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You don’t have to be hunched over a laptop all day to feel the effects of poor posture. Rounded shoulders, a tight neck or an aching lower back can all be subtle signs that your alignment’s off. Over time, these symptoms can sap your energy and leave you feeling stiff and fatigued.

The good news? Posture isn’t fixed; it’s trained. With the right balance of strength, mobility and awareness, you can retrain your body to move and rest in better alignment. Start by adding a few targeted exercises and stretches into your routine — ones designed to build stability through your core, open up tight muscles, and help you stand taller without even thinking about it.

Here are some of the most effective moves to get you started: simple, practical, and proven to make a difference.

Focus on your core

Good posture starts with the core, specifically, the deep muscles in your abdomen, pelvis and back. When these muscles are weak or underused, it’s harder to keep your spine aligned when sitting, standing or lying down. A low-impact exercise routine can help you start strengthening important muscle groups like the core in a gentle way. Try these three simple exercises to target your core:

Planks

Planks are perfect for engaging and strengthening the core. You can also do them anywhere for as much or as little time as you choose. There are several variations that can make planking easier or more difficult depending on your fitness level.

For a basic plank, start on your stomach with your forearms flat, then push your body up using your core, keeping your elbows and shoulders aligned and your torso straight from head to heels. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute. To make it a little harder, try a straight arm plank and eventually progress to plank shoulder taps.

Bridge

Considered a core classic, a bridge engages the core, glutes, and hamstrings. The exercise can “wake up” your glutes and help your body to remember to use the hips to generate movement instead of the spine. This protects the lower back and makes it easier to maintain proper posture.

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Engage your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your hips off the floor towards the sky. Align your hips, knees, and shoulders to form a straight line. Hold this position for three deep breaths and then gently lower to the floor.

Bird dog

Challenging your balance and coordination is a great way to target your core muscles. As well as your glutes, thighs and abs, bird dogs strengthen your lower back, which is a common problem area for anyone with bad posture.

Start kneeling with your hands pressed into the ground shoulder-width apart. This is known as table pose. Extend one arm straight ahead and extend the opposite foot back. Engage your abs to hold a straight line from your fingertips to your toes. Repeat on your other side to complete the rep.

Don’t underestimate the power of flexibility

The greater your flexibility, the more range of motion you’ll have, which can only be a positive thing for your posture. Stretches help increase flexibility, relieve muscle tension, and allow you to sit and stand straighter and maintain proper posture throughout the day. Joining a weekly yoga class is a great way to work on your flexibility, but these stretches can help you make some progress at home.

Cat cow

Cat and cow poses will help you relax your body and focus on breathing. They can improve posture and balance and can help relieve back pain.

Start on your hands and knees in table pose with your knees hip-width apart and feet directly behind your knees. Your palms should be pressing into the floor directly under your shoulders with your fingers facing forward. For the cow pose, inhale and push your chest forward, allowing your belly to drop. Lift your head and gaze straight ahead with relaxed shoulders. For cat pose, exhale and round your spine upward, tucking your tailbone and pushing your pubic bone forward while releasing your head towards the floor. Flow back and forth between the two poses for one minute.

Hip flexor stretch

Spending a lot of time sitting — like many of us do — can lead to tight hip flexors. Since the hip flexors connect the spine to the pelvis, this can impact our overall posture. Stretching the hip flexors regularly is an important way to align the entire body and ensure no muscle is left compensating for another one.

To stretch your hip flexors, kneel on your right knee with your left leg bent at a 90-degree angle and your foot planted in front of you. Place your right hand on your right hip to avoid bending at the waist. Keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles tight. Lean forward, shifting your body weight onto your front leg until you feel a stretch in your right thigh. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat on the other side.

Child’s pose

Child’s pose is a gentle stretch for the hips, thighs, ankles and back. It helps calm the mind and relieve stress while reducing pain and encouraging better posture.

Start on your hands and knees in table position, exhale, and lower the hips to the heels and forehead to the floor. Start with your knees together and as you become more flexible, practise spreading the knees slightly apart.

