulders back and down, then slowly hinge forward at your hips, maintaining a soft knee bend. Keep your chest proud and back straight. Lower the weights along your outer legs toward the ground. If you can reach the ground outside your feet without hunching, great; if not, pause near the ground, then press upward to stand with power.

• Alternating rows: 3-4 sets of 6-8 heavy reps per side.
• Hinge forward at your hips until your chest is almost parallel to the ground, feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold your weights with a neutral grip in front of your shins. With control, row one weight toward your back pocket, elbow nice and close to your body. Pause, squeeze your back, then lower the weight again. Repeat on the other side.

What are the benefits?

You're hitting pretty much every major muscle group during this routine; curtsy lunges strengthen your legs with an outer gluteus and adductor bias, meaning your butt and inner thighs will feel this one; thrusters work the whole body, including your legs, glutes, core, triceps, shoulders and upper chest; suitcase deadlifts work your posterior chain, including your lower back, glutes and hamstrings, but the position of the weights will also strengthen your quads and knees, and your core works hard for stability; finally, rows hit your back and biceps, meaning better posture and pulling power while improving your hip hinge.

I like to load quite heavy on these exercises, but make sure your form doesn't get put to one side for the sake of load. A general rule of thumb: aim for the last two or three reps to be difficult to finish, but not impossible. Lifting close to failure with intensity is one of the best ways to build muscle and make gains with your routine.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

Take 30-60 seconds of rest between your sets and move with control. You could also try slowing the tempo of each move to increase overall intensity.

My client rates this routine for working her whole body while remaining low-impact and easy to scale up or down. She's moved up in weight a few times since we first programmed it, and credits it with helping her build and maintain muscle and strength between her gym sessions. Plus, she doesn't have to leave the house. Bonus!

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

I go on and on to anyone who will listen about how important mobility routines are as you get older. Trust me, at 25, many people barely think about mobility; at 35, they consider it; at 55, they really need it; and at 75, they wish they'd started sooner.

Thankfully, you can rely on Tom's Guide Fitness to regularly post mobility routines for every age and ability. I'm the resident personal trainer and editor here at TG, and below, I share one of my favorite mobility exercises to coach.

I would pick this exact exercise to build range of motion, strength, and control, especially if you're finding these aspects of fitness harder to maintain as you age. This typically becomes more noticeable as you hit your 40s and 50s, so let's take a look at how to battle it.

How to do the kick through

• Start in a high runner's lunge with your left foot forward and planted and your back leg extended, resting the ball of your right foot on the ground
• Place your right hand down for support and square your hips
• Brace your core, lift your back leg off the ground and press through your right hand. Bend your right knee and push your leg through and under your body, kicking it out and away from you as you extend your right leg
• Lift your chest, sit your butt close to the floor without touching and pause for a moment, pointing your toes if you can. See if you can keep your left heel planted
• Reverse the movement back to high runner's lunge
• Try 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps per side.

Why you should try the kickthrough

This is one of those exercises that looks fairly simple but, in practice, tests you. You're strengthening your hips and core, working on improving range of motion and control, and, to some extent, your flexibility. There's also an element of stability and balance work as you learn to coordinate and move your left and right sides independently.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

The kickthrough is surprisingly functional as you transition from one pose to the other. If you notice this more in your hips, try to brace through your core more, as this may signal some weakness or tightness in your hips and a lack of core engagement.

Moreover, practicing this regularly helps stretch the side body and back, which can be useful for back pain. That said, if you are pre- or post-natal, injured, or dealing with a health condition, I strongly recommend seeking clearance before trying this move.

As you get older, building stronger bones, joints and muscles becomes even more important to help prevent age-related injuries associated with falls or balance. Unilateral movements like this help strengthen both sides of the body, which translates to activities like walking or running, so be sure to include mobility work alongside strength training and low-impact cardio as you age.

At 35, I've already started prioritizing movements like these, and I do with my clients, too. If you want more moves like this, try these three "primal" animal exercises.

More from Tom's Guide

• The caterpillar walk is considered the 'gold standard' for lower body mobility and flexibility — here's how to do it
• Forget running — this 20-minute walking workout fires up your metabolism and builds functional strength
• I did the Frankenstein walk to strengthen my hip flexors and build core stability: here’s what happened after a week

I don’t particularly enjoy doing abs exercises, but I absolutely do value the importance of having a strong core, both to support my main sport of running and just to make everyday movements easier.

That means I slip a couple of core moves into almost every workout I do. One of those is always the bicycle crunch, which I find a very quick and effective way to engage and strengthen my whole core.

The other move I slip into every workout has changed over time — I’ve done leg raises, dying turtles, and sit-ups — but right now my favourite is the rowing crunch.

This move mimics the motion of rowing as you bring your knees up to meet your chest, and gets the abs burning in no time at all in my experience.

It’s similar to a V-sit-up with bent knees, and sometimes also gets called the rower, boat crunch, or rowboat crunch. Whatever you call it, it's a move worth knowing about.

How to do the rowing crunch

You don’t need any equipment to do the rowing crunch, though using one of the best yoga mats will make it more comfortable on hard floors.

1. Sit on the floor and lean back to a 45-degree angle. Bend your knees and lift your feet slightly off the floor. This is your starting position.
2. Simultaneously lean back until your back is hovering just above the floor and extend your legs out away from you, while ‘rowing’ with your arms so your hands finish next to your chest.
3. Use your core muscles to pull your knees back towards your chest as you raise your torso up to meet your knees.

You can make the move a little harder by pausing for a beat at the bottom of the exercise, in a hollow-bold hold position, before coming back up. I tend to do a set of 10 rowers straight after doing a set of 20 bicycle crunches as part of a circuit I do three times overall.

Benefits of the rowing crunch

The rowing crunch blasts both the upper and lower abs as you raise your torso and lift your knees toward your chest at the same time, while your obliques help keep you balanced throughout the move.

Throughout the exercise, you have to keep your body stable, which engages the deeper core muscles and keeps them engaged the whole time, since you don’t fully release the tension in your midsection at any point during the move.

They’re challenging for people of all fitness levels, but also approachable because you don’t need any equipment. If you’re struggling to get through a full set of the move, you can do sit-ups and knee tucks to strengthen your core and build up to the rowing crunch.

I find that doing the arm movements to mimic rowing, while not essential, does force me to stay in control through the exercise and move in a smooth manner that keeps the abs engaged more effectively than jerking up and down.

There are dozens of great crunch variations that do a similar job to the rowing crunch, and if you’re getting comfortable with the move, you could try V-ups as a progression, but I’ve found them to be the ideal addition to my own workout routine alongside the bicycle crunch.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people to be more mobile in their 60s and 70s: 3 low-impact exercises you should start with
• Forget burpees —the 'Pilates burpee' is beginner-friendly and low-impact (and you’ll love it)
• A yoga instructor says this is the 5-minute yoga routine you need for strong and mobile hips and core muscles

After the age of 40, we naturally start to lose muscle mass. One of the best ways to prevent this is to strength train — it counters sarcopenia, maintains muscle mass and protects your bones. Yet if you’re a complete beginner, or you’re returning to fitness following an extended break, it can be tricky to know where to start. Luckily, you’ve landed in the right place, as below, our resident personal trainer Sam Hopes has shared three anti-aging strength exercises everyone over 40 should be doing.

As a reminder, if you’re currently recovering from an injury or surgery, these might not be the right exercises for you and your body. It’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional before trying something new.

3 anti-aging strength exercises everyone over 40 should do every week

The three exercises below target all of the major muscle groups in the body. You can do them all with just your bodyweight, but using a set of the best adjustable dumbbells to increase the resistance is a great way to increase the load on your body as you move.

Remember, the right weight should feel challenging, but not impossible by the final few reps. If at any time you feel like the weight is compromising your form, it’s too heavy, and you should drop down to a lighter set of dumbbells.

1. Bulgarian split squats

Why: The Bulgarian split squat is a fantastic functional lower-body exercise. You’re working one leg at a time, which can help you fix muscle imbalances in the body. Over time, an imbalance can lead to hip or knee injuries, so this is a good one to address.

Compared to traditional squats, the Bulgarian split squat challenges the quads and glutes using a light set of dumbbells or your bodyweight alone. Elevating the back foot forces the glutes, ankles, and core to engage, as well as stretching out tight hip flexors.

Sam recommends holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand to the leg that’s working (the front leg).

How:

• To get in the right position, start by sitting in front of a bench or box and extend one leg out in front of you, then stand up. That front foot is your marker.
• Lift the back foot up and place the top of your non-working foot on the bench. Your feet should be about hip-distance apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand to your front leg (in other words, on the same side as the lifted leg).
• Engage your core, thinking about sucking your belly button into your spine, and keep your chest open.
• Bend your front knee and hip, lowering your back knee down towards the floor.
• Push through the heel of your front foot to return to your starting position.

Do all of your reps on one side before switching to the other. Aim for 10 reps on each side. If you’re a complete beginner, start with the bodyweight variation of this move first.

2. Deadlift

Why: The deadlift is another fantastic functional move that targets the glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae, and upper back. It mimics a movement pattern you’ll make every day as you bend down to pick up groceries or move furniture. It can also help build bone density in the spine and hips — two sites that are vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures.

How:

• Dumbbell deadlifts are the best variation to start with, as they keep the load closer to your body’s center of gravity. Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand and standing with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Engage your core, thinking about sucking your belly button into your spine. Pull your shoulders down and back away from your ears.
• Hinge at your hips and push your hips back behind you, allowing your upper body to tilt forward. Keep your back flat and your neck neutral, looking down at the floor rather than out in front of you.
• Once your hands pass your knees, bend your knees slightly to lower the dumbbells towards the mid-shins. Keep the weights close to your legs.
• Drive through your heels to stand back up. Squeeze your glutes firmly at the top.

3. Push-up

Why: Push-ups are a great, joint-friendly way to work the upper body. You’ll build functional mobility and core strength without putting a heavy load on your shoulders. You’ll also be working on preserving bone density in your wrists, elbows, shoulders and chest bones.

How:

• If you’re a beginner, you might want to do a variation with your knees resting on the floor, but let's start with how to do a full push-up.
• Start by placing your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, spreading your fingers wide for stability.
• Extend your legs behind you with your feet hip-width apart. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core, squeezing your belly button in towards your spine. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Keep your elbows tucked at a 45-degree angle to your torso rather than letting them flare out to the side.
• Inhale as you bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest until it skims the floor.
• Exhale as you push firmly through your palms to return to your starting position, fully extending your arms.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

You don't need a long list of kettlebell exercises or a complex workout that requires your trainer to repeat themselves 60 times before you understand it. You just need one of the best kettlebells. And some guts. Intrigued?

As a personal trainer, I like my clients to move functionally. That means I prioritize movements like cleans, squats, presses and rows that target the major muscle groups. I also like to improve conditioning, so this routine includes functional compound exercises, very little rest and a lot of pace.

Here it is.

How to do the kettlebell workout

Set a 12-minute timer (adjust to your taste) and grab a medium-heavy kettlebell. You'll be racking up reps, so choose a weight you can lift for about 10-12 reps rather than just a few.

Remember, you're going to fatigue, so aim for consistency rather than all-out intensity at first. You can ramp it up at the end, but aim for a slow burn at the start. This one will fire up almost every muscle group in your body, test stability and power and get your lungs and heart pumping.

At the end, you may want to lie down and bring your breathing under control while those jelly legs recover.

If you experience pain, feel dizzy or unwell, or are returning to exercise from illness or injury, please seek advice before starting this routine. If you are pregnant or post-partum, I strongly advise seeking medical advice.

Here are the moves broken down:

• Squat clean: Stand with your feet roughly hip- or shoulder-width apart. Grip a kettlebell between your feet. Drive the weight upward using an overhand grip, as if zipping up a jacket. As the kettlebell rests on your forearm, shelve it with your shoulder and perform a squat, keeping your elbow lifted and core engaged. Release the weight to the ground, then repeat on the other side.
• Down-up x bent-over row: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, place your hands down on the floor in front of you, then jump back into a plank with your core engaged. Jump your feet forward to land wide either side of your kettlebell. Row the weight with one arm, keeping your elbow close to your body. Lower it, repeat the down-up, then row with your other arm.
• Swing x squat clean x push press x overhead squat combo: Stand with your feet roughly hip- or shoulder-width apart. Grip a kettlebell between your feet. Drive the weight upward using an overhand grip, as if zipping up a jacket. As the kettlebell rests on your forearm, shelve it with your shoulder and perform a squat, keeping your elbow lifted and core engaged. Press the weight overhead using a soft knee drive, then perform a squat again, keeping your arm punched overhead close to your ear. Repeat on the other side.

Your goal is to complete 2 reps (a rep per side) of each move, back-to-back, in your first round. Reset. On the next round, add 2 reps. Keep adding each round, completing the moves back-to-back with no rest except between rounds. See how many rounds you can achieve in 12 minutes.

This is a killer workout, and you'll burn out fast if you don't pace yourself.

Focus on your form, engage your core for stability and power throughout, and try to maximize your squat depth. Always choose form over weight, and reduce it when you need to. If you reach your maximum, stick with the same reps rather than adding.

Let us know how you get on in the comments!

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people to be more mobile in their 60s and 70s: 3 low-impact exercises you should start with
• Forget burpees —the 'Pilates burpee' is beginner-friendly and low-impact (and you’ll love it)
• A yoga instructor says this is the 5-minute yoga routine you need for strong and mobile hips and core muscles

The changing seasons can really affect your mood, especially as we move from those long days and warm evenings of summer into the cozy fall season.

That's why your routine may need a switch-up, too. Maybe your body is craving a slower approach, or you just want to try something new. To help you, YogaRenew instructor Melie Purdon shares four yoga poses to help you feel grounded, energized and present as the weather cools.

Wherever you choose to practice, these poses will help you feel calm, centered and ready to welcome the crisp fall air. This short routine is beginner-friendly and low-impact, which means you can build foundational strength while putting less stress and strain on your joints.

One of the best yoga mats is also recommended, and that's all.

Five yoga poses for grounding, strength and calm

Yoga improves mobility and flexibility and strengthens your body using your body weight and some props like blocks and straps. It helps shift your body into the parasympathetic nervous system, which can reduce stress and anxiety and boost relaxation.

As the seasons change, particularly from summer to fall, grounding practices can help you manage the transition more seamlessly, especially if you find yourself sensitive to this.

Yoga is unlikely to overload the muscles in a way that builds maximal strength and muscle (you'd need to consider lifting weights several times per week), but it improves functional strength without weights and helps maintain healthy muscles, bones, joints and ligaments.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice from your physician or a yoga instructor before starting these exercises.

1. Revolved triangle

Benefits: "Twists are inherently invigorating, combining strong legs, spinal extension, and torso rotation to help you feel awake and energized," says Purdon. "It's the perfect pairing with crisp fall air, especially when practicing outdoors and taking in the changing scenery."

• Stand with your legs wide apart, turning your right foot outward and your left foot slightly inward.
• Extend your arms to shoulder height, then hinge forward over your right leg.
• Place your left hand on the outside of your right shin or on a block, and rotate your torso to the right, reaching your right arm toward the ceiling.
• Keep your spine long and your legs firm.
• Hold for 2–3 breaths, then return to center and repeat on the opposite side.

2. Wide-leg forward fold

Benefits: "This forward fold combines strong, active legs with a quiet head, offering a chance to slow down while keeping your body engaged," Purdon says. "Between work, apple picking, school schedules, and Halloween costume crafting, sometimes the best way to reset is to give your body something specific to focus on."

• Stand with your feet wide apart and parallel, pressing evenly through the outer edges of your feet.
• Place your hands on your hips, lift your chest, and fold forward from the hips.
• Bring your fingertips or palms to the floor, keeping your arms straight and your chest extended.
• If your flexibility allows, lower the crown of your head toward the floor without collapsing into your neck.
• Keep your legs active and your weight evenly distributed through your feet.

3. Headstand

Benefits: "Often called the 'King of Asanas,' headstand demands full concentration and can leave experienced practitioners feeling focused and invigorated. The combination of balance, stability, and a completely different perspective makes it a powerful way to reconnect with the present moment," says Purdon.

"Practice this advanced pose with guidance from a qualified yoga teacher rather than relying on written instructions alone."

This is the only exercise that isn't beginner-friendly, but you can still play around with it while keeping your feet firmly on the ground to get benefits and stay playful.

