EXERCISE CARDS FOR
PEOPLE OF ALL AGES

 

This resource has been developed in partnership with the East of England Coop to help you move more.

 

We care about your health and how you’re feeling and hope they will help you to experience the benefits that being more active will bring.

Our message is simple – just move more…when you can and however you can.

You don’t need lots of space, or equipment, you just need a little time and some willingness to give it a go. You can start small, and you don’t have to get moving when you don’t feel up to it. Even small amounts of activity add up and can have a positive impact on your health.

Many of the exercises are recommended by the NHS. They are designed to give you lots of options for moving more in different ways and can be done in any order on any day. Aim to try 4 of the exercises each day.

If you’d like to do more, and you feel up to it, feel free to increase the number of times you do each exercise or the number of different exercises each day. Just listen to your body and do what feels comfortable to you. For some people, aiming for a couple of minutes throughout the day can help them get started.

These exercise cards are available to download and print or you can request a copy of them to be posted to you.

We have lots more exercise and movement ideas across this site – just follow the link in the green box or use the menu tabs to find out more.

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CLICK HERE TO FIND MORE ACTIVITIES - DOWNLOAD THE CARDS - OR REQUEST A COPY

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Most people can get active without medical advice. However, we strongly recommend that you check with your doctor before starting if:

• You are extremely unsteady on your feet.
• You have dizzy spells or take a medicine that makes you feel dizzy or drowsy.
• You have a chronic or unstable health condition, such as heart disease (or several risk factors for heart disease), asthma or other respiratory ailment, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, or diabetes.

Strenuous exercise is not advisable for those with symptoms of infection, particularly with a fever. If you feel unwell during exercise, stop and seek medical advice.

TOP TIP

 

“Start slowly and build up. When moving more, you may feel warmer or even slightly breathless. You might also find that your muscles and joints get a little sore a day or two afterwards.

This is normal, but you can help avoid this by gradually increasing the length and intensity of activity”

 

Dr Zoe Williams

Man doing exercise

Standing Jacks

  • Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and arms by your side.
  • Raise your arms up at the sides and then above your head.
  • Now put them down again by your side.
  • Do this for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Lady doing exercise

NECK ROTATION

  • Sit upright, shoulders down, look straight ahead.
  • Turn head towards your left shoulder as much as possible and hold for 5 seconds.
  • Then return to starting position.
  • Repeat 3 times on each side.
Man doing exercise

SIDEWAYS WALKING

  • Stand with feet together.
  • Move your left foot to the side and then move the right foot to join the left.
  • Perform 10 steps in each direction
Lady doing exercise

Mini squat

  • Rest your hands on the back of the chair for stability and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Slowly bend your knees as far as is comfortable, keeping them facing forwards. Aim to get them over your big toe. Keep your back straight at all times.
  • Gently come up to standing, squeezing (clenching) your buttocks as you do so.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Man exercising with cans

Lateral Raise with or without cans

  • Stand with your knees slightly bent.
  • Hold a can of beans or soup in each hand with palms facing in, by your side.
  • Keeping your wrist straight and your palms facing down, bring your arms out to the sides until they are parallel with your shoulders.
  • Hold for 1-2 seconds, then release slowly back to the starting position.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Lady doing sideways walking exercise

Sideways walking with leg crossover

  • Cross your right foot over the left and bring your left foot to join it.
  • If needed put your fingers on a nearby wall for stability.
  • Attempt 5 cross steps on each side.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Man doing neck stretch exercise

Neck Stretch

  • Sit upright, look straight ahead and hold your left shoulder down with your right hand.
  • Tilt head to the right slowly and hold for 5 seconds.
  • Repeat on opposite side. n and controlled.
  • Repeat 3 times each side.
Lady doing tap backs leg exercise

Tap Backs

  • Step your left leg back behind you and swing both arms forward.
  • Now repeat with your right leg backwards.
  • Keep alternating which leg goes backwards and try to move in a continuous rhythmic movement.
  • Do this for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat 5 times
lady doing walll press exercise

Wall Press Up

  • Stand arm’s length from the wall. Place your hands flat against the wall at chest level, with your fingers pointing upwards.
  • With your back straight, slowly bend your arms, keeping your elbows by your side. Aim to close the gap between you and the wall as much
    as you can.
  • Slowly return to the start.
  • Repeat 5 times
Man doing heel to toe walking exercise

HEEL TO TOE WALKING

  • Put your right heel in front of your left toes then do the same with the left heel.
  • If needed put your fingers on the wall for stability.
  • Always look forward.
  • Try to do at least 5 steps.
  • As you progress, move away
    from the wall.
  • Repeat 3 times
lady doing sideways bend exercise

SIDEWAYS BEND

  • Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
  • Slide your left arm down your left side, as far as is comfiortable.
  • Hold for 2 seconds.
  • Repeat on opposite side.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Man doing climb the rope exercise

