Sit down, stand up

When settling down to meals today, sit on your chair and stand up again 10 times before you start eating.

This will strengthen your thigh muscles, which are fundamental in protecting your back when you need to do some lifting.

It was my first day back at work after the Christmas break today and following the rude awakening from my alarm the last thing I wanted to do was exercise. But the simple action of standing up and sitting down a few times before breakfast did help me feel more energised and ready for the walk to the office.

Lunchtime was a little hectic, so doing the exercise before tucking into my sandwich completely slipped my mind, but before dinner I did 15 reps instead of 10 to try and make up for it.

I could really tell that standing up and sitting down repeatedly was working on my thighs – it started to get a little more difficult as I got closer to 15 – and I think it’s something that I could work into my routine once or twice a week to help with the tone in my upper legs.