• Interlace your fingers and place your forearms on the floor, keeping your elbows shoulder-width apart and your hands in a U-shape rather than a V.
• Rest the crown of your head on the floor, supported by your cupped hands, and press firmly through your forearms, lifting your shoulders.
• Curl your toes under, lift your knees, and walk your feet toward your head.
• If you're experienced, raise one leg at a time or lift both legs toward the ceiling, keeping them firm and active.
• Lower slowly and with control.

4. Supported bridge

Benefits: "Supported bridge opens the front of the body and offers a moment of relief from the tension that builds up after hours of sitting, working, and running around," Purdon explains. "With the block supporting your sacrum, you can ease into stillness without having to hold yourself up.

"If you're practicing outdoors, take a few minutes to enjoy the changing leaves and let the demands of the day fade into the background."

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Press into your feet to lift your hips, then place a yoga block beneath your sacrum.
• Relax into the support, keeping your feet grounded or extending your legs toward the ceiling if comfortable and appropriate for your practice.
• Breathe comfortably for 3–5 minutes.
• To release, lift your hips slightly to remove the block, and slowly lower your spine to the floor.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• According to a personal trainer, this exercise is 100 times more effective than crunches. I tried it and was humbled
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Ah, stretching versus mobility. It's a debate that never ends. As a coach who focuses most of my time on teaching mobility classes to people of all ages, I am a little biased, but I can tell you that while stretching can be beneficial (certain types, and when done properly, for muscle flexibility), mobility training will move the needle most for anti-aging and joint health.

I recently put together this 20-minute mobility routine you can do at home using the best yoga mat and your bodyweight. You don't need equipment, but bands and light weights are optional; it depends on how much experience you already have with the movements.

Check out the moves below and what you can expect from your body over time.

Five-move mobility routine from a coach

As you age, strong bones, muscles, and ligaments help you stay active, whether that's gardening, playing with your kids (and grandkids), hitting the gym, or running the track.

I encourage at least two strength sessions per week, along with daily mobility work, even if that means a bodyweight or calisthenics routine rather than lifting heavy weights.

Below are five exercises I swear by.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

• Figure-4 deadlifts: Stand with a box, bench, or similar object to your left side. Position the outer side of your right foot on the top edge of the box and draw your right knee down, squaring your hips to create a figure-4 shape. Hold a weight using both hands. Hinge forward at your hips, send your butt back and lower the weight through the gap between your legs, as if performing a deadlift. Your back should be straight and shoulders drawn back, core active. Lower as far as you can until you feel a deep stretch in your glutes, hips and hamstrings, then drive upward to stand. 6-8 reps, 2 sets, change sides.
• Dynamic lunges: Stand with your front foot on a chair or box and your other leg extended behind you in a high lunge. Square your hips. Press your front knee forward over your toes and lean into the stretch as you raise both arms overhead. Return to the starting position. 6-8 reps, 2 sets, change sides.
• Banded martini glass: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a band overhead slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your pelvis tucked in and core engaged. Avoid arching your lower back or flaring your ribs. Pull the band apart and draw your elbows down, allowing the band to pass behind you. Pause at the bottom to hold tension, then release to your starting position. 6-8 reps, 2 sets.
• Bulgarian split squat into Cossack squat: Stand with your back foot elevated on a bench or similar, with the top of the foot pressing down. Keep your hips square with a soft bend in your front knee. Bend your knees and lower into the split squat, drawing your back knee toward the bench behind you. Lean slightly forward as you do. Drive up to stand, transfer your weight into your back foot and turn to the side. Bend into a side lunge over the chair, pause, then turn to face the front of the room and repeat your split squat. 6-8 reps, 2 sets, change sides.
• Tabletop reverse flies: Start on your hands and knees, shoulders over wrists, hips over knees. Hold a light weight in your right hand. Press through your left hand, then sweep your right arm out to the side, like a bird flapping its wing; keep a soft bend in your elbow. Avoid rotating to the side or swinging your weight. 6-8 reps, 2 sets, then change sides.

Why these 5 exercises?

Unlike building maximal strength or muscle, these five exercises prioritize movement over intensity. That doesn't mean they should feel easy; as always, growth comes from feeling uncomfortable and challenged, but you don't need to max out every rep here.

Start with resistance that lets you stay in control. That could mean using a more stable surface or just going easy on the weights. You might opt not to use weights at all, depending on how open your joints are and how much range of motion you have (range of motion is the amount of movement available around a joint).

Each of these moves has a different focus, so let's briefly discuss them.

• Figure-4 deadlifts will activate the muscles along the back of your body while strengthening your hips, groin and glutes. The figure-4 leg position opens your hips statically, while hinging at the hips focuses on active range of motion.
• Dynamic lunges are great for warming up the lower body while stretching your hip flexors and improving ankle mobility. The raised position feels more accessible for many and allows you to sit lower into the lunge, while raising your arms overhead opens the upper body, shoulders and chest.
• The martini glass is a classic shoulder opener and challenges your arms, back, and to some degree, your upper chest. It's one of my favorite ways to prep for upper-body movements that involve lifting overhead while activating your back muscles.
• Bulgarian's are a classic leg-day staple and can be adapted by leaning slightly forward to challenge your glutes more. They build strength and muscle, and you'll notice a deep stretch down the hip and quad of your raised back leg. As you twist into your Cossack squat, notice a strong stretch down the adductors (inner thighs) and more ankle activation.
• Rear flies activate your rear shoulders and upper back. In the tabletop position, you can't swing the weight or use any momentum. Instead, use full control and squeeze at the top. Keep your hips square and core active, and you'll really feel this one in your shoulders.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• According to a personal trainer, this exercise is 100 times more effective than crunches. I tried it and was humbled
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Training for your senior years starts long before you hit 65. The sooner you start focusing on full body stability, proper balance, and maintaining good posture, the better.

That’s why I teach weighted dead bugs to all of my personal training clients in their 40’s. This exercise strengthens key muscles in your deep core responsible for protecting your pelvis and spine, keeping you upright and balanced, and supporting your whole body during movement. If these muscles are properly trained and conditioned, you’ll be better safeguarded against serious falls and injuries as you age.

Even if you’re a total beginner, weighted dead bugs can be easily modified for your fitness level. And if you’re more advanced, you’re in luck — there are plenty of ways to make this movement incredibly challenging, too.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and give weighted dead bugs a try. It’s an excellent move for any age group.

How to do weighted dead bugs

Speak with your doctor before starting any new exercise or workout program. They may caution against certain activities based on your personal health circumstances.

Weighted dead bugs are appropriate for most fitness levels, but if you’re a beginner, it’s crucial to learn proper exercise form. Consider meeting with a certified trainer for guidance and appropriate modification options, if necessary. Doing the exercise incorrectly can lead to pain or injury.

You’ll need a pair of light or moderately heavy dumbbells and a yoga mat for weighted dead bugs. A good weight will allow you to do all of the reps in a set without needing to rest, but will leave you feeling tired.

Start by doing one set of 10 reps. As you get stronger, increase to 12-15 reps. As you get stronger, add a set or two until you’re doing 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps. Core exercises are generally safe to do every day, but start off by doing weighted dead bugs 2-3 times per week and gradually work your way up.

Weighted dead bugs can be done on their own, as part of your existing core workout, or as a warm-up for other activities.

Here’s how to do them:

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Press the dumbbells above your shoulders.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Lift the knees to a tabletop position.
• Lengthen your left leg towards the mat while extending your right arm behind you.
• Pause briefly.
• Lift your left leg and right arm back to the starting position.
• Lengthen your right leg towards the mat while extending your left arm behind you.
• Pause briefly.
• Lift your right leg and left arm back to the starting position.
• Continue alternating between your two sides for 10-15 reps.

Benefits of weighted dead bugs

Weighted dead bugs target the transverse abdominis, which keeps our pelvis and spine stable as we move. It’s vital that this deep core muscle is strong so that our balance, posture, and even breathing patterns stay optimal.

This exercise also works the rectus abdominis (or “six-pack” muscles), internal and external obliques, pelvic floor, and, to a lesser degree, pecs.

While dead bugs can be done unweighted (and should be, if you’re just starting out), the addition of the weight places greater demand on the core muscles, resulting in further muscular adaptations and strength gains.

The act of moving opposite sides of the body at once can also improve overall coordination.

Modifications for weighted dead bugs

Truth be told, I never start my clients with weighted dead bugs. I always have them master the standard form before adding weight. Before you pick up any dumbbells, you should be able to do at least 10-12 unweighted dead bugs without feeling too much strain.

If unweighted dead bugs are difficult, you can split the exercise into lower- and upper-body portions. Lower and lift your left leg, then lower and lift your right arm. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other.

You can also use a single dumbbell or a plate as an intermediate step. You’ll lower both arms and one leg at a time.

Progressions for weighted dead bugs

The easiest way to make weighted dead bugs more challenging is to use heavier dumbbells. However, going too heavy may put strain on your shoulders, so use caution when working with heavier dumbbells.

You can also perform the exercise with straight legs instead of in a tabletop position. This requires more effort and stabilization from the deep core.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

When it comes to building a strong lower body, the first moves that come to mind are probably squats and lunges, but you might be missing a trick. The Cossack squat is the powerhouse move you’re probably not doing, and it will help unlock your hips and ankles. Read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or you’re returning to exercise following an injury or surgery, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.

How to do a Cossack squat

Let’s start with how to do a Cossack squat with good form. It’s a good idea to master the bodyweight version before adding weight.

• Start by getting into a wide stance, with your feet roughly twice shoulder-width apart. Point both toes forward, or slightly turned out and hold your hands together at chest height.
• Shift your weight to one side, bend your knee and sit your hips back into a side squat, keeping your chest elevated.
• As you lower, allow the non-working leg to remain straight, but pivot on its heel so the toes point straight up toward the ceiling.
• Press firmly through the floor with the working foot to push up to your starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

Keep switching sides, aiming for 8-10 reps on each side. To add intensity, hold one of the best adjustable dumbbells in both hands in front of your chest.

What are the benefits?

Helps with hip and ankle mobility

This deep squat requires full range of motion in the hip and ankle joints, helping improve hip and ankle mobility. It’s a great one for runners or if you spend a lot of time sitting behind a desk.

When your hip flexors and adductors are tight, your pelvis can also lack full mobility. When this happens, your lower back compensates, which can lead to pain or tension. Unlocking your hip flexors and restoring deep internal and external rotation in the hips can remove this stress from your lumbar spine.

Works on the groin and adductors

Unlike standard squats, with the Cossack squat, you’re loading the adductors at their longest stretch. This can significantly reduce your risk of groin strains and pulls.

You’re working on your lateral stabilizers

Most typical strength training exercises, like squats and lunges, focus on the sagittal plane as you move forward and backward. Working on your side-to-side strength targets the small stabilizer muscles that are often neglected, making your lower body stronger.

I did 50 Cossack squats a day for a week — here’s what happened to my hip mobility and lower back

So what happened when I added this simple-sounding squat into my daily routine for a week? The first thing I learned was that this move is anything but simple. It might look easy on paper, but the reality was that my hip flexors were so tight at week 19 of my 20-week marathon training block that I found it extremely difficult to sink down into a single-leg squat, let alone complete 25 reps on each side.

I definitely found my right hip a lot tighter than my left (to be expected; I’m right-handed and most people have a stronger side), highlighting how I really needed to work on loosening these tight muscles now that I’m in my taper.

I stuck to the bodyweight version of this move for a full week, and while I’m still not ready to hold a dumbbell, I have noticed my form has improved. I can’t sink awfully low into the squat, but I can feel a much deeper stretch in my adductors as I move from side to side. It will definitely stay part of my strength routine post-marathon, but I think I’ll stick to 10 reps rather than 50 a week before my next race.

What are you waiting for? Stand up from your desk and give this one a go.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

I write about fitness for a living, but on days when I’m lacking motivation, there’s one workout I always return to — the Japanese Walking Method. It only takes 30 minutes and is scientifically proven to boost aerobic fitness, work the muscles in your lower body, and look after your heart health. Read on to find out more.

As a reminder, what works for me might not be right for you and your body. While this workout is beginner-friendly and suitable for most, if you’re pregnant or postpartum, or recovering from an injury or surgery, always check with a qualified professional before trying something new.

What is the Japanese Walking Method?

This workout, also known as Interval Walking Training (IWT), was developed by Dr. Hiroshi Nose at Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan. It’s a simple workout — here’s how I set it up on my Apple Watch before heading out for a walk. If you don’t have a smartwatch, you can use the timer on your phone or a stopwatch to time the intervals.

You’ll also want to ensure you have a comfortable pair of walking shoes on your feet. Right now, my go-to sneaker for easy runs and walks is the Asics Novablast 6, but you can check out our roundup of the best Skechers here, which are also popular for walking workouts.

Here’s how to do it:

• Set a timer on your watch or phone and walk for three minutes at a low intensity. This should be a 4/10 effort — you’re still moving, but you should easily be able to hold a conversation with someone next to you.
• Then walk for three minutes at a high intensity. This is a 7/10 walking effort — you should be working hard.
• Repeat 5 times, switching between paces for a 30-minute workout.

Studies have found IWT has several health benefits. After three months of doing a 30-minute interval walk three times a week, participants had lower blood pressure and cholesterol, increased leg strength, and more aerobic capacity than those who walked continuously at a moderate pace for the same time. Here’s what happened to my back pain and energy levels when I did it for a month.

What are the benefits?

As mentioned above, there’s scientific evidence to support that interval walking workouts like this one get results. I’ve personally found it a game-changer for my lower back, as I suffer from sciatica, and often find that too much time sitting down behind a desk makes it a lot worse. But in addition to boosting your mood, interval walking can do a lot more for your body.

It can boost your aerobic fitness

As mentioned above, the clinical studies from Shinshu University showed that participants who practiced IWT for five months increased their peak VO2 max by 14%. Your VO2 max is simply the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in and use during intense exercise.

It’s considered the best score when looking at cardiorespiratory fitness, as a higher VO2 max means you can pump more oxygen to your muscles and run or cycle faster and longer before getting exhausted. A higher VO2 max is also linked to a longer lifespan and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

It can strengthen the muscles in your lower body

Compared to steady-state walking, as you pick up the pace during this workout, you’ll be working your quads, hamstrings and calves harder. As a runner, strong lower-body muscles are essential for helping me get to the start line of my next marathon. While this workout is low-impact enough to use on rest days, it helps me accumulate extra aerobic load to get stronger and faster.

The IWT is also great for runners, as it can help strengthen the stabilizers in the lower body. During a fast walking stride, you’ll be engaging your glutes and hamstrings and extending your hips to full extension. These are often muscles that runners overlook and can help reduce the risk of muscle injuries and imbalances in the body.

You’ll burn more calories

If weight loss is your goal, you’ll burn more calories during this 30-minute walking workout than you would doing a steady-state walk. This is because the faster intervals raise your heart rate, then the lower intervals drop it — this spiking and dropping triggers an elevated post-exercise oxygen consumption compared to a steady stroll.

Of course, the best way to lose weight is to ensure you’re in a calorie deficit — in other words, burn more calories than you consume. To keep track of this, it’s best to wear one of the best fitness trackers.

It can help strengthen your heart

Walking workouts are a great way to strengthen your heart, which is essential, especially as we get older. The three-minute fast intervals force your heart muscle to pump a larger volume of blood with every single beat.

Over time, this increases the heart’s stroke volume and efficiency. Rapidly cycling between elevated heart rate and active recovery can also improve the heart’s blood flow and overall vascular function.

As well as looking after the heart muscle, IWT helps lower cholesterol levels and control blood sugar more effectively than continuous walking workouts. These can help protect against heart disease and keep the blood vessels healthy.

It’s low-impact and joint-friendly

By nature, this workout is low-impact and kind to your joints, making it a great form of active recovery, but also suitable for beginners or those getting back into fitness following an extended break.

It’s important to listen to your body and your breathing during this workout — the fast-paced intervals should be at a 7/10 intensity that feels right for you. Over time, as you get fitter, your pace will likely increase, but ensure that you’re listening to your body and really letting your heart rate drop on the easier intervals.

What are you waiting for? Grab your sneakers and give this one a go; you won’t regret it.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Many people feel like they don't achieve enough of a burn during bodyweight workouts, but I can promise you that's down to poor programming. You can use the art of calisthenics (working with your bodyweight) to your advantage by choosing the right exercises and workout format for your goals. It's about intensity.

