1. The Plank
Now this is not to be confused with “planking”, but rather “The Plank” (to be done on the ground) is an essential exercise to help improve your core strength.
Getting it right:

• Lie on your stomach and place your forearms on the ground (elbows under shoulders)
• Draw in your abdominals and raise up on your toes, holding your body weight on your forearms
• Inhale to prepare, exhale to raise, natural breath pattern for holding position, exhale to lower
• Your bottom should not be in the air, move it down so that it is in a straight line between your shoulders and your knees (your tummy should be held in tightly, not sagging towards the floor).
• You should be in a straight line from head to knees
• Ensure your head is in neutral position by keeping it in a straight line with your spine. Look forward, not down
• Hold for 15-20 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Each day add extra time and aim to eventually hold for up to 3 minutes.

2. Push Ups
This is great exercise for working the chest, the anterior deltoids and the tricepts.
Getting it right

• Get on your hands and toes
• Set your shoulders and lock your belly button in to activate your core
• Slowly break at the elbow and lower your body half way toward the floor
• Keep shoulders set
• Push back through the heel of your hand away from the floor, back to original position
• Focus on the pressure under your arm pit
• Straight line from ankles to hips, to shoulders, to head throughout exercise
• Try for 8-10. Repeat 3 times.

3. Bridges
Bridges are a great exercise targeting your lower body, particularly your bottom.
Getting it right

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor
• Exhale, squeeze your buttocks, driving up through your heels until your hips are raised as high as they can go (your upper back and shoulders should remain on the floor).
• Squeeze your bottom tightly, holding for 3 seconds, then lower back down to the floor
• Repeat 10-12 times for 3 sets
• For a more advanced workout, do not rest on the floor between reps, allowing your bottom to lightly touch the floor only before raising up again.

4. Lunges
Lunges work most of the muscles in your legs including your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
Getting it right

• Stand in a split-stance (one leg forward, one leg back)
• Bend knees and lower body into a lunge position, keeping the front knee and back knee at 90 degree angles
• Keeping the weight in your heels, push back up (slowly!) to starting position
• Never lock your knees at the top and don't let your knee bend past your toes
• Try for 12-16 reps, repeat 3 times.

5. Sumo Squats
Squats are a great way to build lower body strength, particularly in your bottom, quads (front of thighs) and hamstrings (back of thighs).
Getting it right

• Place a chair behind you as though you are about to sit down on it.
• Stand in front of the chair feet wide apart (not too wide, but wider than your shoulders) with your feet at 45 degree angles facing outward.
• Place your arms straight out in front of you, so they are parallel with the floor
• Keep your arms parallel to the floor as you lower yourself down, sitting back into your bottom. Keep all of the weight on your heels (not your toes) and sit back onto the chair
• Once you have sat or touched the chair with your bottom, drive through your heels and stand up straight again
• Try for 10 - 15 rep then repeat.

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