CLIMB THE ROPE

  • Imagine you are pulling a rope above your head whilst walking on the spot.
  • Do this for 30 seconds then rest for 30 sceonds
  • Repeat 5 times
Man doing calf raises exercise

CALF RAISES

  • Rest your hands on the back of a chair for stability.
  • Lift both heels off the floor as far as is comfortable. The movement should be slow and controlled.
  • Repeat 5 times.
  • To make this more difficult, perform the exercise without support, but only if you feel stable enough.
Lady doing one leg stand

ONE LEG STAND

  • Face the wall, arms outstretched in front of you, fingertips touching the wall.
  • Lift your right leg in the air, hold for 5-10 seconds.
  • Then set it back down.
  • Repeat 3 times on each leg.
Man doing chest stretch exercise

CHEST STRETCH

  • Sit upright on a stable chair.
  • Pull your back and shoulders down and extend your arms out to the side.
  • Gently push your chest forward and upwards until you feel a stretch.
  • Hold for 5-10 seconds.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Landing marching on the spot

HIGH KNEES

  • Stand on the spot lifting one knee in the air at a time (as if you were marching).
  • Do this for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds.
  • Rest your hand on a chair for balance if required.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Sideways leg lift

SIDEWAYS LEG LIFT

  • Stand up and rest your hands on the back of a stable chair.
  • Raise your left leg out to the side, keeping your back and hips straight.
  • Return to the start and do the same with the right leg.
  • Repeat 5 times on each leg.
Lady doing Tricep press with cans

TRICEP PRESS WITH CANS

  • Whilst standing, hold two cans above your head, one in each hand, palms facing each other and hold your arms close to your ears.
  • Trying to keep your arms close to your ears, bend your arms at the elbows, bringing the cans towards the back of your head.
  • Slowly straighten your arms to the start position.
  • Repeat 10 times.
Lady doing upper body twists

UPPER BODY TWIST

  • Sit upright on a stable chair, cross your arms in front of you reaching for opposite shoulders.
  • Without moving your hips, twist your bidy to the left as far as is comfortable.
  • Hold for 5 seconds.
  • Repeat 5 times on each side.
Man doing kick back exercises

KICKBACKS

  • Stand up and rest your hands on the back of a stable chair.
  • Bring your left heel up behind you and touch your left heel to your left buttock.
  • Then return it to the floor.
  • Repeat withe the right heel.
  • Do this for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds
  • Repeat 5 times.
Lady doing bicep curls

BICEP CURLS

  • Hold two cans of anything (or filled water bottles will do), with your arms down by your sides and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Keeping your elbows tucked in to your side, bend at the elbows and bring the cans up in front of you until they reach your shoulders.
  • Slowly lower them again.
  • This can also be carried out while sitting.
  • Attempt 3 sets of 5 curls with each arm.
Lady doing narrow balance

NARROW BALANCE

  • Stand up and rest one hand on the back of a stable chair with your feet as close together as possible.
  • Let go of the chair and try to maintain your balance for as long as possible.
  • If you feel unsteady hold onto the back of the chair.
  • To make this more difficult you can close your eyes but be very careful.
  • Rest for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat 5 times.

 

Man doing calf stretch exercises

CALF STRETCH

  • Place your hands on the wall for stability.
  • Bend the right leg and step back on the left leg keeping the left leg straight.
  • Keep both feet flat on the floor.
  • You should feel a stetch down the back of the left leg.
  • Repeat with the opposite side.
  • Repeat 3 times on each side.
Lady doing standing punches

STANDING PUNCHES

  • Stand with feet shoulder width apart, clench each fist and lift the arms as if you are protecting yourslef from an oncoming punch.
  • Alternate each arm and punch the fists out straight ahead as if hitting an object in front of you.
  • Do this for 30 seconds then rest for 30 sceonds
  • Repeat 5 times.
Man doing sit to stand exercise

SIT TO STAND

  • Sit on the edge of a stable chair, feet hip-width apart.
  • Lean slightly forwards.
  • Stand up slowly using your legs, not arms.
  • Keep looking forward and do not look down.
  • Stand upright and then slowly sit down, bottom-first.
  • Aim for 5 repetitions – the slower, the better.
MAN doing one leg stand exercise with eyes closed

ONE LEG STAND WITH EYES CLOSED

  • Face the wall, arms outstretched, fingertips touching the wall.
  • With your knee bent, lift your left leg in the air and close your eyes, hold for 5-10 seconds.
  • Put your left leg back down on the floor.
  • Repeat 3 times on each leg.
lady doing tow pointing exercise

ANKLE STRETCH

  • Sit upright holding onto the chair with your left leg pointing in font of you and your toes pointing upwards.
  • Now point your toes back towards you, then towards the floor.
  • Repeat 5 times on each leg.
man doing climb the ladder

CLIMB THE LADDER

  • Imagine you are climbing a ladder above your head.
  • Lift one leg off the ground at atime with the knee bent.
  • Do this for 3 seconds then rest for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat 5 times.