Sometimes we don’t feel in control of our lives, whether we are out of work, in a job we don’t like or having problems in a relationship. Exercise allows us to achieve goals and overcome obstacles regardless of what is happening in other areas of your life. Increasing the time you can jog on the…

Stretching your shoulders can feel good, especially for those of us who spend long hours hunched over a computer. Roll the shoulders down and back, starting with small circles and working up to larger circles. Do 10 circles backwards and then repeat forward circles.

Seated or standing, stretch the arms straight out and rotate the hands so that the palms face away from each other. Cross the arms so that the palms are pressed together, contract the abs and round the back, reaching away as you relax the head. Don’t collapse but instead imagine you’re curving up and over…

Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Extend your right arm along the right side of the chair. Place your left hand on the top of your head and slowly tilt your head to the left. Apply gentle pressure with your hand to increase the stretch. To feel a deeper stretch,…

While in a seated position, cross your right leg over your straightened left leg. Hug your right knee with your left arm, making sure to keep your back straight. Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds, and then repeat on the opposite side.

Lie facedown on the floor with thumbs directly under shoulders, legs extended with the tops of your feet on the floor. Tighten your pelvic floor, and tuck hips downward as you squeeze your glutes. Press shoulders down and away from ears. Push through your thumbs and index fingers as you raise your chest toward the…

This first activity isn’t so much of a stretch as it is a preparation and mental exercise. Begin by lifting your shoulders up high, imagining them coming up toward your ears. Next, release the shoulders downward, allowing gravity to do its thing. Don’t push the shoulders down, just release. Feel your spine long and free…

Bent knee hamstring stretch targets the muscle fibres closer to the hip whereas the straight leg hamstring stretch targets the fibres nearer the knee. Lie on your back and pull the leg over keeping the knee very slightly bent until a gentle stretch is felt at the back of the leg. This should not be…

Here’s a relaxing way to stretch one hamstring at a time. Lie on your back. Raise your left leg as high as you can, keeping your pelvis flat on the ground. Hold your lower thigh and encourage the leg to move toward your head. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Australia is today ranked as one of the fattest nations in the developed world. The prevalence of obesity in Australia has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Australia has become accustomed to sitting down – at work, on the couch, in the car – and it’s taking a major toll on the health…