Reminders for good posture

In addition to exercise, there are a few habits that can help you improve your flexibility day-to-day, such as:

• Don’t sit for long periods of time. Get up and move around for a few minutes every hour to give muscles a stretch.
• If you must sit for longer, such as during work hours, improve ergonomics with a quality desk chair and the right desk height.
• Wear comfortable shoes with arch support when walking.
• Be aware of your posture and correct it periodically.

Once you’ve mastered some of the basic exercises you can do at home to improve your posture, consider joining a yoga or Pilates class to build on your progress.

If you’ve ever noticed heavy, coiled-up ropes on the gym floor, you’re looking at one of the simplest pieces of fitness equipment around: battle ropes. They’re great for both cardio and strength — especially for the core and upper body — and they also put less stress on your joints because battle rope exercises are low impact.

But how, exactly, do you get to grips with them? Let’s answer a few common questions, learn what to expect when you integrate battle ropes into your fitness routine and watch as our Personal Trainer, Jack, demonstrates some fundamental battle rope techniques.

Are battle ropes right for me?

Whipping these thick, heavy ropes around doesn’t only feel great — it’s an effective way to boost cardio conditioning and build muscular endurance. That’s why battle rope devotees include professional rugby players, track-and-field athletes, and sculpted superstars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

But you don’t have to be carved out of stone to reap the benefits. Whether they’re the focus of your routine, part of a full circuit, or just a fun way to finish your session, it’s easy to see why battle ropes have become an important part of every well-equipped gym.

1.Are battle ropes suitable for all ages and abilities?

Battle ropes are suitable for people of almost any age and ability because they offer a low-impact, full-body workout that can be adapted to various fitness levels. The rope weight, length and even thickness can be adjusted to accommodate different abilities, as well as the intensity, duration and type of exercise, such as alternating waves, slams or pulls. As always, it’s important to start gradually to ensure a safe and effective workout.

2.Should battle ropes be my entire workout?

While battle ropes provide an excellent full-body workout on their own, it can be beneficial to incorporate them into a well-rounded fitness routine. Mixing battle rope exercises with other forms of cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises ensures a balanced approach, targeting various muscle groups and promoting overall health and fitness.

3.How long should a battle rope workout be?

As part of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), aim to work up to 30-second bursts of battle rope exercises followed by one-minute rest intervals to maximise your cardio efforts and stoke your metabolism. Saying that, the length and number of sets and repetitions should suit your own personal level of fitness, as with any workout.

4.Can you lose weight with battle ropes?

A high-intensity battle ropes workout can burn more calories than stair running, jumping jacks, burpees, and even jumping rope. There’s no doubt it can be an effective fat burner — but it’s not only about the calories. If you usually get bored doing classic types of cardio such as running, you may find battle ropes more engaging.

5.Do battle ropes burn belly fat?

Most battle ropes exercises appear to target the arms. But they’re actually very effective at engaging core and back muscles, as well as the shoulders and, to a lesser extent, the glutes. Engaging your entire core this way will require your body to shift into a higher gear, burning a high number of calories per minute and boosting your metabolic rate for hours after you’re done. Regularly exercising with battle ropes, combined with a diet that fuels your workouts, should mean you see the results you’re aiming for over time.

6.Are battle ropes better than weights?

Battle ropes and weights both offer unique benefits and serve different purposes in a workout routine. Battle ropes provide a dynamic, full-body, cardio-focused workout that engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. They also offer functional strength and improved endurance. Weights, on the other hand, are ideal for building muscle mass, targeting specific muscle groups and improving overall strength. Rather than choosing one over the other, combining both in a balanced fitness program can give you optimal results and cater to various fitness goals.

The beginner’s battle rope workout

Are battle ropes good for beginners? Absolutely. Battle ropes require minimal practice, provide a full-body workout, and burn loads of calories in no time at all.

Look no further than the biceps wave as a starting point. As our Personal Trainer Jack explains, this is the quintessential battle ropes exercise. Simply grip the ropes, squat slightly, and get your arms moving to create alternating waves.

