Bench / Seated Squat
Use a chair or gym bench to improve your squat. The squat is most effective at developing muscle mass across the entire body and reducing the chance of injury, particularly as we age.
One of the challenges with this exercise is how to get your body in the right position and perform it safely, and therefore a great alternative is the bench or seated squat.
Start seated and simply move to a standing position, you can progress this exercise by adding dumbbells and even holding them above your shoulders.
Arj said: “Make sure you keep your chest tall and you drive through your heels, not through your forefoot. I recommend three sets of 15 repetitions as a great starting point.”
Clamshells
Arj said: “One of my favourite exercises and certainly not one that should be reserved just for a Jane Fonda exercise video!”
Clamshells look after your Glute muscles, which play a large role in lower back pain and also the correct functioning of how we walk and run.
If you want to minimise injury and maximise health and performance, then this is an exercise you can perform every other day.
Add a resistance band around your knees to make it more challenging, but aim for higher repetitions. Arj said: “I like to do three rounds of 20 seconds on each leg.”