The Fitness Lady

Are you avoiding getting down onto the floor because kneeling to get back up hurts?

Being able to get down onto the floor and back up again is an essential everyday movement. But many people gradually lose that ability because painful knees stop them practising it.

Painful knees from arthritis, previous injuries or simply finding it uncomfortable to kneel can make many people avoid getting down onto the floor altogether. The less you practise getting up from the floor, the more difficult it can become over time.

Don't let painful knees stop you maintaining this important movement. Keep practising the strength of getting up from the floor by using a method that doesn't require you to kneel.

If knee pain is stopping you getting up from the floor, try this method instead. It avoids kneeling while still helping you build the hip and upper body strength needed to get back up.

For educational purposes only. Not a substitute for medical advice.

Do you lose your balance when you have to change direction or step around obstacles?

Here's a no-step version of the exercise we posted yesterday with Nolan, after many of you asked for one in the comments.

This movement trains one hip to stay strong and stable while the other leg moves across your body, just like it does when you change direction, avoid obstacles or move through busy spaces. It's a simple way to practise the control your body needs for everyday balance and walking confidence.

Work at your own level and keep hold of a chair or worktop if you need extra support.

For educational purposes only. Not a substitute for medical advice.

If you wobbly when stepping up try this exercise

Hip strength isn't just about building stronger muscles. It's about improving how the different muscles around your hips work together.

Your hips are designed to move, stabilise and adapt with every step you take. That only happens when the muscles around the hip coordinate efficiently, with each one doing its job at the right time.

When that coordination improves, everyday movements become smoother, more controlled and more stable. Whether you're walking, climbing stairs, changing direction or stepping around obstacles, your hips need strength and coordination, not just power.

Training your hips to work as a team helps build better balance, better movement and greater confidence in everyday life.

If one leg always takes over on the stairs, it isn't just the stronger leg getting stronger. The weaker leg also starts losing confidence in taking your weight.

The less you trust that leg, the less you use it. Over time, that can make climbing the stairs feel harder because one side ends up doing most of the work.

These simple exercises help rebuild strength and confidence in the weaker leg so both legs can share the work more evenly. Small improvements can make everyday tasks like climbing the stairs feel much easier.
Work at your own level and always use a handrail if you need one.

Strengthen your deep core muscles with this simple vacuum breathing exercise.

This is Part 3 of my deep core series. Your deep core isn't just your abdominal muscles. It's a team made up of your diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep abdominal muscles and the small muscles that support your spine. When these muscles work together, they help improve stability, support your lower back and create a stronger foundation for balance and everyday movement.

The aim isn't to pull your tummy in as hard as you can. It's to create a gentle, controlled contraction and gradually build strength over time. Work at your level and let your body adapt at its own pace.

For educational purposes only. Not a substitute for medical advice.

I had to learn to walk again.

17 years ago I was active and loved pushing myself, but I wasn't always looking after my body. I was more of an adrenaline ju**ie than a careful athlete.

One accident exposed every weakness I had and left me partially paralysed for nine months. Rebuilding my body from the ground up completely changed how I viewed exercise.

Since then, I haven't trained for a six pack or bigger muscles. I've trained to stay mobile, balanced and independent, so I can keep doing the things I love for as long as possible.

That's why I teach mobility and balance. Not because I read it in a textbook, but because I've lived it.

If you'd like to move with more confidence and build the kind of strength that matters in everyday life, have a look at my Mobility & Balance programme. It's built around the principles that helped me rebuild my own body and that I now use to help thousands of other people.

For educational purposes only. Not a substitute for medical advice.

Deep core exercises for better balance. Part 2.

When people think about their core, they often think about the abdominal muscles. But your true deep core is much more than that.

Your diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep abdominal muscles and multifidus all work together as a team to stabilise your spine and pelvis before you move. If one part of that system isn't doing its job, your core isn't working as efficiently as it could, no matter how many ab exercises you do.

That's why effective core training isn't about chasing a six pack. It's about helping these deeper muscles work together to improve stability, balance and the way you move every day.

For educational purposes only. Not a su bstitute for medical advice.