After a few reps, finish up with two-armed rope slams to build dynamic power and vent any frustrations you may have (don’t forget to enjoy the satisfying whack the ropes make on the gym floor!).

Advanced battle rope techniques

Once you’ve mastered waves and slams, you’re ready to move on to more advanced techniques to target specific areas.

Lateral whip

Raise the ropes simultaneously, as if you were doing a lateral raise, then whip them downwards. Continue at a high rate to target the rear delts and back muscles, which are associated with better posture.

Outside spiral

Make outward circles so the rope moves like a corkscrew, working your shoulders and rotator cuffs. Increase the intensity by adding in a few variations, such as kneeling or switching between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations.

Lunge slam

Holding on to a little stress? Take a rope in each hand, raise your arms, and slam the ropes down hard as you alternate lunges to each side. Incorporating leg movement makes this a full-body, functional workout.

Nobody sets out to have a bad run. It usually starts as a normal day. You put on your kit, tie your laces, cue up your playlist and head out for your run. But from almost the moment your feet meet pavement (or treadmill), you realise this run is anything but normal.

Maybe you just can’t get your breathing steady; or your legs feel weirdly heavy; or your pace is fundamentally off. Perhaps it’s all of those and more. The fact is, you’re having a bad run.

Sound familiar? We’re not talking about a run that’s sub-optimal for obvious reasons: you’re recently back from injury, for example, or trying to power through a hangover. This is a run that’s bad for no reason you can pinpoint – and the not knowing is the most frustrating part.

Anyone who runs regularly for a decent length of time is likely to experience this. The most important thing is not the fact you’ve had a bad run – it’s how you recover from it. Because the last thing you want is to lose your motivation.

We explain some of the key ways you can get yourself back on track, rediscover your confidence and make sure this is a one-off. There’s no such thing as a bad runner – only a bad run.

1.Recover as normal

Even if you’ve cut your workout short in frustration, go through your full post-run recovery routine. The situation will definitely not be improved if you end up injured. In fact, if anything, supercharge your recovery. Do a sauna session, book a sports massage, hit up a plunge pool, use a massage gun. This is the time for kindness, not punishment.

2.Start planning your next run

The longer you put it off, the harder it’ll be to get back into running. Schedule your next run – give yourself a day or two for that all-important recovery – and put a bit of extra planning into it.

3.Do some investigation

After a day or so, put all blame aside, and consider whether there are any contributing factors that didn’t occur to you at the time. It’s surprising how much some of these things can affect performance:

• Stress: Studies have shown that psychological stress can negatively affect sports performance.
• Tiredness: Long- and short-term fatigue can diminish physical capacity.
• Hydration: Even mild dehydration can make it harder to run, so make sure you keep hydrated before and after each workout.
• Overtraining: You may have been feeling like you’re on a roll, but is it possible you’ve been pushing yourself too hard, and this is your body’s way of asking for a break?
• Nutrition: Are you eating enough to fuel your workouts?
• Recovery: The fact that this was the first thing we mentioned shows how important post-run recovery is. Could your routine do with an overhaul?
• Pre-run warm-up: Similarly, you may not be spending enough time on your pre-game. According to one study, the ideal warm-up is a mix of static and dynamic stretching.
• Weather: Sudden changes in temperature can affect your performance – was it hotter or colder than normal for the time of year? Was your kit making you feel too hot or cold?

The point of this, as we’ve said, isn’t to find a reason to blame yourself. It’s about looking at ways to fine-tune your routine so you get the most from each run.

4.Talk it out

Know any fellow runners, whether IRL or online-only? Ask them about their bad runs and tell them about yours. Sometimes talking about your experience – and realising how normal it is – is enough to put it behind you. That’s the power of community.

5.Think about a fitness tracker

If you’re not already monitoring your running performance, this might be the time to add a tracker to your everyday kit. Keeping track of your distances and heart rate means that if an out-of-the-blue bad run strikes again, you’ll have cold, hard data to show that you’ve actually been making progress.

