Here is a safe space to confess that, yes, we all have days where, despite being well-versed in the merits of daily movement, we simply can’t be arsed to exercise. When fatigue compounds after multiple disrupted sleeps on the trot, schedules are stressful and overcrowded, and dreary weather makes leaving the comforts of home feel wholly unappealing, it’s normal to feel uninspired to move your body.
The solution, according to PT and ex-surgeon Dr Kate Ella, isn’t to force a sweat session – it’s to do some simple sofa exercises. Not because this is the most efficient way to build muscle and strength (it’s not!), but because a little something is oftentimes better than nothing at all. ‘We’re all aware that the best way to build muscle strength is to exercise,’ says Dr Kate. ‘Loading our muscles and bones progressively results in increased muscle strength, which we all see every day. But we all have those days when the call of the sofa is strong too.
‘The way I see it, is that the version of ourselves that does a few movements from the sofa is doing a lot more for our muscle strength than the version who isn’t moving at all.’ From the sofa, she says, you can work on arm, leg and core strength. Unsure where to start? Dr Kate recently took to Instagram to share three of her favourite exercises for supporting strength when you’re having a sofa day. Keep reading to give them a go during your next lazy day.
3 exercises to get stronger without leaving the sofa1. Offerings
‘This movement is great for strengthening the muscles around our shoulder blades, helping our posture and our confidence,’ says Dr Kate. ‘You can also see yourself improving over time, which is always a great motivator.’
How to do it:
1. Start with elbows bent to 90 degrees, palms up as if you’re holding a tray in front of you.
2. Keeping your elbows in by your sides, glide your hands out to the sides, as if you’re offering whatever is on the tray to the people on either side of you (my children call this movement ‘would you like some sweeties?’).
3. Bring your hands back to the starting position and repeat 10 times.
2. Knee rocks
According to Dr Kate, this exercise is ideal for strengthening the core. ‘It works the oblique muscles, helping our balance and our chance of falls,’ she says. ‘It’s also a lovely mobiliser for the back as a bonus.’
How to do it:
1. Lie down on your back with your hips and knees bent to 60 degrees.
2. Keeping your legs together, lower your knees to the left as far as you can whilst keeping your back flat on the sofa.
3. Using the muscles on the side of your core, bring your legs back to the middle.
4. Repeat 10 times on one side and then repeat on the other.
3. Sofa squats
‘This one is great because if you’re getting up for a cup of tea or a wee anyway, this takes barely any extra energy to do a few times,’ Dr Kate says. ‘But 20 years from now, it’ll make getting out of the chair so much easier too.’ Similar to a standard bodyweight squat, the sofa variation helps to strengthen the muscles in the legs and core.
How to do it:
1. Sit with feet hip width apart.
2. Drive through your feet to stand up.
3. Then, slowly lower back to the sofa, before pushing back up to standing again.
4. Repeat 10 times.
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Abbi Henderson is Acting Nutrition writer who covers health, fitness, women’s sport and lifestyle for Women’s Health and Men’s Health. Before settling in a British seaside town, she spent a couple of years living in Canada, where she contributed to publications such as Best Health, Foodism and Canadian Living, and discovered she is, in fact, a little outdoorsy. With a desire to help make healthcare, exercise and sport more accessible to women, she writes about everything from the realities of seeking medical support as a woman to those of being a female athlete fighting for equality. She has a personal trainer qualification, a couple of medals from her short time in competitive Irish dancing, and an Arsenal Women season ticket. When she’s not in front of a screen working, she enjoys weightlifting, going for walks and stopping for little treats (matchas and pastries), and trying new recipes (that are almost always pasta-based).