Recently, a 40-year-old friend DM'd me and asked if I could design a short bodyweight routine she could do when she works from home. And this is exactly what I sent her. Just remember, this routine was designed with someone in mind. If you experience pain or feel unwell, stop immediately and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Watch: 20-minute bodyweight workout

If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting this routine.

• Triceps dips: Use a sofa or bench and place your hands flat roughly shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs away from you. Keeping your back straight, bend your elbows and lower your butt toward the ground. Pause, then press upwards.

• Deficit push-ups: Start in a push-up position with your core engaged and hands elevated on bars, blocks, or books. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the ground between the blocks, pause at the bottom, then drive upward. Avoid letting your hips sag and try to move your torso as a unit.

• Spiderman plank: Start in a plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your butt aligned with your shoulders. Brace your stomach. Bend your right knee and draw it forward with control to tap your right elbow. Return to plank, then repeat on your left side.

• Sprawls: Start in a plank position as above. Jump your feet to land just outside your hands, drop your butt, and lift your chest and hands, as if sitting in a low squat. Return your hands to the ground, then jump both feet back into a plank.

What are the benefits?

Many people assume bodyweight workouts can't get you any real gains. Actually, bodyweight exercises are functional and will help you build a base level of strength and muscle, especially at the beginning stages of working out.

But also remember, gymnasts and calisthenics masters are some of the strongest, most powerful, and athletic people on the planet; they predominantly work with their bodyweight, and while they might not have the same maximal strength as, say, powerlifters, they are strong compared to their weight and size, called relative strength.

If you haven't quite got to a bench press yet, start with push-ups. If you can't squat with a barbell, squat with your bodyweight. Focus on form, control and depth, and take your time with the movements; this will turn any bodyweight workout into a more challenging and rewarding experience.

Now, what's the workout?

The workout:

It's very simple: start with 20 reps of your four bodyweight exercises back-to-back, then take a brief reset. Drop by 2 reps to 18, then to 16, and so on, until you either hit the 20-minute timer or get to 2 reps per move.

How fast can you work?

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

As I mentioned, slow the tempo of each move down to increase overall intensity. Try adding small pauses in the non-moving part of the exercise, called holding an isometric contraction, which means you create tension without moving the muscles through their full range of motion.

If the dips feel like too much, bend your knees; if the deficit push-ups are too challenging, take away the blocks or use your knees. You can also perform Spiderman planks on your elbows if you have issues with your wrists. And most importantly, good luck...

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

I wish all my clients would ask me how to build strong hips that feel open and free because the answer isn't necessarily what you might think.

Years ago, the gold standard was stretching. But now, the tide is turning in favor of weighted mobility routines, dynamic stretching and more controlled weight training. If you can, loading your mobility warm-ups will help you build strength, control and stability that carries over to all exercise.

It's hard to convince people to stick to a consistent mobility routine, but I'm hoping these quick tips will convince you to make more space in your week for low-impact movement.

Recently, a 60-year-old client asked me for strong hips, and I gave her this advice. Just remember, this routine was designed with my client in mind. Seek medical advice personalized to you before starting a new regimen.

My 60-year-old client asked me how to get stronger hips, so I recommended two things straight away

1. Planes of motion

The planes of motion refer to sagittal, frontal and rotational movement, which means movements front-back, side-to-side, and rotation. To keep your hips truly strong and healthy, you must target as many of them as possible, which means moving in all directions.

I've included a short video below to show you some examples of movements you can try, but as a general rule of thumb, think about lifting and lowering your legs (the job of the hip flexors), internally and externally rotating your hip joints, abducting your hips, which means moving your leg away from your midline, plus adducting, which means bringing the limbs closer.

2. Loading the hips and force production

Loading your movements with resistance bands, kettlebells, dumbbells, loop bands, barbells and props like Pilates balls will increase the intensity and resistance your joints and muscles work through, but the exercises themselves should remain low-impact.

Think about longevity and the ability of your hips to withstand impact. That is your key to injury prevention. You don't need heavy weights, either; you just need to move slowly and with control, using rep ranges between 6-10 and sets between 2-4.

Sometimes, you can feel an exercise more with a lighter weight, full control and range of motion. It doesn't take away from the movement when the quality improves. I've included a short warm-up example below that you can use with just a loop band.

I recently spoke with a bone loading expert (our chat will be published in the next few days, at the time of writing), who told me that the best way to build strong bones, ligaments, muscles and tendons is to produce high force using low-impact movement.

That includes pushing hard against a stationary object or holding positions using heavy loads. Consider this the next time you turn to a HIIT routine!

Avoid "just" stretching

Your hips help you raise your knees. But they need to rotate, adduct, abduct, stabilize, protect, control and help produce force, too. So just sitting in a stretch for a few minutes, while beneficial for short-term flexibility, isn't going to cut it if you want to build truly strong, mobile hips.

Think about how long many of us sit during the day; our hips respond really well to movement, so when you take a break from your desk, use that opportunity wisely. I'm not saying don't stretch at all, just don't depend on it to fix all niggles and tightness. Staying stationary can cause weaknesses and underactive muscles, which in areas like the hips can lead to back pain.

Also, much of the existing research on the stretch reflex indicates we need to sit in stretches for much longer than we realize to allow muscles to feel safe enough to relax. While your reflex prevents any sudden force or overstretching by inhibiting it, stretching for over 30 seconds gently signals to your muscles and nervous system that your body is safe, allowing you to benefit from the stretch properly and relax into it.

So, if you do plan to stretch, give yourself enough time to settle into it. I recommend Yin yoga, which is a slow, static form of yoga that encompasses this.

Verdict

Overall, it really is as simple as choosing 3-6 low-impact exercises you enjoy, performing 6-10 reps and 2-4 sets of them, and loading them appropriately using equipment you like using. Use as much range of motion and slow, controlled movement as you can, and focus on producing force against resistance without high-impact joint work.

Over time, progress movements accordingly or switch them out. Move your hips in all directions, and try to focus on the ones you don't like or aren't good at, as this is a sign your hips need it!

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Adding load to mobility exercises is a brilliant way to supercharge them; more resistance, more work, more control...more gains.

This exercise opens your hips and stretches your glutes, making it one of the better hip mobility exercises I've used over time with various clients. I highly recommend one of the best kettlebells, but not anything too clunky, as that will limit range of motion.

Intrigued? Here's the move, plus the benefits. And all you need is a weight and a bench or something similar.

How to do the kettlebell figure-4 deadlift

I see this move butchered, and sadly, it will put strain on your shoulders and back, so we need to maximize glute activation, engage the core muscles and hinge at the hips. Shoulders must be pulled back, and your back should stay straight throughout, just like you would during a standard deadlift.

My best advice is to add load gradually, adjust your reps, or play around with a slower tempo to get the most out of this kettlebell exercise. The payoff is more protection for your back, better hip strength, range of motion and stability, and active glutes.

Here's how to do the kettlebell figure-4 deadlift properly.

• Stand with a box, bench, or similar to your left side.
• Position the outer side of your right foot on the top edge of the box and draw your right knee down, squaring off your hips to create a figure-4 shape.
• Hold a kettlebell by the handle using both hands.
• Hinge forward at your hips, send your butt back and lower the weight through the gap in your legs, as if performing a deadlift. Your back should be straight and shoulders drawn back, core active.
• Lower as far as you can until you feel a deep stretch in your glutes, hips and hamstrings, then drive upward to stand.
• 3-4 sets, 6-8 reps per side.

Common mistakes include:

• Hunching: I often see people hunching just to lower the weight further. Think about keeping a straight line from neck to lower back and imagine you're shutting a car door or cupboard door behind you with your butt.
• Rotating: It's easy to start rotating to one side if one side of your body feels tighter than the other. Keep your hips square and chest forward and proud.
• Forcing the knee: If you find it difficult to open your hip and draw your knee down, this is due to limited mobility and tightness. Over time, and with practice, this should improve. Don't force your knees; just meet your body where it is.

Over time, add load to make the exercise more challenging. You can still perform this move if your knee doesn't align with your foot, but be careful not to move through pain. If the exercise hurts, stop, and consult a relevant medical professional.

You want all that action in your hips, glutes, core and hamstrings. Think about tucking everything in and drawing your navel toward your spine. As you exhale, that's your time to lift the weight; as you inhale, that's the time to lower the weight between your legs. Use that breath. Think about lowering down slowly, then driving up powerfully.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

If you, like me, struggle to engage your glutes during leg day workouts, or you find that one side fires up better than the other, working one side of your body at a time like this will help you learn about any imbalances or areas you may be neglecting.

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• A yoga instructor says this is the 5-minute yoga routine you need for strong and mobile hips and core muscles

While I love doing a frenetic HIIT workout from time to time, more often than not, I prefer to take a more measured approach to my strength sessions.

I find controlled, steady workouts more approachable and easier to motivate myself to do, and when it comes to core strength, keeping your movements slow can help engage the target muscles longer and get your abs burning faster than an all-out HIIT blast.

This 15-minute workout from fitness trainer Mikala, better known as FitByMik on YouTube, works your whole core, including the abs, obliques and deeper stabilizer muscles, all while keeping the pace steady and controlled.

It’s a challenging session but includes modifications so anyone can try, and you don’t need any equipment to do it, though rolling out one of the best yoga mats will make it more comfortable on hard floors.

Watch FitByMik’s 15-minute deep core workout

You do 15 exercises in the session, working for 45 seconds, then resting for 15 seconds while getting into position for the next move.

Mikala does the whole workout with you and gives guidance on your form and breathing throughout, as well as some encouragement to keep going when things get tough. It’s worth making sure you can see and hear her throughout.

The 45-second sets feel long, but the aim is to keep moving throughout, working at a slow, steady pace so you don’t burn out quickly, but instead, challenge your core muscles to keep going for the whole time.

Working at a controlled pace gives you more of a chance to focus on your form, ensure you’re engaging the right muscles with each move and use your core to drive the movement rather than relying on other muscles or momentum.

One thing I always notice with slower abs workouts is that I’m better at keeping my lower back imprinted on the floor for moves where I’m lying on the floor — this is something I often lose track of when doing fast abs workouts.

Moving more slowly also helps you keep your breathing steady while moving. Timing your inhales and exhales to the movements will help you work through longer sets, and sometimes during HIIT sessions I forget to breathe for long stretches.

If you enjoy the slower approach to core training, but don’t have even 15 minutes to spare, try this eight-minute Pilates session instead.

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• High reps vs heavy weights: which is better for building muscle?
• The 5 best ways to build muscle without lifting heavier weights

"Injuries that athletes experience when they are on the field are often attributed to muscles, ligaments, and tendons," begins Kyle Zagrodzky, CEO of OsteoStrong.

"The way to think about bones when it comes to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and/or fractures is that they are the chassis of our body. That's just like you would have a Formula One sports car. It has a chassis that could hold a Formula One engine. And by the same standard, if you took a Formula One engine and you put it in a Toyota Tercel, it would destroy the car."

Zagrodzky is responding to how NFL athletes can expedite their recovery and get back on the field sooner after an injury, following the injuries that have plagued players like Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, Jayden Daniels and other NFL stars.

We wanted to find out more about the role bone health plays in getting players back from injury sooner, and whether strengthening the entire musculoskeletal system through 10 minutes of controlled loading per week could be the answer.

Watch: Kyle Zagrodzky discusses bone health and NFL injuries

"Strengthening bones is directly linked to stronger muscles, stronger ligaments and stronger tendons. How do you strengthen the bones and what happens when you do, when it comes to athletic performance, recovery and injury prevention? The language of bone is force. And specifically, high-impact force can build bone," says Zagrodzky.

"It is often thought that walking, lifting weights, or even jogging or running can strengthen the bones. And in some cases, when it's really high-impact force, like sprinting, it can have an effect on bone density. But for the most part, the level of force needed to trigger bone mineral density increase is quite substantial."

Zagrodzky is referring to a study published by Dr. Kevin Deere in 2012. Of over 700 people in the study, it was determined the minimum of 4.2 multiples of body weight would trigger the development of new bone mineral density.

That's a big number, and is known as the "osteogenic threshold," meaning only high-impact physical activity that exerts a gravitational force roughly 4.2 multiples of an individual's body weight effectively triggers osteogenesis (new bone growth). Low-impact (0.5 to 2.1) and moderate-impact (2.1 to 4.2) activities showed no significant benefit.

That means movement like gentle walking or jogging fall below that threshold. Jumping, sprinting, gymnastics, and heavy weightlifting all qualify.

"Gymnasts will generally have the highest bone mineral density and physical strength pound for pound of any other class of athlete," Zagrodzky adds. But while "impact force is great for developing bone strength, it's not so great for your joints, and the long-term impact your joints can take can lead to injuries." That's why many gymnasts will retire at a young age or go on to have issues with their hips or backs.

"There are actually a lot of other factors that indicate whether or not bones are strong," Zagrodzky adds. "If the person is getting heavy loading...they're going to get stronger bones in that specific area...by virtue of loading the bone, you're going to release more osteocalcin (a protein hormone)... but also critical performance hormones like testosterone and insulin."

"I have devices that are specifically designed to allow both athletes and elderly people in a static position, high levels of impact-level force without the impact. That's why we see very, very, very few injuries coming out of osteo-strong centers (wellness centers dedicated to bone strengthening)."

Zagrodzky explains that the development of stronger bones (and your engine as a whole) trains your central nervous system, which will allow your muscles and ligaments to become stronger. "So we see a sharp increase in athletic performance of all classes of athletes, whether they are distance runners or endurance athletes, or more explosive force athletes like power lifters, golfers."

"Strengthening your bones increases the strength of your chassis, and then your body can hold more muscle and will respond by making your muscles denser and stronger, but also your ligaments and tendons, thus preventing injuries. As far as injury rehab goes, the muscles, bones and the surrounding tissue rehab much faster when you can do heavy loading in a static configuration."

Zagrodzky reveals he can relieve pain and improve bone strength doing just one session a week for two months. "It is absolutely valuable that athletes understand the importance of strong bones as it relates to injury prevention but also athletic performance and then how to strengthen your bones without creating more injuries."

In short? Focus on high loading and power in "impact-ready" positions (non-moving or fixed, controlled) that don't cause more impact than is necessary. Examples include:

• Heavy isometric training: Goal: Maximize rate of force and strengthen joints and tendons by holding or maintaining a load without moving. Exercises: hold a quarter-depth squat, heavy farmer's holds, heavy wall squat hold, split squat or lunge holds.
• Overcoming Isometrics: Maximize force output by using your max effort to push or pull against an immovable object like a wall or heavily loaded bar. Exercises: Pull against a heavily loaded fixed barbell as if performing a deadlift without lifting the weight, standing from a quarter-squat position and driving your body into the bar as you press upward.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
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The new Great British Bake Off host has been hailed for her anti-diet talk, but how did the 66-year-old get in such great shape? When reports shared that the GBBO star had lost two stone (about 28 pounds), she was quick to point out this wasn’t the result of calorie counting or dieting. Instead, the chef, who was 55 at the time, credited one workout: Iyengar yoga.

Unlike faster forms of yoga, such as Vinyasa, Iyengar yoga focuses on holding complex poses for extended periods. This can help build muscle and endurance as it keeps your muscles under tension longer. While this won’t immediately lead to weight loss, over time, lean muscle burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, boosting your resting metabolic rate.

Read on to find out what happened when I added this slow, but challenging form of yoga to my routine for a week. As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or returning to exercise following an injury or surgery, this might not be right for you and your body. Always seek personalized advice from a qualified professional if you’re unsure.

What are the benefits of Iyengar yoga?

As mentioned above, Iyengar yoga focuses less on working up a sweat and more on keeping your muscles working as you hold a pose. There’s a strong focus on precision and alignment as you move with complete control. But what are the benefits of this slower form of yoga?

Improved posture

The Iyengar practice focuses on finding balance and symmetry in the body. Research has found it’s one of the most effective ways of treating chronic back pain, as there’s a real focus on improving posture and moving with alignment. If you spend a lot of time sitting down behind a desk, this is a good workout to try.

Strength and endurance

As mentioned above, you’ll be keeping your muscles under tension longer as you hold the pose for an extended period. This can help build core strength, muscular endurance and joint stability.

Stress reduction

Like all forms of yoga, there’s still a deep focus on moving with your breath. This draws your mind into the present and can help calm the nervous system. As well as just feeling better, Iyengar can lower your heart rate, reduce anxiety, and help manage hypertension.

Low impact

This is a low-impact form of yoga that can be great for those recovering from injury or for seniors. As always, if you fall into either of these categories, it’s always best to find an in-person class to attend, rather than following one online, so you can be sure there’s an expert to help you avoid injury. At least to begin with.

