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Strengthening exercises for your whole body

If you want to build strength, then these physio-approved exercises will show you how.

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Floor press-up

  1. Start on your knees and place hands on the ground slightly in front of your shoulders
  2. Straighten legs out behind to lift knees from the floor
  3. Feet should be hip-width apart for more stability and closer together to increase the difficulty of the press up
  4. Pull in your stomach muscles and ensure weight is over the shoulders
  5. Slowly bend elbows to lower chest towards floor
  6. Slowly push back up to lift chest away from floor and return to the starting position
  7. Repeat

Knee press-up 

  1. Start on your knees and place hands on the ground slightly in front of your shoulders
  2. Keeping the knees on the ground, bend your knees to lift feet off floor and cross at the ankles
  3. Pull in your stomach muscles and ensure weight is over the shoulders
  4. Slowly bend elbows to lower chest towards floor
  5. Slowly push back up to lift chest away from floor and return to the starting position
  6. Repeat

Incline press-up 

  1. You will need a sturdy bench/kitchen counter/table. The higher the height of your assistance, the less weight you will bear when you are carrying out the movement
  2. Place your hands on the edge of the bench/kitchen counter/table directly underneath your shoulders
  3. Take one to three steps back - your body is now diagonal but still held in a straight line
  4. Pull in your stomach muscles and tuck under your pelvis
  5. Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest towards the bench/kitchen counter/table
  6. Only go as low as you feel you can
  7. Push back up to the starting position
  8. Repeat

Adapted half-burpee 

  1. Stand in front of a sturdy chair/bench with feet hip-width apart
  2. Bend at the knees and trunk to place hands on the chair/bench
  3. Move your head and shoulders forwards to take your weight onto your hands on the chair/bench
  4. Take a big step backwards with your right leg and then the same with your left leg
  5. Your hands should be on the chair and your legs should be straight out behind you 
  6. Then step your right foot back in towards the chair and follow with your left foot
  7. Then reach towards the ceiling with your hands and rise up onto tiptoes if you can
  8. Repeat

Half burpee 

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Bend at the knees and trunk to place hands on the floor just in front of your feet
  3. Move your head and shoulders forward to take your weight onto your hands
  4. Jump your legs backwards, straighten them out and land on your toes keeping your hands on the floor
  5. Push off from your toes to jump your feet back towards your hands
  6. Then jump vertically, reaching up towards the ceiling with your hands
  7. Repeat

Sit to stand using arms 

  1. Start from a sitting position with knees and hips at approximately 90 degrees
  2. Put hands on either side of your body ready to push up off the chair or arms of the chair
  3. Lean forwards with your upper body
  4. Push with your hands to lift up from chair
  5. Drive up through the legs into a standing position by engaging your glutes and quads
  6. To sit back down, send your hips backwards by bending your upper body and your knees simultaneously 
  7. Reach for the chair/chair arms with your hands behind you
  8. Use your arms to help lower you down slowly into a sitting position
  9. Repeat

Reverse lunge with overhead press 

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Take a big step backwards with your left foot, landing on your toes 
  3. Bend your right knee to 90 degrees and lower your left knee towards to floor
  4. Keep your weight balanced between your right and left legs
  5. Push off the left toes to bring the left leg back to the standing position
  6. At the same time, straighten the right leg by engaging your thigh and bottom muscles to help you return to the starting position
  7. Now tuck your pelvis under to feel your stomach muscles engage
  8. Push your weights up towards the ceiling
  9. Lower back down to your sides
  10. Repeat with the other leg

Reverse lunge with weighted overhead press 

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Take a big step backwards with your left foot, landing on your toes 
  3. Bend your right knee to 90 degrees and lower your left knee towards to floor
  4. Keep your weight balanced between your right and left legs
  5. Push off the left toes to bring the left leg back to the standing position
  6. At the same time, straighten the right leg by engaging your thigh and bottom muscles to help you return to the starting position
  7. Now tuck your pelvis under to feel your stomach muscles engage
  8. Push your weights up towards the ceiling
  9. Lower back down to your sides
  10. Repeat with the other leg

Deadlift to row

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Keep your arms straight and knees slightly bent
  3. Bend forwards from the hips to lower the weights to shins keeping a flat back
  4. Keeping your back parallel to the floor, bend your elbows and pull them towards ceiling
  5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together
  6. Maintain position of torso as you lower the weights back to your shins
  7. Push your hips forwards to return to standing, keeping your back straight
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