DEVELOP MUSCLE STRENGTH - RESISTANCE EXERCISE

Bicep curl

Works: The front of the arms
Main muscle worked: Biceps

• Sit or stand upright holding your weight by your side
• Keeping your elbows by your side bend your arms at the elbows and bring your hands up towards your shoulder
• Repeat as many times as you feel you can.

Wall push-up

Works: The back of the arms and chest Main muscle worked: Triceps and pectorals.

• Stand straight facing a wall
• Place both hands on the wall at shoulder height
• Lean forwards bending your elbows until your nose nearly touches the wall
• Push away from the wall until you are upright
• Repeat as many times as you feel you can

Chair squat

Works: The bum and the front of the thighs
Main muscle worked: Gluteus Maximus and Quadriceps

• Stand in front of a sturdy chair and reach back and place your hand on the arms for balance

• Have your feet shoulder width apart and go to sit down, but don’t quite sit on the chair

• Hold this position for a few seconds and push back up using your legs to stand

Repeat as many times as you feel you can.

Stair step

Works: The front of the thighs
Main muscle worked: Quadriceps

• Stand up straight in front of a small step

• Hold on to something close to you if you wish, or place both hands on your hips

• Step up onto the step using your right foot and then your left

• Step back down with your right then left

Repeat as many times as you feel you can

Back leg swing

Works: The back of the legs and the back
Main muscle worked: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus, Erector spinae

• Stand upright in front of a chair and hold the back for support
• Keeping your back straight bring one leg behind you pointing your toes
• Slowly return your foot to the floor
• It’s important not to arch your back
• Repeat as many times as you feel you can, then swap and do the same for the opposite leg

Lower leg extension

Works: The front of the thighs
Main muscle worked: Quadriceps

• Sit upright with both feet flat on the floor
• Hold onto the seat for support
• Lift one leg off the floor and hold it out straight
• Bend your knee and slowly lower your foot to the floor
• Repeat as many times as you feel you can, then swap and do the same for the opposite leg.

Heel raise

Works: The lower legs (calves)
Main muscle worked: Gastrocnemius

• Stand in front of a chair and hold on to the back for support
• With both feet, lift your heels and stand on the balls of your feet
• Slowly return to standing
• If you find this easy put your hands on your hips
• Repeat as many times as you feel you can

Lunge

Works: The bum and the front of the thighs
Main muscle worked: Gluteus Maximus and Quadriceps

• Find something you can hold onto, a broom for example
• Step your left foot out in front with the heel of your back foot slightly off the floor
• Keeping your back straight bend your front knee keeping it over your foot.
• Hold for a few seconds and push back up
• Repeat as many times as you feel you can, then repeat using the other leg

SUPPLENESS AND FLEXIBILITY - STRETCHING EXERCISES

Neck stretch

Targets: The neck
Main muscles: Sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, splenius

• Sit or stand upright looking straight ahead
• Slowly lower your right ear to your right shoulder
• Bring your head back up and lower your left ear to your left shoulder
• Repeat a few times until your neck muscles feel looser

Head turn

Targets: The neck
Main muscles: Sternocleido-mastoid, splenius

• Slowly turn your head to the right looking over your right shoulder
• Slowly turn your head back to
centre
• Then turn your head to the left to look over your left shouder
• Slowly return your head to the centre
Repeat a few times until your neck muscles feel looser.

Shoulder shrug

Targets: Shoulders, chest and upper back
Main muscles: Trapezius, pectorals

• Sit or stand upright
• Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, hold and repeat

Arm stretch and wrist rotation

Targets: Arms, wrists and shoulders
Main muscles: Wrist flexors and extensors

• Sit or stand upright
• Start with your arms straight by your side
• Bring your arms up straight in front of you at shoulder height
• Make small circles with your wrists to the right and then to the left. Repeat
a few times until your wrists feel looser
• Bring your arms back down to your side

DEVELOPING FLEXIBILITY - STRETCHING EXERCISES

Chest and upper back stretch

Targets: Shoulders, chest and upper back
Main muscles: Trapezius, pectorals

• Sit or stand upright
• Put your hands on your shoulders and elbows out to the side
• Touch your elbows together in front of your chest
• Move your elbows out wide again and squeeze your shoulder blades together
• Repeat until your chest and upper back muscles feel looser.

Single knee pull

Targets: lower back and back of thigh
Main muscles: Hamstrings, Erector spinor

• Sit up straight
• Bend over and pull your knee towards your chest holding it with both hands
• Try to touch your forehead to your knee, or as close as you can get it
• Hold for about 10 seconds and lower your knee back down
Repeat with the other leg.

Calf stretch

Targets: The calves
Main muscles: Gastrocnemius

• Stand up straight and hold onto something for support
• Step your right leg straight back and make sure your heel is pressed onto the floor
• Bend your front leg slightly, making you lean forwards
Hold for about 10 seconds
• Repeat with the other leg

Tip : If you can’t feel the stretch, move your back leg slightly further back.

Hamstring stretch

Targets: back of thigh
Main muscles: Hamstrings

• Sit upright in a chair or on the floor
• Using a towel, place it under your foot and straighten your leg lifting it off the floor
• Gently pull the ends of the towel towards you flexing your foot towards you
Hold for about 10 seconds. Put your foot back to the floor and repeat using the other leg
• If you find this easy sit on the floor with one leg straight in front and reach down to your toes

Quadriceps stretch

Targets: Front of the thigh
Main muscles: Quadriceps

• Stand upright and hold on to something for support
• Hold onto your right ankle using your right hand
• Bring your foot up to your bum keeping your knees together
Hold for 10 seconds
• Release your foot to the floor and repeat using the other leg

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What do I need for exercise sessions?

A decision
Give exercise a try for a period of three months. One exercise
session will not help but as the time goes by, you will start to feel the benefit. Consider exercise to be a part of your treatment, together with your diet and medicines.

Persistence
There will be times that you will miss your exercise sessions for any number of reasons, including hospitalisations. Don’t give up!
Start again, If the time off has made you less fit, begin from that lower threshold and you will soon work your fitness up again.

There will be good days and bad days. If some days you feel very tired, you can exercise for a shorter period of time. Even ten minutes is better than nothing!