I tried Iyengar yoga for a week — here’s what happened

It’s very slow, guys

Up until now, if I were to attend a yoga class, it would be a fast-paced Vinyasa flow. When my anxiety was really bad when I was pregnant, I did yin yoga at my local studio, and I’d say it’s closer in style to Iyengar, with some key differences.

While yin is very relaxed, with a real focus on stretching, Iyengar keeps muscles active and engaged. It’s definitely more of a workout than yin, but far less than the Vinyasa flow class I’d normally attend.

I’ve not been to a yoga class for a long time, and doing an Iyengar flow every morning for a week reminded me I really need to make it a staple of my workout routine. I’m currently training for my seventh marathon, and I spend a lot of my day sitting behind a desk, so my body felt pretty tight as I moved through the poses. In fact, I found myself returning to child’s pose for a few breaths more than I’d like to admit.

My local studio didn’t offer Iyengar classes, so I stuck to online classes, like the one above. I had to improvise using pillows instead of a bolster, but I’d definitely recommend investing in a yoga strap if you don’t have one, and a yoga mat to lie on.

It was nice, but not for me

In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Lawson said, “No one should be put on this earth to go on a diet! No one should eat themselves ill either. As you get on in life, you value feeling well as opposed to looking well. Yoga certainly makes you feel great, and you want to carry on feeling great. I just do a bit in a very slow way.”

I fully, fully stand by Lawson’s anti-diet message and her idea that if you like a form of exercise, you’ll want to do it, which is often half the battle.

After a week of Iyengar, I can safely say that it’s not for me. I’m a runner, and I move at a million miles per hour even when I’m not running. While I definitely need to find ways to slow down, focus on my breathing, and find some headspace, for me, I’d still prefer a faster flow or a Pilates class.

That said, I’ll definitely be trying to keep a yoga class a week in my routine going forward, so I’m grateful to Nigella for reminding me how great it can be to stretch. Now to work on my baking skills…

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I recently had surgery and was told my return to proper exercise must be gradual: no heavy lifting until four weeks post-surgery, and low-impact with a slow build. I can tell you now those words didn't land well with me, as someone who trains four to five times a week and loves nothing more than throwing heavy weights around.

That said, walking workouts tick so many boxes for me: they're low-impact, free and help boost mindfulness. Walking also strengthens your ligaments, bones and muscles, and can lower your risk of chronic conditions like stroke, high blood pressure and blood sugar issues by boosting cardiovascular fitness.

With an incline and speed, you're not just increasing resistance and intensity, but also overall energy expenditure. In fact, studies show pace and/or intensity matters more than distance alone for improving several health markers.

Below, I share a walking workout I've been using before and after surgery to help me feel like I'm still benefiting physiologically and psychologically during recovery. As a reminder, if you’re returning to exercise following surgery or illness, or if you’re dealing with a specific injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional before following anyone else's routine.

What is the workout?

• Hit maximum incline on your treadmill (18%)
• Hit a fast walking speed (for me, that was 4.5km/h)
• Maintain for 20-30 minutes or more if you prefer
• You can add interval training by increasing and decreasing your speed and inclines.

Here's why I love it

First of all, this is as simple as it gets in terms of programming. Hit the maximum incline on your treadmill (I use a Technogym Run, which offers 18%), then find a challenging walking pace you can maintain for however long you choose to exercise. I always start at 3.5km/h, then increase and maintain at 4.5. For me and my short legs, that allows me to maintain a quick speed without jogging.

That's not to say every walk must be fast, but fast walks will increase your heart rate and challenge your body; alternating paces burns calories, boosts your metabolism and gets your system working a little harder as it adapts to pace changes.

In terms of intensity, I like to rate it out of 10 using RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion). For this workout, I like to work at a 6-7/10 for 30 minutes. The incline should be challenging, making your legs and core work hard to propel you up the hill.

Changing pace, incline and intensity is a great way to train your energy systems and improve resting metabolism. That said, you'll need to focus on other forms of exercise (namely, resistance training), overall daily movement levels (known as NEAT) and a balanced diet to manage fat loss, if that's your goal.

And remember, not every walk needs to be a workout, but it can certainly keep things more interesting and help you focus on what your body is doing, which is a form of mindfulness.

Incline walks activate more of your posterior chain, which includes muscles along the back of your body, including the stabilizer muscles that hug your spine, your glutes, hips, hamstrings and calves. You'll also work your quads and improve ankle mobility.

Stay light on your feet and slightly hinge forward at your hips. Engage your core and keep your torso upright; not only will this help you breathe better, but it'll stop you from dumping into your lower back and causing back pain.

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Not that the treadmill calorie burn numbers are very accurate, but I did rack up a fairly high number of calories burned after each walk. I also worked up a good sweat, raised my heart rate and felt out of breath once I'd finished.

I felt like I had activated most of my major muscle groups and worked my legs and glutes hard; so much so that I had a little next-day burn. I also found this technique great for switching off, keeping my step count high and adding some low-impact movement into my day.

I had actually started these workouts before surgery as a way to start de-loading, but it felt pretty challenging post-surgery nonetheless.

I'm not known as a particularly calm or patient person, and I use exercise as a release valve for my physical body and my brain; being able to use this workout to move my body, relieve tension and boost energy expenditure kept me pretty sane, so I highly recommend it if this feels familiar to you.

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Slow, functional movement has become a staple of my workout routine; I love simple compound exercises I can repeat several times a week and progressively overload to keep my muscles guessing.

The move I've been practicing a lot recently, until abdominal surgery demoted me to very, very little movement for a while, is the kettlebell elevated sumo squat. Below, I explain the benefits, how to do it and what it looks like in action.

If I can give you one word of advice before we get started, it's to take this one really slowly and focus on the depth of your squat using a heavy kettlebell. Grab one of the best kettlebells, and let's get started.

Watch: Kettlebell foot elevated sumo squat

You'll feel the sumo squat, which basically refers to a wide-legged squat, in your adductors (inner thighs) and gluteus medius (outer glutes), core, hips and legs, including your quads and hamstrings.

If you want to increase the intensity on your legs and glutes, load heavy so that the last few reps feel very challenging to finish. Focus on pressing through your feet and legs to drive upward to stand.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting new exercises.

How:

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your heels elevated on weight plates. Hold one heavy kettlebell in both hands using an overhand grip
• Sit your hips back and lower into a squat until the kettlebell rests on the ground
• Pause and drive upward to stand
• Complete 6-8 heavy reps for 3-4 sets.

The goal is to engage your core and lower for a three or four second count, then drive up for one powerful push. Keep your chest proud and back straight throughout and focus on sitting your hips back. Push your knees out in line with your toes, preventing them from collapsing or rotating in.

It's common for your shoulders to drop forward, so keep them pulled back and set down.

What are the benefits?

The sumo squat hits the glutes more, especially the outer glutes. Elevating your heels will help you achieve better squat depth and can help provide a deficit, which means the kettlebell has further to travel, increasing time under tension.

Heel elevation also improves quad activation, so you'll feel this move in your thighs. Plus, any heavy lifting requires a strong, active, stable core, so focus on bracing your stomach and keeping your torso upright.

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Squats are a perfect example of a compound exercise, meaning you work multiple muscle groups at once, and big, powerful muscles like your quads and glutes. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolism and ability to burn energy.

Aim for an intensity that feels close to failure, with the last few reps challenging to finish. A simple adjustment like elevating your heels and widening your foot position can really help bump up the activation, meaning you'll feel it far more without having to change your reps and sets.

Engage your core by bracing your stomach and drawing your navel in, breathing expansively and exhaling as you resist the weight; this will protect your lower back and help you move with control.

Before my surgery set me back, I really enjoyed adding this move to my leg day workouts. It provides a lot of bang for your buck and doesn't require much equipment at all. You could even use a dumbbell if you prefer.

I've also maximized time under tension during the eccentric contractions, which I highly recommend doing. If you're not sure what this means, slow the lowering phase of the movement. Give it a try and let us know how you find it.

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I don't do too well with being told to sit still. Years and years of undiagnosed (now diagnosed) ADHD didn't help, plus I work as a fitness editor, journalist and part-time personal trainer, so the words "just rest" didn't land too well with me.

After a recent keyhole surgery, I was asked not to do heavy lifting for up to four weeks post-surgery, and to keep activities light and low-impact over the following weeks of recovery. After going back and forth with my surgeon, I was reassured some movement would be helpful, as long as I felt okay.

I spend my life telling clients not to work through pain or push themselves too soon after injury, a health condition, or illness, so now that I'm going through it myself, over the next month or so, I plan to document how I found this experience from a physical and mental perspective, and any tips or tricks I've picked up that have been useful.

Which brings me to these foot and ankle exercises I've been doing to preserve balance and stability. They're grounding, beginner-friendly, low-impact and will make a huge difference to mobility and balance during strength workouts, yoga, or Pilates. Here they are.

Watch: 3 low-impact foot and ankle exercises for balance, mobility and stability

Before we step into it (I can't jump into anything right now, sadly), if you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, or you're currently pregnant or postnatal, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

One of the best yoga mats is useful, but any exercise mat will work.

The routine:

• Hip aeroplanes: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your left leg, square your hips, then hinge forward and raise your left leg behind you with control. Once your chest is parallel to the ground, rotate your hips to the left. Pause here, then slowly rotate forward to re-square your hips. Complete 6 reps, then switch sides.
• Toe splays and scrunches: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Press down through your big and little toes and heels. Begin rolling your feet from the outer edges to the inner edges, and from heels to toes. Roll through your toes individually from big to little, pressing down into the mat and feeling the connection with the ground. Then, scrunch your feet and release quickly and repeatedly. Complete for 60-90 seconds per foot.
• Figure-4 heel raises: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on your hips and your right ankle just above your left knee. Open your hips as much as you can. Slowly raise your left heel away from the ground, moving into a calf raise. Pause at the top, squeeze your calf, then lower with control. Complete 6-8 reps, then switch sides.

What are the benefits?

Here are some of the benefits you can expect:

Toe splay: Foot-ground connection improves stability and base power during standing or balancing exercises, especially if you're lifting heavy or balancing on one leg. It's also a grounding technique that can relieve stress and help you feel more connected to the body. Scrunching your feet can boost circulation and also relieve restlessness for some people. I recommend closing your eyes and focusing on how your feet feel on the earth beneath you; this will also test your balance further.

Hip aeroplanes are great for improving balance and control, working your core, hips and all the stabilizing muscles in your glutes and legs, as well as your hip, knee and ankle joints. As you open the hip, you'll feel a deep stretch, and over time, practicing this move should help support hip mobility.

Finally, the figure-4 balance is crucial for ankle mobility and calf strength while opening the hip and groin areas of the opposite standing leg. If you want to challenge yourself further, add a squat. Your calves are known as the second heart because they help re-circulate blood up your body, so keeping them active is doing your heart some good.

Verdict

Developing toe splay, ankle mobility, single-sided balance and proper foot-ground connection are crucial for grounding the body during training, helping you feel stable and controlled during workouts.

This is particularly useful if you do any unilateral (single-sided) training, such as lunging, running, powerlifting, or resistance training that includes moves like step-ups or Bulgarian split squats.

You may find that working on your balance can boost performance, mobility and movement mechanics, too. If you try these before workouts, you'll feel more connected to your body, including your core and diaphragm, and the ground beneath you.

Work slowly and focus on exactly what your body is doing. Breathe down into your stomach while lightly bracing your core. Additionally, with your feet on the ground, press through your heels and big and little toes, known as a tripod position.

These have been lifesaver exercises for me, allowing me to move safely and preserve some lower-body strength and stability.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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Sadly, the pizza plate lunge isn’t quite as tasty as it sounds, but if you’re looking for a new way to blast your lower body, work your core, and sculpt the muscles in your back and shoulders, I’ve found it.

Strength coach Ben Bergeron, who shares the move on Instagram, says, “I love movements that build a more physically formidable human. Pizza plate lunges ask a lot of your body at once.”

Read on to find out how to do the pizza plate lunge with good form and the benefits you’ll build. As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or you’re recovering from an injury, this might not be the right move for you and your body. It’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.

How to do pizza plate lunges

For this exercise, you’ll need a heavy weight plate. The right weight will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, chest open and core braced.
• Hold a heavy weight plate across your forearms, as if you were a waiter carrying a pizza tray. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees. Keep your arms in this position throughout the exercise.
• Step forward with one leg and lower your back knee to the ground into a lunge. Let your back knee slightly touch the floor, and keep your front thigh parallel to the ground.
• Drive through your front foot and bring your back foot forward, then step into the next lunge.

Keep alternating legs, keeping your tempo controlled and your core engaged throughout. Aim for 10 reps on each side.

What are the benefits?

Unlike squats, this move really blasts a lot of muscle groups, delivering a full-body challenge. “Your quads and glutes drive you out of each step,” says Bergeron. “Your hamstrings and adductors stabilize the hips and knees. Your abs and obliques brace to keep your torso from folding or rotating. Your spinal erectors keep you tall.

"Your shoulders, upper back, chest and arms work isometrically to keep the plate up and away from you. And because you’re moving on one leg at a time, all of it has to happen while you balance, stabilize and control your body through space.”

Compared to a bodyweight lunge or a walking lunge, the pizza plate hold will force your centre of gravity forward, meaning your core and upper back work harder to keep you upright.

This exercise is a great way to build the full-body, functional strength you need to do everyday activities, like carrying a heavy load of groceries or a child. I added this to my routine for a week as a strength finisher, and it’s seriously harder than it looks. What are you waiting for? Add this to your next leg day and let us know how you get on.

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If you think turning 70 means slowing down, you need to follow Carrie Sisson on Instagram. Sisson, a 70-year-old fitness coach, started taking strength training seriously in her 30s, and at 70, she is stronger than ever.

Below, we dive into Sisson’s go-to exercises for building strength in your lower body — something that is essential for daily functional fitness, as well as improving your overall balance and stability. None of the exercises involve lifting a barbell onto your back, so they are great for anyone who suffers from back pain.

As a reminder, what works for Sisson might not be right for you and your body. If you’re a complete beginner, or you’re returning to strength training following an injury or surgery, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.

6 exercises to build strong legs, according to a 70-year-old fitness coach

“Back squats are only one of many ways to build strong legs!” says Sisson in her Instagram caption. “Whether your back is bothering you, you’re working around an injury, or they just don’t feel good for your body, there are plenty of other options.

“These are 6 of my favorite exercises to keep training your quads, glutes, and hamstrings without putting a bar on your back! You don’t have to force an exercise that doesn’t feel right just because it’s popular. There are so many ways to train your legs and still make great progress.”

For all these exercises, you’ll need a weight of some sort. You can check out the best adjustable dumbbells for working out at home here.

1. Bar Romanian Deadlift

This exercise is great at targeting the muscles on the back of your body. Holding the bar or two dumbbells, hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight, and lower the weights down the front of your shins. Pause at the top, before pushing through your feet and rising back to your starting position.

This exercise “teaches your hamstrings to lengthen under load”, explains Sisson.

2. Split squats

For this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand a few feet away from a bench. Place your back foot on the bench, and slowly perform a lunge, dropping your back knee down towards the floor, and lowering until you have a 90-degree bend in your front leg. Push through your front foot to rise back to your starting position.

During this exercise you’re doing “single leg work that builds quad strength, hip stability, and balance while exposing imbalances between sides”, Sisson adds.

3. Hip thrusts

For this exercise, you’ll need a block or box to lie on. If you don’t have this, you can do hip thrusts lying on your back on the floor. Place a bar or two dumbbells against your hips and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips to the ceiling. Pause at the top of the movement, before slowly lowering yourself back to your starting position. Remember to keep your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and to keep your knees at a 90-degree angle as you lift.

“The load goes through your hips, not your spine, so you can go heavy and actually feel your glutes doing the work,” says Sisson.

4. Leg press

You’ll need to have access to a gym to do this exercise. If you’re working out at home, a good replacement would be a goblet squat, holding a heavy dumbbell with two hands in front of your torso instead of on your back.

If you are in the gym, place both feet hip-width apart on the leg press and push the plate away, extending your legs but not locking out your knees, before reversing the movement. The right weight should feel heavy, but not impossible by the final few reps.

Sisson adds to her Instagram caption why this is one of her go-to exercises, saying, “full lower body loading, zero spinal compression, and one of the safest ways to push heavy leg volume.”

