STRONG & SUPPLE PLAN

Annelies Harte has created a plan to help get you fitter, healthier and happier. If you haven’t worked out for a couple of months, start doing it once a week. After a month, do it twice, and after two months add a third session.

WARM UP

Make sure you have ample space. You’ll need a hand towel and a (low) chair or a sturdy box that is strong enough to hold your weight and is stable, plus your favourite tunes.

Start by either dancing or marching on the spot for 4-5 minutes. The aim is to raise your heart rate and get you out of breath, but so you can still utter a few words.

WORKING THE MAJOR MUSCLES

✢ SQUAT START Sit in a low chair or on a box and stand up without using your hands on your thighs. Keep your arms in front to begin with. Want to increase the difficulty? Place your hands behind your head (elbows out), or even behind your back. Once this becomes easier, you can remove the chair. Do these 12-16 times and increase the speed the more you do them. When finished, catch your breath for 5-15 seconds.

✢ EXPLOSIVE MOVES Follow this with squat jumps or star jumps. If jumping’s not your thing, do a squat knee-up (squat down, stand up, lift up right knee to the side, place foot back on the floor, squat again, stand up, raise left knee up, etc), x 16.

✢ WE’RE GOING UP This is a circuit of three, which should be done back-to-back three times. Start by stepping up on to your chair/box with your left leg and alternate each step. Do this 16 times. Give yourself 15-30 seconds of recovery, and do this circuit three or four times back-to-back.

CREATE A STRONG CORE

The core’s three main functions are to stabilise the body, protect the spine and support the organs. This exercise strengthens it. Sit up with your hands underneath your thighs, lift your knees up, with your feet dangling just above the floor. Now balance on your sit bones. Keep your elbows wide and pointing out. Once you are comfortable in this position, extend one leg up at a time, and then change. Once this is comfortable, remove your hands from underneath your hamstrings. Then extend both legs up at the same time (and lower together). You can always put your hands back underneath the hamstrings for support.

The next progression is to keep the legs still. Extend legs up (knees can be bent but feet shouldn’t be dangling), keeping shins parallel to the ceiling. Place your hands underneath your hamstrings, if you need extra support, then let go. Start with 1 minute and slowly take it up to 3 minutes max.

AMP UP UPPER BODY STRENGTH

Genetically, the upper body is the female’s weakest link (women have less type II fibres than men, which means less lean muscle mass and less testosterone, especially in the chest area), so we need to keep it as strong as we can.

✢ BACK Grab your hand towel and sit on the floor, making sure you sit tall on your sit bones. Hold one end of the towel in each hand and keep constant tension on it. Extend your arms at chest level (relax the shoulders down) – think of the pointy bits of your shoulder blades and try to squeeze these together. Hold it for a second or two, release, and do that 10 times.

✢ FRONT Reverse press-ups. Lie down, facing the floor. Put your hands next to your chest, elbows close and tucked in. Tuck your toes under, squeeze your belly button in a little, take a deep breath in and, on the out breath, push the entire body up in one go – ideally from your toes or from your knees. Try to work your body in one effort and avoid peeling yourself off the floor. Aim for 10 good ones.

✢ TOTAL PACKAGE Front plank. Sit as tall as you can on the floor with legs out in front of you. Place your hands a little behind your hips and your fingers facing forwards. Lift your hips up, keep your chin to your chest and keep your legs extended and strong. Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower the hips. Repeat a total of 10 times. If this is easy, add raising a leg, and alternate.

AND, RELAX…

Turn on some relaxing slow music, lie on the floor with your knees into your chest and give yourself a good hug. Open up your arms at shoulder level (cross position). Take your knees to the right, let them drop on the floor, and turn your head to look in the opposite direction. Take five deep breaths in and out, then change to the other direction. Bring your knees in to your chest and start rocking forwards and back. Make this bigger and bigger until you roll on to your feet. Keep your head low as you slowly roll yourself up. Reach your arms up to the ceiling.