Deck the halls — and hit the shopping mall — without straining your back. This exercise targets upper and middle back muscles, that tire quickly when you’re on your feet all day, and helps increase endurance to maintain good posture and reduce the risk of injury to your back.
Holding a 2kg weight in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart. (No handweights? Grab two two-litre milk or juice bottles from the fridge.) Bend your knees and hinge forward to the floor until your back is parallel to the floor and your torso forms a straight line from head to hips. Let your arms hang toward the floor in line with your shoulders, palms facing in and abs pulled in.
Maintaining this position, squeeze your shoulder blades down and together, then bend one elbow back toward your rib cage. Keep your hips and shoulders squared. Straighten your arm to starting position and repeat with your other arm. Repeat 10 times.