5. Step ups

For this exercise, you’ll need a bench or box of some kind that can safely support your weight. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, place one foot on the box in front of you. Push through the heel of the foot on the step, and lift your body until your hip and knee are fully straight. Place the other foot on the step, then reverse the movement, stepping down. Complete all your reps on one side before switching to the other.

Sisson says this is a “functional, unilateral movement that targets your quads and glutes in a way bilateral exercises simply can’t.”

6. Cable kickbacks

If you’re not in the gym, you can do this exercise using one of the best resistance bands, fixed around something sturdy. Remember to do this exercise with good form you’ll want to hinge your torso forwards slightly, engaging your core, and drive the heel of your working leg back behind you, squeezing your glute at the top of the movement.

This is an “isolation finisher that zeroes in on the glute-hamstring tie-in and builds shape from the bottom up!” says Sisson.

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You can improve mobility and build a stronger lower body using just a resistance or loop band and your bodyweight. I wish all my clients would try the routine I designed below, but it's hard to convince people to stick to a consistent mobility routine; most people want to prioritize running, lifting weights, or attending classes (which is no bad thing, either, but I'd love clients to make space for both).

Recently, a 55-year-old client asked if I could design her a short mobility routine she could do at home by just rolling out her exercise mat and using a thick loop band. Below, I share the routine, plus the benefits you can expect.

Just remember, this routine was designed with my client in mind. If you experience pain or feel unwell, stop immediately and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Watch: Banded 4-move mobility routine

If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting this routine.

• Banded clamshell x knee drive: 2-3 sets of 6- 10 reps per side
• Kneeling abductions: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps per side
• Banded internal rotations: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps per side
• Overhead hip flexor stretches: 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps per side.

What are the benefits?

Many people assume squats, lunges and deadlifts are enough to train hips to be strong. Yes, they're useful, especially the hip hinge movement pattern we see in deadlifts, but it's arguably not enough to really protect your hips as you age.

Your hips help you raise your knees. But they need to rotate, adduct, abduct, stabilize, protect, control and help produce force, too. That's why focusing on strength, range of motion and mobility is useful, especially if you consider yourself an active person.

Rather than just training simple extension or flexion, give these moves a try.

Start with your banded clamshell and knee drive, which focuses on abduction and gluteus medius activation, plus the hip flexors as you drive the knee up. This is about control and as much range of motion as possible.

Next, move to your kneeling abductions. This is an end-range motion, which means you start with your leg already raised and push to lift even further. I wouldn't add a band here, but play around with the height of your step or box. Keep your foot flexed and the weight even between your hands, rather than leaning away from the box.

Up next, banded internal rotations. You'll need to anchor your band to something stable and sit side-on to your anchor point, then feed the band just above your knee. I like to use a block or book between my thighs to activate my adductors (inner thigh muscles) while stabilizing the knee of the working leg. This also tests anti-rotation as you try to resist the pull of the band.

Finally, finish with the hip flexor stretches. Using a bench or sofa allows you to raise your leg and drop into a nice, deep stretch. I would stay on the ball of your back foot and keep your back leg straight as you press the front knee forward over the ankle. An optional extra: raise your arms overhead as you stretch, maybe even holding a weight plate in your hands; this will help you open up the front of your body.

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I'd classify these as intermediate exercises, and you can play around with the band you use or consider adding weights if you prefer. Start slow and reduce the reps and sets as needed or slow the tempo of each move down to increase overall intensity. Try adding small pulses or pauses as you progress.

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I've been training my dad since 2020, and alongside two mobility sessions a week, he lifts weights once a week and keeps a very active lifestyle. We switch up his routines every few months and progressively overload his exercises as he gets stronger; one move that has stayed within his upper-body routine is called the martini glass.

You will need either a pole, light barbell, or broomstick for this exercise. If those don't work, you can use a resistance band. As you get better, consider adding a heavier barbell, weighted plates, or a thicker band. You can also adapt your tempo, reps and sets to suit your needs.

If you’re ready to get started, check out the exercise and its benefits below.

How to do the 'martini glass' mobility exercise

Before we get into how to do the martini glass exercise, I want you to think about the shape of a martini glass; this is what you will replicate with your arms in a Y-shape and your torso long and tall.

From here, it looks similar to a lat pull-down, but the bar or band will travel behind you as you draw your elbows down, then press upward again. It's a test of upper-body mobility and, if you choose to load the exercise, strength.

Your ability to flex and extend your elbows while traveling behind your body will be limited to how much range of motion you have available, so try to pull your shoulders together, back and down away from your ears before you initiate any movement.

• Stand tall with your core engaged, shoulders drawn down and ribcage and pelvis tucked so that you don't arch your back
• Hold a bar overhead using an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart or wider if you have very tight shoulders
• Focus on knitting your shoulder blades together so that the bar aligns just behind your head
• Bend both elbows and draw your them down toward your hips as you lower the bar down your back
• Pause at the bottom, then press upward to the starting position
• Complete 6-8 controlled reps and 2-3 sets.

Tips for proper form

The most common error I see during the martini glass drill is thrusting the hips forward and flaring the ribs, which arches your lower back. Try to keep everything tucked in and initiate the movement with your shoulders, arms and upper back and chest.

Keep your feet hip-width apart and hands just wider than shoulder-width. My dad started even wider at first, then adjusted his grip as he found more room in his shoulders.

If you choose to use a band instead, focus on pulling it apart like you're trying to snap it. The benefit of the band is a lot of tension as you lower, but little tension as you lift, whereas the bar stays the same throughout. A great progression to try is to balance the bar in your palms without gripping it.

This mobility drill stands alone, but I've also found it useful as a dynamic warm-up exercise to prepare your joints and muscles for lifts like the overhead squat, overhead press and snatch.

Over time, you should be able to lower the bar further down or adjust your load, reps, or sets. You should also notice better range of motion, looser shoulders and more stability and control in those overhead positions.

Give it a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

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Despite being the exercise you might think of first when you hear the words "ab workout," crunches aren’t actually the best way to target your abdominal muscles. Plus, if you’re like me and you suffer from sciatica or lower back pain, they can actually do more harm than good.

I swear by Pilates for building a strong and stable core, and it turns out Jennifer Aniston’s trainer does too. Dani Coleman, VP of training at Pvolve, frequently shares workouts on her Instagram, and one of her recent 10-minute core blasts featured a dead bug variation that completely torched my core — read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or recovering from an injury, this might not be the best exercise for you and your body. Always seek personalized advice from a qualified professional before trying something new.

What is the exercise?

The elevated dead bug exercise featured in one of Coleman’s “mini-meltdown” workouts on her Instagram. All you need is your bodyweight and a Pilates ball — Coleman uses the Pvolve ball, but you can grab a similar Pilates ball on Amazon for less than $10. Here’s how to do an elevated dead bug with good form:

• Lie on your exercise mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Place the Pilates ball under your glutes — the ball doesn’t need to be fully inflated for this exercise.
• Raise both legs into tabletop position, keeping a 90-degree bend in your knees.
• Engage your core, squeezing your belly button into your spine.
• For this variation, Coleman works the same side of the body at one time. Moving slowly and with control, extend your left arm and leg away from your body, pointing your toes and reaching your arm away from your torso. At the same time, place your right hand on the thigh of your bent right leg.
• Bring your left arm and leg back to your starting position, and repeat on the right side. Keep alternating sides until you’ve completed 15 reps on each side.

For the elevated dead bug, the key is to move slowly and with complete control — the slower you move, the harder your core has to work. Another alternative is to extend the opposite arm and leg like a traditional dead bug while balancing on the ball.

What are the benefits?

I swapped this exercise into my core routine for a week and immediately felt the benefits. Here’s why:

It targets your deep core

In a bodyweight dead bug, it’s easy to rush, which tends to mean your lower back peels off the floor and your deep core muscles aren’t working as hard. By balancing on the ball, you have to keep your core engaged or you’ll wobble off. This balance fires up the transverse abdominis, the deepest layer of your abdominals and your body’s natural corset.

Your non-working side is working harder

Again, compared to a normal dead bug where your static limbs won’t be working, in this variation they are under constant, dynamic tension. To increase this, rather than resting the non-working hand on your leg, keep light pressure by pushing into your thigh. This isometric squeeze keeps your core working.

You’ll be testing your coordination

Especially if you opt for the classic dead bug, the cross-body stabilization needed to extend your opposite arm and leg while remaining balanced on the ball is high. I felt this in my core after a few reps, and I had to keep resetting and focusing on squeezing my core to stay balanced on the ball.

What are you waiting for? I can’t promise this will give you abs like Jen (a girl can only dream), but if you’re looking for a quick ab blast, add this to your next finisher.

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Bulgarian split squats have been having a real moment in the world of fitness, partly because they are torturous and partly because they are incredibly effective at building your legs and glutes when done properly.

There's a lot of debate around how to do Bulgarian split squats with proper form to maximize the return on your glutes or quads, but there's a BSS with a twist (quite literally) that can build strength and increase mobility, too.

Never one to turn down an exercise with double, or even triple, benefits, I strongly recommend trying this move the next time you want to work your lower body hard. Here's how to do it, plus the benefits.

How to do it

I'd classify this BSS variation as low impact, but if you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice from your physician or a trainer before starting this exercise, especially if you suffer from knee pain.

For many, the knees are an all-too-familiar problem area, but that doesn't mean you can't build strong legs and glutes; it just means choosing the exercises that remain low impact while offering high return in building strength and muscle. What works for one person won't always work for another, so it's about trial and error in the beginning.

• Stand with your back leg on a chair, box, or bench, top of the foot pressed down.
• Square your hips so that you balance on your front leg, with a soft bend in both knees.
• Hold a weight in both hands or bring your hands to your hips and engage your core.
• Bend your knees to lower toward the ground. As you do, arc your back knee toward the bench behind you rather than moving vertically. Vertical will better load the quads. whereas the arc will emphasize the glutes.
• Hinge forward slightly as you lower, keeping your spine long. This will also help activate your gluteal muscles and load the front leg.
• Pause, then drive upward to stand.
• Rotate to the side away from your front leg, pressing your foot down into the box and drawing your knee outward while leaning into the stretch to open your hips and adductors.
• Complete 6-8 heavy reps, then switch sides.
• If you'd like, add a twist over the front leg at the bottom of the split squat.

Why?

Bulgarian split squats famously build your hips, glutes and legs, strengthen your core, improve balance, stability and coordination and test unilateral ability by emphasizing one side of the body at a time.

It's a tough move you can load heavily while focusing on single-leg balance and control. The added benefit of the twist at the bottom of the split squat is that torso rotation works the internal and external obliques, which are extremely important core muscles.

The twist at the top of the exercise offers even more benefit for your hips and inner thighs, as you rotate and draw the top knee over the ankle, leaning away from the front leg. It's a great way to open the lower body through dynamic stretching while gently increasing joint mobility.

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You may have heard of animal flow and primal movement; this popular exercise form combines bodyweight exercises into a sequence or flow, a bit like strength training meets yoga.

And getting adults to exercise more like animals is proving pretty popular as a way to improve mobility and build functional strength, which means it's also good for your bones, joints and ligaments.

And all you need is your body and the ground to give it a go. You could also use one of the best yoga mats, but this is optional. Read on to find out more, plus three must-try moves you can do yourself.

What is animal flow?

Animal Flow involves a floor-based style of bodyweight training that mimics animal poses and how they move, like crawling, pouncing and squatting.

There are multiple layers to official animal flow routines, including wrist mobilizations, "activations" (a bit like a warm-up), form-specific stretches (for mobility and flexibility), "traveling forms," which include animal locomotive movements, and switches or transitions that allow you to develop a flow.

Why strength coaches are making adults exercise like animals

True animal flow is a bit like an art form, but many strength coaches are drawing inspiration from the style to inform their clients' programs and improve how well they move.

It’s the definition of functional training because it helps improve flexibility, functional strength, movement quality and mobility, all while making your body more injury-resistant.

Moving in a primal way also reconnects you with a sense of grounding, improving connection with body, breath and mind and accessing the inner animal that exists within everyone. In other words, it looks and feels natural and innate. This can also act as a form of mindfulness through finding a flow state. And most importantly, it's fun.

Being in contact with the ground and continuously moving means you also increase balance, coordination, stability, range of motion and proprioception in all planes of motion.

Over time, adding primal movement into your routine, whether that's as a workout or a warm-up routine, should help you build better strength and control.

A study by Animal Flow and Dr. Jeffrey Buxton looked at the effects of a "quadrupedal movement" training (QMT) program on functional movement, range of motion, muscular strength and endurance. QMT is a bodyweight training program that incorporates animal poses, transitions, and crawling patterns. Researchers found improvements in whole-body stabilization, flexibility and range of motion.

One study even found improvements in cognitive function and working memory following meditative movement. Rhythmic motion can be therapeutic for the nervous system, helping relieve stress.

3 moves to try

• Loaded beast: The move targets your hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, arms, shoulders, chest and core as you move forward and backward horizontally. It also develops lower-body mobility, targeting the hips, knees and ankles, and testing range of motion and shoulder stability. Think of a coil ready to spring as you sit your butt back, allowing you to load power.
• Cat crawl: Crawling develops reflexive strength and coordination, teaching your body to recruit both sides and your upper and lower body to work together. Your core will be working hard throughout.
• The frog: Frog builds upper-body strength and foundational pushing power. It will improve hip mobility, improve control and help you develop the skills needed for yoga poses like handstand and crow.

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I’ll let you in on a secret — I really hate sit-ups and crunches. I don’t really feel them in my core; they hurt my lower back, and according to just about every personal trainer out there, they’re not even the best way to target your abdominal muscles.

With that in mind, as I gear up for my seventh marathon in a few weeks, I’ve been looking for better ways to build functional core strength. Our resident personal trainer, Sam Hopes, told me to try the suitcase carry, so I grabbed a set of the best adjustable dumbbells and did just that. Read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or currently recovering from an injury, this might not be the best exercise for you and your body. Always seek personalized advice from a qualified professional if you are unsure.

How to do the suitcase carry

All you’ll need is one heavy weight and your body weight. Here’s how to do the suitcase carry with good form:

• Stand next to a heavy dumbbell and hinge at your hips to lift the weight with a flat back. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart.
• Stand tall and engage your core, lowering your shoulders down and back from your ears. Your torso should be completely upright.
• Walk forward in a smooth, straight line. Keep your gaze ahead and hold the weight loosely beside your thigh.
• Keep your shoulders and hips completely square — you don’t want your body to lean to the side. One way to do this is to imagine you’re holding an invisible weight in your opposite hand.
• Once you’ve reached your distance or time goal, lower the weight to the floor and repeat on the other side.

As a reminder, the right weight will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If you find it difficult to stop your torso from leaning or your leg keeps brushing the dumbbell as you walk, it’s too heavy. Reduce the weight and keep going. Moving with improper form can put your spine at risk of injury.

I did suitcase carries for a week — here’s what happened

I had to really think about keeping my core engaged

Compared to a farmer’s carry, where you’re holding a dumbbell in both hands, the difficulty with the suitcase carry is that all of the weight is loaded to one side. As a mom, this felt very apt, as I often cart my toddler around on one hip, but the key to this functional move is to really engage your core. I had to think about sucking my belly button into my spine and standing tall with every step.

The good news is, this simple-looking exercise gets you a lot of bang for your buck. When done correctly, you’ll be working your obliques, transverse abdominis and QL (the stabilizing muscle that runs along your spine) to prevent you from leaning. This builds deep rotational stability in the core.

It’s a good one for runners

Although, at times, this felt like walking up and down my living room with a weight (I opted to do a minute on each side), this ab move might actually help my form at my next marathon. By nature, the move is challenging your single-side stability. Running is a single-leg sport, so by strengthening the gluteus medius and helping you work on stabilizing your hips as you step, this exercise can actually make you run more efficiently.

My grip strength needs work

Holding a heavy dumbbell for 60 seconds isn’t something I do all that often — my reps tend to be shorter and lighter, and this exercise taught me my grip strength needs some work.

This sneaky move felt like a full-body workout in itself, as I felt it in my shoulders and forearms as much as my abs, but it’s one I’ll be keeping in my strength sessions going forward. What are you waiting for? Grab a heavy dumbbell and get carrying.

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The overhead press, shoulder press, or military press looks simple — but it’s surprisingly easy to lift with bad form, and many more people than you'd think end up on the physical therapy couch because of poor lifting mechanics.

To maximize the benefits of this weightlifting move, we recommend learning how to overhead press before bad habits set in. As a trainer, I have a few tips to help you supercharge the muscle and strength-building benefits of the overhead press and its many variations.

