Fitness Routine 2026

Sit-to-stands

Builds quads with almost zero knee strain — your safest starting quad exercise.

• Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair, feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor.
• Lean your chest slightly forward (“nose over toes”), then stand up using your legs, not your hands.
• Stand fully upright, then lower back down slowly and under control — don’t flop.
• Cue: push through your heels and mid-foot, not your toes.
• 🦵 If your knee complains, use a higher chair to start (less bend = less load).

Step-ups

• Stand facing your step. Place your whole foot flat on it (not just the ball of your foot).
• Drive through that front heel to stand up onto the step; tap the other foot up, then step back down slowly leading with the same trailing foot.
• 🦵 Keep the knee tracking over the foot — don’t let it cave inward. Use a low step first; height = difficulty.
• 🫷 Stay tall; don’t lean forward and round your back to get up.

Wall sits

An isometric hold — great for quads, kind to the knee.

• Stand with your back flat against a wall, feet ~50 cm out, hip-width apart.
• Slide down only as far as is comfortable — start shallow (thighs well above parallel).
• Hold, breathing normally, then slide back up.
• 🦵 Never go past 90°, and stop short of any knee pain. Knees stay over (not past) your toes.

Terminal knee extensions (TKE) / straight-leg raises

The classic physio move for the weak quads — especially the teardrop muscle above the knee (VMO).

• Seated/lying TKE: sit or lie with leg out, a rolled towel under your knee. Press the back of the knee down into the towel to straighten the leg fully, feeling the thigh tighten. Hold 2–5 sec, relax.
• Straight-leg raise: lie on your back, one knee bent, the working leg dead straight. Tighten the thigh, then lift the straight leg ~30 cm. Lower slowly.
• 🦵 Keep the leg fully straight on the raise — thigh rock-hard before it leaves the floor. Defer to your physio’s exact cues.

Glute bridges

Strengthens glutes + core and protects the back — a two-for-one.

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
• Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips until your body is a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold 2–3 sec.
• Lower slowly. Don’t over-arch — the lift comes from the bum, not the lower back.
• 🫷 If you feel it in your lower back, you’ve lifted too high or you’re arching. Lift a touch less and squeeze the glutes harder.

Floor dumbbell press (chest)

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Dumbbells held above your chest, arms extended.
• Lower under control until your upper arms (triceps) touch the floor — elbows ~45° from your body, not flared straight out.
• Pause, then press back up. The floor stops you at a safe depth (no bench needed).
• 🫷 Keep head, shoulders and bum on the floor; don’t arch to push more weight.

Single-arm row

• Brace your free hand and knee on your step or a chair so your back is flat and roughly parallel to the floor (tabletop).
• Dumbbell hanging straight down in the other hand. Pull it up to your hip, leading with the elbow, squeezing your shoulder blade back.
• Lower slowly to a full stretch. Don’t twist your torso to heave it up.
• 🫷 The supported position protects your back — keep the spine neutral (flat), never rounded.

Overhead press (seated, braced)

• Sit tall on a chair with back support, feet flat. Dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
• Brace your core, then press straight up until arms are extended (biceps near your ears). Lower under control.
• 🫷 Sitting with back support stops you arching your lower back to cheat the weight up — keep ribs down.

Bicep curls

• Stand or sit tall, dumbbells at your sides, palms forward, elbows tucked to your ribs.
• Curl up by bending the elbow only — keep the elbow still, don’t swing or rock.
• Lower slowly (the lowering half builds as much as the lift).

Lateral / front raises

Use lighter weights — these are small muscles.

• Lateral: arms slightly bent, raise the dumbbells out to the sides up to shoulder height (like pouring two jugs), then lower slowly.
• Front: raise them straight in front to shoulder height, then lower.
• Don’t shrug your shoulders to your ears or use momentum. If it’s a struggle, the weight’s too heavy.

Punchbag rounds (daytime only)

• Hands wrapped/gloved. Stay light on your feet but don’t pivot hard on a planted foot — easy on the knee.
• Mix jabs, crosses and hooks; keep your core braced and breathe out on each punch.
• 🫷 Rotate from the hips/core smoothly — don’t whip the lower back. Cardio + fun, not a power contest.

Bird-dog

• On all fours: hands under shoulders, knees under hips, back flat like a table, neutral neck.
• Brace your core, then slowly extend your opposite arm and leg in line with your body. Don’t let your hips tip or your back sag.
• Hold 2–3 sec, return slowly, switch sides.
• 🫷 Imagine balancing a glass of water on your lower back — keep it level. Smaller range done well beats reaching far and twisting.

Dead bug

• Lie on your back, arms pointing straight up, knees bent 90° over your hips.
• Press your lower back gently into the floor and keep it there. Slowly lower your opposite arm and leg toward the floor, then return and switch.
• 🫷 The whole point is your lower back stays flat — the second it arches up, you’ve gone too far. Reduce the range.

Side plank (knees down to start)

• Lie on your side, forearm under your shoulder. Start with knees bent and stacked, lift your hips so you’re straight from knees to shoulders.
• Hold, breathing normally. Progress to straight legs only when the knees version is easy.
• Keep your hips up and shoulder stacked over the elbow — don’t let the bottom hip sag.

Front plank (knees down to start)

• Forearms under shoulders, body in a straight line. Start on your knees; progress to toes later.
• Squeeze glutes and brace abs to stop your hips sagging — a sagging plank stresses the lower back.
• 🫷 If you feel it in your lower back, drop to knees and shorten the hold. Quality over time.

Cross-trainer intervals

• Stand tall, light grip on the handles — don’t hunch or hang off them.
• Smooth, even strides; let your legs do the work. Alternate ~2 min at a moderate “can-talk-but-not-sing” pace with ~1 min easy.
• 🦵 Low-impact and great for the quads, but if a knee niggles, drop the resistance rather than pushing through.

Brisk walk (outdoors or walking pad)

• Tall posture, relaxed shoulders, natural arm swing. Land mid-foot and roll through.
• On the pad: start slow, build to a brisk pace where you’re slightly breathless but can still talk.
• The easiest “free” movement of the lot — lean on it.

Punchbag

• Same form as the upper-body notes above — used here for cardio rounds.