6.Silence your inner critic with positivity

We all have that annoying little voice that pops up every now and again. Chances are it’s having a field day after a bad run. “Oh, you thought you could run, did you?” it croons. “You thought you were a runner? How ridiculous. You’re bad at running, and your next run will be even worse.”

One way to silence the negative self-talk is practising positive affirmations – statements you say to yourself to boost your self-esteem. “I am getting faster and stronger,” you might say. “I am powerful.” Ok, you might feel a little silly, but no one is saying you need to march into the office and bellow, “I am a strong and confident runner!” to your colleagues every morning. Practise affirmations every day on your own and you may be surprised at the psychological benefits.

7.Try a different exercise

No, we’re not saying you may as well give up running for a life of yoga. But one way to refresh your mindset is to do something totally different. Try a workout or exercise class you’ve never done before. Experience what it’s like to be a complete beginner. And remember that this beginner state isn’t where you’ll be starting from on your next run – you’ll still have all that experience and achievement you’ve already built up.

You might also find that trying a new activity inspires an overhaul of your fitness routine. Add a strengthening practice, such as the aforementioned yoga, or building strength through weightlifting, can really help improve your running power and endurance.

8.Reframe your bad run

Returning to positive thinking, you might find it helpful to rethink your attitude towards your bad run. Maybe it is, ultimately, a good thing? An opportunity to learn more about yourself, a chance to build mental resilience, an experience that inspires you to refresh your routine – and even to fall in love with running all over again when you get out there and smash it next time.

When it comes to building strength, sculpting your body and pushing your fitness further, there are two training styles that always come up: calisthenics and weight training. And while the internet loves a side-by-side showdown, real results often lie in the space between.

So which one’s ‘better’? Let’s unpack the benefits of both — and explore why the smartest approach might be a little of each.

What is calisthenics?

Calisthenics is a form of strength training that uses your own bodyweight as resistance. No kit required (just a bit of grit), although you can add equipment such as a pull-up bar to make it more challenging. It’s all about body control, movement mechanics and relative strength — how strong you are in relation to your own size.

Examples of calisthenics exercises:

• Push-ups and tricep dips
• Pull-ups and chin-ups
• Squats, lunges and step-ups
• Hollow holds and planks
• Pike push-ups and handstands (for the ambitious)
• Yoga and Pilates classes — brilliant for strength, stability and mobility

What is weight training?

Weight training (also called resistance training or strength training) involves using external load — think dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or resistance machines — to build strength, muscle and power. It’s more measurable, more progressive, and often more targeted.

Examples of weight training exercises:

• Deadlifts, squats and bench press
• Dumbbell shoulder press
• Lat pull-downs and cable rows
• Barbell hip thrusts
• Machine leg press and hamstring curls
• Strength-based classes such as circuit training — ideal for guided, full-body training in a motivating group setting

The case for calisthenics

Pros:

• No equipment needed — just your own body
• Great for building functional strength and control
• Easily accessible anywhere, anytime
• Encourages core activation and balance
• Low impact on joints (if your form is solid)

Cons:

• Progressions can plateau without added resistance
• Harder to isolate specific muscles
• Requires more skill and mobility to master advanced moves

The case for weight training

• Easier to progress via controlled load increases
• Ideal for hypertrophy (muscle growth)
• Can isolate muscle groups for rehab or sculpting
• Lots of options at clubs like David Lloyd Clubs, with expert support and kit
• Strength-focused group classes make it accessible for all levels

Cons:

• Equipment-dependent
• Higher risk of injury if form or load isn’t right
• Can feel intimidating for beginners

So… which one should you choose?

Here’s the truth: you don’t have to. Both calisthenics and weight training have serious strengths — and the best training plans often include a bit of both. Want to build relative strength and master your own bodyweight? Calisthenics is your friend. Looking to gain mass, shape or measurable power? Add the weights.

Whether you’re on the gym floor, in the studio or working with a Personal Trainer, there’s always a way to train that suits you. Because ultimately, it’s not about picking sides. It’s about finding what fits your body, your goals and your lifestyle — and staying consistent enough to feel the difference.