Scroll on to see if you're making these common mistakes below, and my top tips to fix your form fast.

How to overhead press (and why)

As a common compound exercise cropping up in functional training workouts and strength programs everywhere, the overhead press is one of the big five lifts that works the upper body to build strength (and muscle) in your triceps, shoulders, upper chest, upper back and core while developing explosive pushing power and overhead strength.

The move recruits the upper pectoral muscles, anterior deltoids (the fronts of the shoulders) and triceps, and it also strengthens your upper traps. When done correctly, you can expect to develop maximal strength when you work to failure.

Your core muscles engage throughout to stabilize your torso, and your shoulder stabilizers support this exercise, so they require proper activation and positioning; it’s a surprisingly technical foundational lift.

Here's what I see go wrong, and three quick fixes:

• Hunching as you lift: Commonly, people will start the lift with their shoulders by their ears, meaning the rotator cuff (shoulder stabilizer muscles) can't properly activate. Not only does this increase injury risk, but it means less stability, overfiring of the bigger, powerful muscles and under-firing of the muscles that keep the move safe, causing imbalances. Fix: Draw your shoulder blades back and down and slightly together to "set them in place" and keep your shoulders away from your ears while you perform reps.
• Arching your spine: Pushing your hips forward hyperextends the spine and puts more pressure on your lower back. It can also signal you might be lifting too heavy for your core to properly engage and support the lift. Fix: Learn to brace your core properly, imagining you're expecting someone to punch you in the gut; breathe toward your diaphragm, not your chest. Next, slightly tuck your pelvis under so that you don't stick your butt out or flare your ribcage.
• Rushing your reps: Evidence suggests eccentric loading and time under tension are great ways to build control, stability and muscle mass. In this case, the eccentric phase is the lowering of the weights. Fix: Focus on a three-four second tempo down, then press up for one second, rather than getting your reps out as quickly as possible.

Why does it matter?

In short, you're wasting your time if your form is off. And we're busy humans who don't like our time being wasted, right?

Leaning back too far removes tension from your upper body and overloads your lower back. Keep your torso static — don't swing or use momentum to push the weight upward. Draw your ribcage down, engage your glutes, and slightly tuck the pelvis to keep everything locked in place.

Next, think about your shoulders; as I mentioned, draw them down and keep them there, even when you press. Our shoulders spend a lot of time protracted as we hunch over desks, slump into chairs, or sit for long periods, so retraction is key to developing healthy shoulder movement patterns while improving stability and posture. It’s also a great way to help safeguard your shoulders from injury.

Taking time during the eccentric contraction will prevent you from rushing and get the most from each rep. Pause and squeeze at the top and bottom of the movement to help maximize activation.

The rotator cuff muscles — a group of four muscles surrounding and supporting the scapulae — are crucial for shoulder stability. If you want to practice using them, I recommend adding scapula push-ups and scapula pull-ups into your warm-up routines.

If you have a shoulder-related injury, pre-existing health conditions or injuries, or you experience pain, speak with a qualified personal trainer or physician first.

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Until our stride starts to feel slower, shorter, or less steady, it’s easy to take walking for granted. While some changes in walking speed are a normal part of aging, maintaining strength, balance and mobility can help us keep moving confidently and comfortably as the years go by.

Walking speed is also closely tied to how well we can keep up with our everyday activities. Whether it’s crossing the road, climbing stairs, or catching up with friends on a walk, having a strong, stable stride can make a big difference to how independent and active you feel.

But which muscles should we be working to keep our walking speed up? I asked Dr. Matthew Cifelli, physical therapist and strength and conditioning specialist at Attain Physical Therapy, to share four exercises that can help support a stronger stride. And the good news is that these moves are simple enough to do on a daily basis — no complicated gym equipment required.

Here are the four exercises Dr. Cifelli recommends for maintaining walking speed as you age.

1. 1. Sit-to-Stand

“The sit-to-stand exercise helps strengthen the quadriceps and glutes, which are the primary muscles responsible for forward propulsion during walking,” Cifelli explains. “By improving our strength in this area, we increase our stride power and reduce the ‘shuffling gait’ common with age-related weakness.”

• Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lean your chest slightly forward.
• Press through your heels and rise to standing.
• Slowly lower back down with control.
• Aim to complete 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

2. Heel raises

Calf strength – which is what heel raises help to create – is directly tied to push-off power, which in turn determines our stride length and walking speed. “That’s why stronger calves help us walk with more confidence and reduce the feeling of heavy legs,” Cifelli says.

• Standing behind a counter or chair for support, rise up onto your toes slowly.
• Pause for 1-2 seconds.
• Lower your heels back down with control.
• Aim to complete 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

3. Standing side leg raises

Engaging the stabilizing muscles in our hips is key for maintaining walking speed, as these help prevent swaying and unsteadiness. As Cifelli puts it: “Better hip stability improves balance, reduces fall risk, and allows for a smoother, faster walking pattern.”

• Stand tall holding a counter or chair for support.
• Lift one leg out to the side, without leaning.
• Lower back down with control.
• Aim to complete 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per side.

4. Wall sit

Wall sits can be tough, but they’re great for building endurance in the quads and glutes. “They’re one of the best exercises for maintaining walking speed over longer distances without fatigue or having to slow down,” Cifelli advocates.

• Stand with your back against a wall.
• Slide down until your knees are slightly bent, or if you can, until they’re at a right angle. Your back should be pressed firmly against the wall.
• Hold for 10-20 seconds.
• Rest and repeat 3-4 times.

Why is it important to maintain walking speed as we age?

Walking relies on a combination of leg strength, balance, coordination and joint mobility, so changes in any of these areas can affect how efficiently we move.

And while it is natural for walking speed to slow down as we get older, maintaining a steady pace is important if we want to stay independent. Everyday activities like climbing the stairs and getting groceries become easier if we can walk easily, which is why training the right muscles helps. A few simple exercises, performed on a regular basis, can go a long way in maintaining the strength and stability needed for a confident stride.

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You just need five moves and 15 minutes to complete this 5-4-3-2-1 bodyweight ladder workout. This is one of my favorite workouts when I have no time or equipment, and it improves functional, relative strength all over.

You can do the ladder workout as an AMRAP, meaning you’ll do as many rounds as possible, or you can go up and down the ladder once and stop.

I originally designed this bodyweight workout as a full-body finisher because it can fatigue muscles as a “burnout" set at the end of your routine. But it actually stands alone as a workout, too. Get ready to feel the burn.

This five-move ladder workout builds foundational strength all over — without weights 

I categorize it as another functional bodyweight workout using five simple compound exercises, hitting multiple muscle groups at the same time. You can scale each move according to your ability, and I provide some helpful tips below for doing so.

Perform exercises back-to-back, taking a quick rest here and there if you need it. I would rest after a round of exercises is complete rather than stopping between movements.

Start with five reps of each move, then drop to four and so on. Once you finish one rep of each move, go back up the ladder to five reps. You could continue this and set a 15-minute timer, or simply move once up and down the ladder.

And if you're trying to figure out whether or not using just your bodyweight can benefit you, I assure you it can. According to research, benefits of bodyweight training include muscle growth and joint stability, increased strength and endurance, and better flexibility. Grab one of the best yoga mats and hit save.

1. V-sits

Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended. Engage your core. Lift your upper body and legs away from the mat to touch overhead. Lower down to the ground again. Try to imagine a book opening and closing, with the spine of the book mimicking your own spine. Draw up through your abdomen and reach toward your toes.

You can bend your knees to make this easier or point your toes to make it harder, keeping your legs pressed together.

2. Reverse burpees

Lie on your back with your legs extended down the mat. Engage your core. Bend your knees, draw them toward your chest, then shoot them into the air overhead, slightly lifting through your tailbone as you extend.

Reverse the movement to extend your legs away from you just above the mat without dropping them, and continue for reps.

3. Sprawls

Start in a plank position. Jump your feet to the outside of your hands, then lift your hands so that you're sitting in a low squat. Place your hands down, then jump back into a plank and lower your chest to the ground. Press up to the plank position and repeat.

You don't need to bring your chest all the way to the ground as a beginner. For a more advanced variation, bring your chest down and use your core to explosively press up.

4. Deficit push-ups

You can place your hands on anything that elevates them; I like to use yoga blocks or push-up bars. Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists.

Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground, keeping your arms close to your ribcage. Press upward as you exhale, ensuring your hips and chest move as one unit, and you don't leave them behind.

Bring your knees down or shoot for regular push-ups if creating a deficit feels too difficult.

5. Cossack squats

Start with your feet wide and toes pointed out. Bend into one leg and send your weight over to the side, sitting your butt as low as you can, keeping your chest proud and back straight. Your heel should stay planted.

Press upward to stand and sweep straight over to the other side.

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The best hip mobility exercise doesn't exist. You ideally need a combination of exercises that move your pelvis through different planes of motion, including internal and external rotation.

It can be confusing to know what does and doesn't help, which is why I regularly test hip mobility exercises and share the ones I swear by as a trainer.

While I encourage strength training to maintain as much strength and muscle as possible, surprisingly, I'm more passionate about encouraging regular mobility training, and I encourage it even more strongly after 50.

For many of my clients, I recommend the same exercises at any age, but how we approach them might differ from person to person. For me, this move always stands out.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

Watch: Internal rotation hip exercise

When you think of warming up, you might think of hip rolls that externally rotate and open the hips, or leg swings that stretch the hip flexors, using a forward-back motion. How often do you think about internal hip rotation?

In this instance, I mean drawing the knee toward your midline, rotating the hip inward. Strong, healthy hips should be able to move in all directions, so picking exercises that strengthen your hips in multiple ways is a great place to start.

I'd pick this move, as you can do it anywhere using your bodyweight, gradually increasing your range of motion as you improve.

I recommend 8-12 reps per side and 3 sets. Focus on the quality of your reps rather than speed.

What are the benefits?

Internal rotation helps build mobility, control and strength around the pelvis, offering a deep stretch at the same time. Increasing hip internal rotation translates to better movement and range of motion, too.

You’ll feel the stretch primarily in your glutes, hips and groin, but more generally, improving your internal rotation abilities will target the gluteus minimus, medius, adductors, hip flexors and tensor fascia latae, to name a few muscle groups.

• Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

To modify this exercise, move slowly and don't reach as far into the stretch; pause for a moment, then release. You might choose fewer sets or reps, or play around with the equipment you use.

If you find this exercise hurts your knees, stop immediately. Try to keep a soft bend in your standing leg, square your hips and lean your weight slightly forward while keeping your back straight; this will improve balance and glute activation.

Remember, while you are trying to draw your raised knee toward you, you're not twisting over to the side, as this will take away from the range you can achieve during the exercise. Instead, consider placing a hand on your hip as you rotate so that you can feel your pelvis doing the work.

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A personal training client of mine recently asked why squats are a good exercise. It was an easy question to answer: they’re a functional movement that requires effort from multiple muscle groups at once, and doing them regularly can lead to stronger quads, glutes, hamstrings, and even abdominals.

Squats are definitely one of my favorite exercises, but what they don’t do is train each of your legs separately from the other. That means your stronger leg will inherently do more of the work in a squat without you even realizing it. In order to address any strength deficits between your left and right legs, you’ll need to do exercises that train them independently.

I include the following three exercises in my routine to ensure that both of my legs are getting stronger equally, and it’s led to heavier squats, faster runs, and better balance. If you have similar goals, or if you’re looking to add variety to your lower body workouts, pick up some dumbbells and give them a try.

How to do the three exercises

Before starting any new activity or exercise program, consult with your medical team. They may suggest alternatives or avoidance based on your history.

Beginners should consider meeting with a certified personal trainer or physical therapist to learn how to do these exercises properly. Performing them with improper form can lead to injury. A trainer or therapist can provide modifications for exercises when necessary, and progression options when you’re ready to advance.

You’ll need a set of moderately heavy dumbbells and a raised platform, like a stair or aerobic stepper. A good dumbbell weight will allow you to get through all reps in a set without needing to rest, but will leave you feeling fatigued. Adjust your dumbbell weight as needed, keeping in mind that you may need different weights for different exercises.

Start by doing one set of 10 reps for each exercise. Do the step-ups and the lateral lunges unweighted at first. As you get stronger, increase your reps to 12, add an additional set, and pick up dumbbells for the step-ups and lateral lunges. Work your way up to 3 sets of 12 reps.

These exercises can be done as their own workout, or you can add them to your current lower body workout. Here’s how to do them:

1. Step up to balance

• Stand in front of a raised platform, like a stair step or aerobic stepper.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Place your left foot on the step.
• Push into your left foot and come to a standing position on the step.
• Bring your right knee to a 90-degree angle in front of you.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your right foot back down to the floor.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.
• After you’ve built up strength, consider holding a dumbbell in one or both hands while performing this exercise.

2. Lateral lunge to balance

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Step your right foot to the right, keeping your toes pointed forward.
• Bend your right knee and lower your hips towards the ground, keeping your left leg straight.
• Push off your right foot and bring your right knee to a 90-degree angle in front of you.
• Pause briefly.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.
• After you’ve built up strength, consider holding a dumbbell in one or both hands while performing this exercise.

3. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Bend your right knee slightly and bring your torso forward, lowering the dumbbells towards the floor and lifting your left leg behind you.
• Pause briefly.
• Return to a standing position.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Benefits of the three exercises

It’s common for one side of our bodies to be stronger than the other (it’s usually, but not always, our dominant side). While strength deficits between our left and right sides are common, it can lead to muscle imbalances, pain and stiffness, and ultimately, injury.

The three exercises in this workout strengthen your left leg and right leg independently. You may notice these exercises feel easier on one side and much harder on the other, which signifies a strength deficit. The more you do these exercises, the more your “weaker” side will catch up so that both legs have a sufficient amount of strength, stability, and power.

These moves work the quads, hamstrings, hip abductors and adductors, and glutes. Additionally, the “balance” element of all exercises forces our deep core muscles to stabilize our bodies as we move.

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I really do believe that age, to an extent, is just a number. Yes, things naturally change as we get older; lean muscle mass and strength markers begin to decline, for example, but you can still build and maintain fitness well into your 50s, 60s and beyond. My dad, who I train twice a week, is 72 and deadlifts 100kg, so I refuse to believe you hit a certain age and have to drop what you love doing.

As a coach who specializes in mobility, I also believe mobility routines hold as much value as a resistance program and staying active. Mobility isn't sexy like lifting heavy weights or running marathons. But improving mobility really matters if you want to move well and with less chance of injury.

How well you move determines how well you live in the future. With that in mind, I share three go-to low-impact exercises you can do to build strength and mobility.

Watch: 3 low-impact exercises for beginners to build strength and mobility

You can microdose mobility routines into your week to build strength, control and stability. Alongside resistance training, they're an anti-aging tool for healthier joints and more active muscles.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

• Good morning x squat combo: Start with your feet hip-width apart and hold a light weight in both hands behind your head, elbows pulled back, chest proud. Hinge forward at your hips, softly bend your knees and push your butt back, lowering your chest until parallel to the ground. Pause, then bend your knees and lift your chest, lowering your butt to sit into the bottom of a squat. Drive through your heels to stand. Repeat for 6-8 reps and 2 sets.
• Prone lat pull-downs: Start on your stomach and hold light weights in your hands. Extend your arms in front of you to shoulder height. Keep your gaze down. Bend your elbows and draw your elbows toward your hips. Squeeze your shoulders and back, then extend your arms in front of you again. Repeat for 8-10 reps and 3-4 sets.
• Half-kneeling rotations: Start in a half-kneeling position. Hold a weight in one hand. Sit your hips back and lower your weight-free elbow to the ground in front of you while pushing your knee outward in line with your toes. At the same time, raise the hand holding the weight overhead and allow your gaze to follow. Ensure the weight stays stacked over your shoulder. Raise to the starting position, keeping your arm raised. Repeat for 8-12 reps per side and 3-4 sets. When you switch legs, also switch arms.

What are the benefits?

Mix intensity to add weights, bands, reps, or sets.

Here are some benefits:

Good morning x squat combos are a mobility masterclass, combining activation of your muscles along the back of your body, known as the posterior chain, as you perform the good morning, then testing thoracic and lower-body mobility at the bottom of the squat. If you struggle with this exercise, reduce how far you move and remove the weights until you feel familiar with the movement.

Prone lat pull-downs: The goal is to work the lats and improve upper-body range of motion. If you're working to improve posture, I recommend this move without weights. Add weights to increase the resistance for your muscles, but ensure you can still raise your arms to shoulder level.

