Mum-of-seven and PT Dalyce Radtke has been coaching women for 31 years. Within that time, her personal life hasn’t been smooth-sailing: she’s managed back-to-back pregnancies, injuries, surgeries, and the hormonal changes that come with perimenopause. That’s why finding her own simple, sustainable fitness routine has been crucial. Now 62, she says her ‘posture and upper-body strength is stronger than it’s ever been’ – and she credits it all to four simple exercises.
‘I’ve been doing these for decades because they work,’ she says on Instagram. ‘They take less than 15 minutes. You can see they don’t take up a lot of space.’
The only kit required is two pairs of dumbbells – one heavier and one lighter. ‘Choose a weight that challenges you for 12-15 reps,’ she says. ‘The last three should feel challenging, but not compromise your form.’
‘They’re not fancy exercises. Just simple, basic moves done consistently over time,’ she adds. ‘Do 10-12 reps of each move for three rounds, twice a week. Consistently.’ Here’s how to do each exercise with the correct form, with demos from Dalyce.
Dalyce Radtke
4 upper-body exercises to build strength and posture
Instagram @fit__momof7
Dalyce uses: 2 x 10kg dumbbells
Seated on a bench or sturdy chair, hold dumbbells at shoulder height, press overhead until your arms are straight, then lower with control.
Instagram @fit__momof7
Dalyce uses: 2 x 4kg dumbbells
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at the hips with a slight bend in your elbows, lift the dumbbells out to your sides, then slowly lower.
Instagram @fit__momof7
Dalyce uses: 2 x 10kg dumbbells
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, dip your knees slightly, then drive through your legs to press the weights overhead.
Instagram @fit__momof7
Start in a high plank, bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor, then press back up to the start.How many reps and sets to do (and how often)10-12 reps3 rounds 2x weekConsistently 
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.