Half-kneeling rotations work the lower body and upper body in harmony. The half-kneel strengthens and opens your hips and groin with a focus on the inner thighs, while the rotations improve thoracic activation and help open your chest and shoulders. It also tests shoulder mobility as you learn to stabilize weight overhead.

All in all, and combined together, these moves work thoracic mobility and upper and lower-body strength. They also work the muscles along the back of your body and unlock tight joints that might hinder your squat depth.

As you get older, move your joints through their range of motion in a variety of patterns while loading muscles using resistance. Joints, ligaments and fascia respond well to low-impact movement, so as a beginner, use your bodyweight or light weights and focus on your control and form.

And remember, you might not notice progress straight away, but over time, you'll see huge benefits. Give these a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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I’ve practiced Pilates for the past decade — I credit it with rebuilding my core following the birth of my son two years ago and getting me to the starting line of (nearly) seven marathons injury-free. But like most people, I spend far too much time sitting behind a desk, and my mobility suffers for it.

But how can Pilates help build mobility? To find out more, I spoke with Pilates instructor Olha Levchuk and asked her for the best exercise for mobility, plus what we should be focusing on in our 40s, 50s, and 60s to build longevity. Read on to find out more.

As always, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or you’re returning to exercise following an injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.

What is the Pilates roll-up?

When it comes to mobility, Levchuk recommends the Pilates roll-up. Unlike a traditional sit-up, the Pilates roll-up focuses on sequential articulation of the spine — moving one vertebra at a time to restore full range of motion.

“Done with control rather than speed, it builds spinal articulation and hamstring flexibility that most people lose from sitting all day,” Levchuk adds.

Here’s how to do it with good form:

• Lie flat on your back. Engage your core muscles, thinking about squeezing your belly button into your spine so your lower back stays pressed into the floor.
• Extend both arms behind your head and both legs out away from your body, driving your heels into the floor.
• Take a breath in and squeeze your core. As you exhale, lift your arms toward the ceiling. As you do, tuck your chin to your chest, and lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat.
• Pull your belly button in toward your spine and continue to peel one vertebra at a time off the floor. Move slowly and with complete control — the lift should come from your core, not the momentum of your torso.
• Keep your abs scooped as you lift, and extend your arms out toward your toes.
• Inhale with your spine in this C-curve, then exhale and reverse the movement, slowly lowering one vertebra at a time back down to your mat as you unroll.

Keep your heels pressed into the floor throughout this exercise to prevent your hip flexors from taking over. The movement should come from your core.

What are the benefits?

As Levchuk explains, this exercise helps restore mobility in the spine, as well as target the muscles in your core. When done with good form, you’ll work the deep transverse abdominis, obliques, and six-pack rectus abdominis muscles during this move. As you reach forward at the top of the roll-up, you’ll also target your hamstrings, calves and back muscles.

Mobility is important at all ages, but especially as we get older. “In your 40s, prioritize posture — years of desk work and daily habits start showing up in the spine, so alignment and shoulder-chest opening work becomes essential before it turns into pain,” says Levchuk.

But what about after that? “In your 50s, prioritize endurance and strength — this is when muscle mass and stamina naturally start declining, so consistent strength work matters more than ever to stay ahead of it. In your 60s, prioritize balance — stability naturally decreases with age, making balance-focused work the most important tool for fall prevention and staying independent,” she says.

Looking for more Pilates inspiration? You’re in the right place. Check out these 5 Pilates exercises to help seniors build strength and improve posture.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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I love a yoga block; it can make an exercise more challenging (try putting a block between your thighs during chair pose) or easier, depending on what you need it for. This yoga block hack has improved squat depth for many, many clients, and it's helpful if you have tight ankles or limited mobility.

While, yes, ideally, you'd work on fixing tight ankles using regular mobility routines, not everyone can achieve ideal squat depth (parallel or lower), and so this trick comes in handy if you want to work your quads hard without compromising your form.

Ready? Let's take a look at the exercise and some benefits.

Watch: yoga block trick for tight ankles

I have extremely tight ankles, and despite working on them for a while, I still struggle to squat well without the famous butt wink (when your pelvis slightly tucks under at the bottom of a squat). For that reason, I use a yoga block or weight plates under my heels to elevate them; it helps front-load the squat so you feel it in your quads, but also helps you sit your hips back deeper into the squat.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, especially knee pain, we recommend seeking advice before starting any new exercise.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart or slightly wider. You can use one or two blocks depending on how wide you stand
• Engage your core and look ahead
• Step your heels onto the block(s) behind you, elevating your heels while pressing through the balls of your feet
• Sit your hips back and lower into a squat. Keep your chest proud and back straight
• Pause at the bottom, then drive upward to stand. Add weight if you prefer.

Why does elevating your heels help with squats?

As you sit back into a squat, there are multiple issues that can arise. A common one is tight ankles, which are commonly mistaken for a hip, back, or knee issue; when your ankles are tight, this acts as a catalyst for a chain of events that travel up to the knees and pelvis, impacting squat mechanics, creating potential imbalances, or even overfiring other muscle groups to compensate.

Here are some benefits to elevating your heels:

• Upright torso: You can maintain a more upright torso, which allows most people to achieve a deeper range of motion. As you raise your heels, your weight shifts forward. If you've ever seen weightlifting shoes, you'll notice the heel stack; others use plates or wedges.
• Ankle Mobility: If you struggle with dorsiflexion, squats might feel harder, so raising the heels can combat this issue and improve mechanics.
• Less strain: If you can sit more upright in your squats, you will place less stress on your knees and spine, helping you keep your spine straight and chest proud.
• More quad action: The raised position allows your knees to track over your toes, working your quads harder. You'll also sit deeper into the squat with better form, working the leg muscles properly and with correct posture. It's not just about working the muscles hard, but well.

Squats are one of the "big five" compound exercises. They're functional and one of the best leg exercises for building power, strength and muscle in your lower body. While developing ankle mobility should be a focus, alongside a more comprehensive mobility routine, there's no reason to suffer with your feet flat if you don't need to.

Adding plates or a yoga block will help reduce issues with balance and posture, though it's not a cure-all. Focus on an upright torso, gaze straight ahead and keep your core engaged. Only when you feel comfortable with your form should you add load.

If you're unsure, get someone to spot you, film yourself, or use a mirror. This will allow you to check if your tailbone is tucking under (the butt wink) or if there's any overcompensation elsewhere.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

Last month, I did the bear plank shoulder tap every day for a week and, while I found it an effective exercise for the deep core and upper arms, it is not one I’ll be adding to my roster. It’s a testing move and one seemingly designed to make you look ungainly. Having read the piece, my editor stroked her chin thoughtfully and said, “In that case, how about the bear plank bird dog for this month?” A variation on a theme, I mused, like an idiot.

What is the bear plank bird dog?

It is, as it sounds, another adaptation of the basic bear plank, which is itself a fairly difficult move that involves getting on all fours, then lifting your knees a few inches off the ground and holding yourself in place. The bird dog aspect means stretching out your left arm and right leg, then your right arm and left leg, while keeping your knees raised and back straight. It sounds tough, but it’s much tougher than that.

The bear plank with shoulder tap is an intense move that works your transverse abdominis muscles (the deepest layer of the abdominals), which are vital for the prevention — and even treatment — of low back pain. It also gives your upper arms something to think about.

The bird dog is a core exercise, too, but at the same time it hits the erector spinae muscles, which extend from the neck along the full length of the spine; the hamstrings; the trapezius muscles in your upper back; and the deltoid muscles, which form the rounded shape of the shoulder. Put them together and you have the bear plank bird dog, one major overachiever of an exercise.

How do I do it?

• Begin in tabletop position (all fours), knees in line with your hips and wrists in line with your shoulders.
• Push into your mat (I strongly advise using a mat, as this one is hard on the wrists), engage your core and raise both knees a couple of inches off the ground, keeping your palms flat and rising onto your toes. You should feel this in your core right away.
• Breathe in a controlled manner, keep your back straight and your head down.
• Once you feel you are balanced, raise your left arm and right leg at the same time until both are straight (or as straight as you can manage), pause for a second, then lower with control. Now repeat the move with your right arm and left leg.
• Begin with five reps on each side.

This is what happened when I did the bear plank bird dog for a week

Let me get to the point: I never mastered this move. I tried — how I tried! — but no matter how much determination I brought, no matter how patient I was, I could not do it properly. My knees came up too high, I lost my balance, I could not straighten one limb or the other… it was a mess. I still cannot pinpoint where I was going wrong, or where I am lacking strength or balance, but this one defeated me.

The daily humiliation

I keep notes when I’m doing these challenges and I began my account of day one with “almost impossible”. On both sides, I had to raise my leg before my arm could come up and even then I wobbled like a boozed-up foal. I have watched videos of this move and in them, the trainers are still as statues… while talking! And their knees rise no more than a couple of inches. Mine were headed for the ceiling. I managed three reps on each side and retired, surprised that my body was letting me down so comprehensively. Day two will be better, I reasoned. It always is.

It was not. When you are worried a move is not going according to plan and things are showing no signs of improving, you hold your breath as you tense up. This, of course, limits your options as the oxygen runs out. I completed an unsatisfactory five reps on each side and finished breathless and nonplussed. However, even though I was still not displaying anything like good form, I could tell this is an excellent exercise for the core and the upper arms.

If at first you don’t succeed…

There was no improvement on days three and four and I was now approaching the move with a negative mindset: I was no good at it, but I had a job to do. So, on day five, I decided to reset. Clear my head. Banish unhelpful thoughts.

I slowed everything down, paid close attention to everything from the position of my toes to the angle of my head, and reminded myself to breathe throughout. Then I tried a rep. Not bad. Not great, but not bad. Two. I could see my knees were still too high, so I lowered them as I tried for a third rep… and my form fell apart. The effort to keep my knees close to the ground while straightening an arm and a leg was simply too much.

…try something else

After a week, it was clear I was not going to be able to perform this move correctly. I’ve been doing these challenges for a long time and this was the first that defeated me. The bear plank with bird dog is to every other challenge I’ve taken on what playing with a ball of string is to understanding string theory. This is an advanced move that requires something more (strength? balance? co-ordination?) than I had to offer.

After the week was over, I decided to try it with leg bent to 90 degrees and this was far more successful. Not perfect, but I could hold the position. With my leg nearer to my trunk, my weight remained more centred and I could hold my knees closer to the ground. I was quietly delighted, then loudly. I also noticed in the days that followed that I could hold a normal plank for longer than usual. Causation or correlation? Who knows.

Even with my poor form, I could tell this is a savagely effective core exercise, but as I noted in my piece on the bear plank with shoulder tap, there is no shortage of exercises that work the same muscles, such as the hollow hold, the Russian twist, the dead bug, and the reverse crunch. I do not feel remotely disheartened that I could not perfect this move. It’s not for everybody, but it might be for you. Or it might be string theory.

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The best plank variations depend on you and your body, but of all the ones I've tried over the years, the gymnastics plank is still my favorite for building stability, endurance, and strength. It doesn’t just strengthen your core; it also works your shoulders, arms, wrists, quads, hips and glutes.

I've been including them in place of standard planks for a few months now, especially for my clients over 50 who want to build a strong core and reduce back pain. Here's how to do it, and why I recommend giving it a shot next time you hit the gym.

How to do gymnastics planks

One of the best yoga mats is handy but not essential. Follow these steps:

• Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, hips aligned with your shoulders and a straight line from heels to head
• Brace your core, glutes and quads, creating as much tension through your body as possible while breathing toward your stomach
• Push your hands into the mat to broaden your upper back and create a soft hollow through your torso
• Roll forward over your wrists, keeping your arms straight, onto the tops of your feet. Your shoulders should pass in front of your fingertips
• Avoid dropping your hips, arching your back, or pushing your butt up to the sky
• Hold. Continue breathing.

I recommend trying for a 20-second hold and building from there. Slightly tucking your hips and pushing through your upper back will help you create the hollow shape through your upper body.

You’ll feel your forearms and wrists working a lot harder; if this causes pain, drop to your elbows or stop completely. It may feel uncomfortable and challenging, but it shouldn't be painful.

Gymnastic planks benefits: 3 reasons why I use them with clients

Gymnastics exercises focus on building functional strength and require a strong and stable core. They also build relative strength and power, and many "holding" exercises like planks, hollow holds, or handstands require endurance, stability and balance using isometric contraction, meaning your muscles are neither shortening nor lengthening.

Reasons enough right there.

Like a regular plank, the exercise is a full-body one, but for this variation in particular, focus on consciously contracting as many muscles as you can, especially the three Bs: belly, butt, back.

Your shoulders, arms, forearms, wrists, core, hips, quads, lower back, glutes, and ankles will get stronger, but shifting forward with your body places emphasis on the upper body, namely the shoulders, arms, and wrists. Rolling further onto the tops of your feet will activate more of your front body, like the hips and quads, rather than backloading the glutes and hamstrings.

Grip strength, which comes from your hands, forearms and wrists, has been shown to be a key factor for longevity, which is why everyone should include wrist-strengthening exercises in their routines as they get older, especially when muscle and strength begin declining, which accelerates in your 50s.

Yes, planking strengthens superficial muscles like the rectus abdominis (the six-pack), but also the deeper transverse abdominis (a stabilizing belt of core muscle), hip flexors and the obliques. These muscles support your spine and pelvis, so keeping them strong can protect you from injury.

The next time you decide to level up your planks, why not make it this one?

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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Ever wondered how a Navy SEAL stays in shape? We’ve got you. Below, former Navy SEAL DJ Shipley shares the four exercises he uses to build core strength and stability, without doing a single sit-up or crunch. Grab a set of heavy dumbbells and read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re pregnant or postpartum, or you’re recovering from a specific injury, this might not be the best workout for you and your body. Always seek personalized advice from a qualified professional if you are unsure.

What is the workout?

The workout was shared on trainer Vernon Griffith’s Instagram and shows DJ Shipley doing four different exercises to target the core and lower back. All you’ll need for the exercise is one heavy dumbbell — remember, the right weight should feel challenging, but not impossible by the final few reps. If at any time you feel the weight is compromising your form, it’s too heavy.

You can check out the best adjustable dumbbells for working out at home here.

Here are the exercises:

• Half-kneeling dumbbell dig and chops
• Half-kneeling dumbbell lateral tilts
• QL-focused hip drops
• Suitcase carries

Griffith doesn’t suggest reps for each exercise, but we’d recommend starting with 10 reps on each side, and repeating the circuit two to three times through to build a longer ab and lower back workout.

What are the benefits?

All of the exercises above work on building rotational core strength and hip stability, as well as strengthening the muscles in the lower back. Unlike traditional core exercises, like crunches and sit-ups, this routine trains your core, hips and lower back to stabilize the spine under uneven or dynamic loads.

You’ll be working the deep stabilizer muscles, including the Quadratus Lumborum (QL), which is a deep muscle that runs from your pelvis to your lower ribs, the oblique muscles, and the gluteus medius.

During the first two exercises, the half-kneeling position locks your pelvis in place, preventing you from using any momentum from your legs to swing the dumbbell. Instead, your obliques will be doing all the work lifting the dumbbell in the diagonal line.

The hip drops work the QL, which often becomes tight, overworked, or weak if you spend a lot of time sitting down. This exercise strengthens the QL through its full range of motion, reducing lower back stiffness.

Finally, the suitcase carries help build the real-world functional fitness in the core needed to carry a heavy suitcase, bag of groceries, or child on one hip. By carrying the dumbbell on one side, you’re forcing the core muscles on the opposite side to contract to prevent your torso from tilting.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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As a trainer and fitness editor, I like experimenting in the gym, and what better way to do that than trying out some trending TikTok fitness challenges? I'm a bit of a mobility nerd, so I wanted to focus on the current viral mobility challenges I'm seeing everywhere right now.

There are five I want to share with you, but I really recommend two of them if you have limited mobility or particularly tight hips. I decided to use one of the best yoga mats and nothing else, which makes these mobility tests accessible for most people.

Ready? Me too; let's get stuck in.

Watch: 5 TikTok mobility drills for tight hips and ankles

Mobility and flexibility are becoming increasingly popular within fitness routines, so how well do you know yours? Your ability to stay agile, strong and mobile as you age can help prevent the natural decline in strength and muscle mass that occurs over time; this can impact overall mobility, joint health and balance, which are crucial for keeping you independent.

I've noticed a lot of mobility challenges going viral on TikTok at the moment, so I've put together five of my favorites, and I focus on two in particular that I think are worth your time, especially if you have tight hips or ankles. Check them out below.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

• Sit-up-to-stand: Lie on your back with your feet planted and knees bent, engage your core, then perform a sit-up without using your hands for support. As you sit upright, keep the momentum up as you drive forward through your feet and legs to a standing position, keeping your heels planted. Why? Core strength, leg power and ankle mobility.
• Stand-sit-stand: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, squat down, then lower your knees to the ground, close together, without using your hands. Extend one leg, then the other. Cross your legs by drawing your heels in, then roll into an upright kneeling position. Roll back onto your heels to the bottom of a squat position, then drive up to stand. Why? Functional lower-body strength and internal hip rotation.
• Shrimp squat: Lower into a half-kneeling position, then reach back and grip your back foot with one hand. Slightly lean forward, then push through your leg to stand. Why? Lower-body flexibility, single-leg strength and balance.
• Single-leg stand: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight into one leg, then come onto the ball of the other foot and bend the knee. Bend down, sending your hips back, then wrap your arms through and under the bent leg. With control, stand up with your leg still gripped with both arms. Release, then repeat on the other side. Why? Tests lower-body flexibility, single-leg balance, strength and hip mobility.
• Overhead wall squat: Face a wall with your toes close to the bottom of the wall and feet hip-width apart. Extend your arms overhead, then squat down, sending your hips back and pressing your weight through your feet. Lower as far as you can without your chest or arms touching the wall. Drive up to stand. Why? Tests thoracic mobility, upper-body tightness, poor squat mechanics and tight lower-body joints and hip flexors.

Which exercises should you focus on?

Of course, there's an element of personal preference, but the two mobility challenges I would focus on, from the perspective of a trainer, are the overhead wall squat and the sit-up-to-stand exercise, given their focus on core strength, functional strength and ankle and thoracic mobility.

The sit-up-to-stand exercise is a great way to test your ability to use your core when getting off the ground, which is a very functional movement. If you can do this unaided, it's a great sign. Coupled with this is your ability to stand once you've sat up, testing lower-body strength and ankle mobility, which are both crucial as you get older for walking, climbing, running and general daily tasks.

Next up, I would test the overhead squat while facing the wall. Many people assume their inability to perform an overhead squat well is down to shoulder mobility, but actually, much of overhead squat mechanics comes from thoracic mobility and upper-back tightness. That's as well as potential imbalances in the hips, knees, or ankles. It can be a combination of any of these factors, but testing your mobility will quickly help you assess which are relevant to you.

Notice if your chest and arms fall forward; if your heels lift away from the ground; whether your knees cave in or track forward over your toes; if your back begins to round or hunch. Also note how low you can sit into the squat and whether you can press your weight evenly between your big and little toes and heels.

Once you've identified whether you can do the challenges and which parts of each exercise you found most difficult (or impossible), the next focus is to build the strength, flexibility, or mobility required to get better at them.

Try to move your joints through their range of motion in a variety of patterns, which is known as planes of motion, while loading muscles using any form of resistance, even if it's just your body weight. Keep your body moving in ways that feel natural to help improve functional strength and overall mobility.

The more you move throughout the day, the better you can balance and stabilize; the more you load your bones and muscles, the stronger they get. This might include Pilates or yoga once or twice per week or adding in strength exercises like squats, step-ups, or lunges. I also recommend focusing on the fullest range of motion possible when you perform exercise.

I've included some ideas below to get you started.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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Whether he’s playing a Marvel superhero or a Navy SEAL, one man renowned for his impressive body transformations is Chris Pratt. The actor recently shared a deceptively simple full-body dumbbell workout built around just five exercises.

How hard could it be? Like any good fitness editor, I grabbed a set of the best adjustable dumbbells and set out to find out more. Warning: choose your weights carefully if you do the same.

As a reminder, what works for Pratt might not be right for you and your body. If you’re recovering from an injury, pregnant or postpartum, or you’re a complete beginner, it’s always worth seeking personalized advice from a qualified professional.

What is the workout?

Pratt shared the workout on his Instagram stories; all you’ll need is a set of dumbbells. You’ll do five reps of each exercise for five rounds, with one minute of rest between rounds.

• 5 x Deadlift
• 5 x Deficit push-up
• 5 x Clean to press
• 5 x Squat
• 5 x Devil’s press

Pratt doesn’t say what weight he’s using, but according to his Instagram, he completed all five rounds in 13 minutes and 54 seconds. Challenge accepted.

As an important reminder, the right weight for you will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If at any time you feel like the weight is compromising your form, it’s too heavy.

I tried Chris Pratt’s 5-move dumbbell circuit: Here’s what happened

My normal workout routine typically involves a lot of running and Pilates, but when I do lift weights, it tends to be more reps with a lighter weight, so I didn’t really know where to start with this. Doing five reps hints at more of a max-strength challenge, so I grabbed a set of 15kg dumbbells and got going.

The deadlifts and the dumbbell deficit push-ups lulled me into a false sense of security. After five reps of each, I was convinced I was ready to be in Guardians of the Galaxy, but the clean and press quickly brought me back down to earth, especially by the time I hit round two.

I stuck with my weights, but I slowed down dramatically. As with every marathon I’ve ever run, the key to this workout is to not rush the exercises or rush through the sets. Moving slowly with proper form is far harder, as it keeps the muscles under tension for longer. The entire circuit took me around fifteen minutes, which is longer than Pratt, and probably using a much lighter weight, so perhaps I’m not ready for Jurassic Park just yet.

The workout requires you to move between working your upper and lower body continuously, but your core will also be getting a workout as you keep it braced to lift and lower the heavy dumbbells. Really think about sucking your belly button into your spine and keeping your torso upright as you move.

Will I be repeating this one? Not in a hurry, but it’s a great full-body strength test to squeeze into your lunch break. Give it a go, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

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Good balance may be something that the under 40 crowd takes for granted, but it becomes a crucial element of health, longevity, and independence as we get older.

That’s why I started to think more seriously about balance once I hit 40. As a personal trainer who works with lots of senior clients, I see firsthand how our balance can deteriorate with age, and what an impact that can have on our day-to-day lives.

I’ve been doing the following four exercises regularly to keep my balance sharp. These moves strengthen the muscles that stabilize and support our entire body, so the stronger they are, the better my balance will be.

Roll out your yoga mat, pick up some dumbbells, and give them a try for yourself. Whether you’re 20, 40, or older, these exercises can help lessen the risk of injury from serious falls.

How to do the 4 exercises

Check in with your doctor before starting any new activity. These exercises may not be appropriate for everyone, so it’s important to get clearance from your medical team before starting.

If you’re a beginner, consider meeting with a certified personal trainer to learn proper exercise form. Incorrect form can lead to pain and injury. A trainer can also provide modifications and progression options.

You’ll need a yoga mat for the single-leg glute bridge and side planks, and two moderately heavy dumbbells for the overhead marches. Once you’ve built up some strength, you may want to use dumbbells for the reverse lunge to balance as well. The right dumbbell weight lets you complete all reps in a set without resting. If you can’t complete all of the reps with good form, drop to a lighter weight. If you can do all of the reps without much effort, choose a heavier weight.

Start off with one set of 10-12 reps for the single-leg glute bridge, reverse lunge to balance, and overhead marches, and one set of 30 seconds for the side planks. As you get stronger, add an additional set or two of each exercise, and add 15 seconds to your side plank. Eventually, you’ll want to complete 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps (or 30-45 seconds) for each exercise. Do these moves 3-4 times per week.

These can be done on their own or as part of your existing workout routine. Here’s how to do the exercises:

1. Single-leg glute bridge

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core.
• Extend your left leg into the air.
• Squeeze your right glute and lift your hips off the mat.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your hips back down.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

2. Reverse lunge to balance

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Step your left foot behind you.
• Bend both knees, lowering your left knee towards the floor.
• Stand back up.
• Lift your left knee in front of you to a 90-degree angle.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

3. Side planks

• Lie on your left side.
• Place your left elbow underneath your left shoulder.
• Lengthen your legs and keep your hips stacked on top of each other.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your hips off the mat.
• Hold for 30-45 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

4. Overhead marches

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Press the dumbbells overhead.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your right knee to a 90-degree angle
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your right foot back to the ground.
• Lift your left knee to a 90-degree angle.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your left foot back to the ground.
• Continue alternating between the two sides for 10-12 reps per side.

Benefits of the 4 exercises

The exercises in this routine target the muscles that support our body during movement and help to keep us upright and stable.

The single-leg glute bridge and reverse lunge to balance work the glutes, hamstrings, and deep core. The glutes help to stabilize the pelvis and lumbar spine, while the deep muscles in our core provide support to the entire spine and promote proper posture. Balancing on one leg also challenges our proprioception, or our sense of positioning.

The side planks and overhead marches target the transverse abdominis and internal obliques. The transverse abdominis stabilizes the entire body by supporting the spine, while the internal obliques facilitate torso rotation.

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• I'm a personal trainer who works with clients over 50 — these are the 3 mobility exercises I never skip
• After 60, this is the 10-minute routine I use with my clients to stay strong, mobile and independent
• 'I’m a Pilates instructor, and I recommend these 5 core exercises to help older clients build strength and improve posture'

As I've got older, I've swapped the trendy high-intensity workouts for functional movement that makes me and my body feel good. Think lots of simple compound exercises, repeated several times per week, alongside progressive overload to keep things challenging.

And one move I've been practicing during workouts this month is the kettlebell alternating bent-over row. A mouthful, I know. It works your back and biceps while recruiting your core muscles for stability. The bent-over position also activates your posterior chain, which basically refers to the muscles along the back of your body, plus your hips, using a hinge position.

What's more, we take the intensity up by exchanging the weight from side to side mid-air, which forces the body to stabilize and resist rotation. All in all, this kettlebell exercise packs a punch. Ready to learn it? Grab one of the best kettlebells, and let's get started.

Watch: Kettlebell row exchange

Resistance training is your anti-aging weapon for healthier joints and stronger muscles as you get older. Your back and biceps are recruited during pulling movements, and these muscles contribute to posture and injury prevention, so we want to keep them strong at any and every age.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

How:

• Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and a weight between your feet
• Hinge forward at your hips and set your butt back, keeping a straight line from your head to your lower back, with your chest almost parallel to the ground
• Grip the weight with one hand using a neutral hand position
• Ensure your core is engaged before you begin the movement
• Row the weight toward your back pocket, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your back and biceps
• Pause in the row position, then, as you lower the weight, let go and catch the bell with your opposite hand. Control the entire movement without rotating your body or dropping the weight
• Move from side to side and complete 8-12 reps per arm for 3-4 sets.

What are the benefits?

As I mentioned, this move works various muscles in your back, the biceps and your core for anti-rotation and stability. Your lower back, hamstrings and hips are active in the bent-over position, and working against gravity this way teaches control and coordination between your muscle groups as you work unilaterally (one side at a time) to move the weight.

Firstly, compound exercises that are both functional and progressive should be a top priority. Rows are a perfect example of this, as you need the strength to pull during everyday life.

Resistance training can be done using your bodyweight and weights, but for this move you'll need some weight, even if it's a sandbag, rucksack filled with household items, or a water bottle. Aim for an intensity that feels close to failure, with the last few reps challenging to finish.

Motion is lotion, so keeping your body moving in ways that feel natural will help improve functional strength and mobility. That's why I like using the hinge position for rowing, because it's great for your lower-body mobility alongside strengthening your upper body.

Focus on the fullest range of movement by drawing your elbow back and really squeezing the working muscles at the top of each rep. Control is essential, and your best friend when you have to catch a heavy weight, so prioritize your form.

Engage your core by bracing your stomach and drawing your navel in, breathing expansively and exhaling as you resist the weight; this will protect your lower back and help you catch the weight with control without rotating your hips or chest.

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I've been adding this kettlebell exercise to my routine for around a month, and I've been able to go up twice with the load in that time. My back is feeling stronger, and I feel like my pull is already becoming more powerful.

I've also maximized time under tension during the eccentric contractions, which I highly recommend doing. If you're not sure what this means, try slowing down the lowering phase of the movement by exchanging the weight at the top of the rep or removing the "drop and catch."

You could also slow down the pull, which means maximizing the concentric contraction where the muscle shortens under tension.

Give it a try and let us know how you find it.

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I’ve always been pretty fascinated by the supermodel physique, and Gisele Bündchen is one of those women who makes strength and femininity look completely effortless. Think long lines, confident posture and a strong core that seems to hold everything in place.

After seeing a clip of the 46-year-old mom of three performing a one-legged plank on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, it became pretty clear those long lines aren’t just for show. The Brazilian powerhouse has some serious strength, too.

“This is good for your abs, and it's good for your arms and it's basically good for everything,” Bündchen tells Fallon. Let’s take a look at what makes Bündchen’s plank variation so effective.

How to do Gisele Bündchen’s plank variation

Don’t be fooled by how easy Bündchen makes this look. Before adding the leg lift or push-up, make sure you can comfortably hold a high plank without your hips sagging or your lower back arching.

If adding the push-up causes your hips to rotate or your lower back to arch — or you find yourself dropping your hips or raising your bottom too high — stick with the leg lift until you’ve built enough strength to progress.

• Start in a high plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your legs extended behind you.
• Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, creating a straight line from the top of your head to your heels.
• Keeping your hips as square to the floor as possible, lift one leg behind you and hold.
• Lower your leg back to the floor with control.
• Once you’ve mastered the one-legged plank, keep the leg lifted and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
• Push through your palms to return to your starting position.
• Repeat, switching legs on the next rep.

The benefits of plank leg raises

Combining a high plank with a single-leg lift and push-up fires up multiple muscle groups at once, challenging your core, glutes and upper body while putting your balance and stability to the test.

As a personal trainer, I’m a big fan of exercises that save time by working multiple muscles at once, especially when they require zero equipment or a gym membership.

The classic plank might be best known as a core exercise, but it’s far from an abs-only move. Holding your body in a straight line requires the muscles around your midsection to work together to keep your torso stable, while your shoulders, arms and glutes stay switched on. Add a leg lift to the move, and things get considerably harder.

By reducing your points of contact with the floor, you create instability, meaning your core has to work even harder to prevent your hips from rotating or dropping. The leg lift also works your glutes, particularly the gluteus maximus and medius, as you work to lift the leg and keep your pelvis stable.

Then comes the push-up. Bending your elbows and lowering your chest toward the floor brings your chest, shoulders and triceps into the equation, while your core continues working hard to keep your body in a straight line.

In other words, Bündchen wasn’t exaggerating when she said it’s “basically good for everything.”

There’s a posture payoff, too. Strengthening the muscles in your core, shoulders and around your pelvis can help maintain good alignment and give your spine the support it needs, which is particularly useful if you want to hold yourself tall and move like a supermodel.

The best bit? You don’t need a dumbbell, resistance band, or even much space. Just your bodyweight.

I tried Gisele Bündchen’s plank variation, and here’s my verdict

At first glance, adding a leg lift to a plank doesn’t look like much of an upgrade. But the second I lifted one foot off the floor, I felt the difference.

My glutes switched on, my core fired up, and, most importantly, I had to concentrate hard on keeping my hips still. They naturally wanted to rotate as soon as my foot left the ground.

That’s what I love about this exercise. Your core has to stabilize your body while movement happens. Taking one foot away also reduces your base of support, so suddenly the plank you thought you knew feels considerably less comfortable.

There’s no relying on momentum, either. To lift my leg with control, I had to actively engage and switch on my lazy glutes, which isn’t the easiest when, like most of us, you spend a fair amount of time sitting. Yes, even fitness journalists and personal trainers are guilty of this.

After holding the position for around 30 seconds, I could understand why Bündchen says it’s “basically good for everything.” My shoulders, arms, core, glutes and hamstrings were all working, and even the quad on my supporting leg started to burn.

My balance was tested, and so was my breathing. Holding your breath might feel tempting when your entire body is working this hard, but the trick is to keep breathing steadily and embrace the full-body challenge.

As for the push-up? Well, I gave it a go — and suddenly, my body felt very heavy. I had to move my hands slightly wider to accommodate the movement, while my chest, shoulders and triceps worked hard to lower me toward the floor and push me back up.

Three reps... and I was done.

Bündchen might make it look effortless and perfectly poised, but I certainly didn’t. Still, that’s one of the things I like most about this variation: it takes an exercise most of us have done hundreds of times and makes it considerably harder without adding a single piece of equipment.

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