There’s plenty of evidence that says that staying fit is a very good idea. The NHS is overstretched, and we’d all like to avoid doctor’s appointments and hospital visits if possible.  But this doesn’t mean feeling exhausted by our fitness regimes. A little strength-exercising home fitness every day can go far to keep us healthy, and balance exercises can help prevent falls.

Some exercise methods that we’ve come across and been impressed by are Buff Bones and the Franklin Method. We stock ‘Franklin balls’ in our Stay Fit-Feel Well section on our website.

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Quite apart from the improvement in posture and strength - and the knowledge that because you can balance better you are less likely to fall - there’s the bonus of looking much better.  Home fitness exercise, even only a little, has benefits all round.

Quite apart from the positive glow that comes from knowing you’ve been taking care of yourself is the improvement that exercise of any sort brings to your mood. It has been shown many times that the chemicals that flood your body during and after any exercise are positively cheering. And who wouldn't enjoy that?

Have a look at our home fitness suggestions and don’t dismiss any of this out of hand.  Just a few minutes every day can make a huge difference

Choose your space

If you can, set up a small workout space for home fitness that's enjoyable to be in. Consider investing in a few key pieces of equipment, such as we list below: a mat, some resistance bands, maybe some light ankle and wrist weights.

Take safety seriously- consider the home fitness space you are in, test any furniture you might be planning to lean on, and if you can, watch yourself perform the exercises in front of a mirror. There’s no avoiding the knowledge that you have the wrong position if you can see it!

Steady as she goes...

It can be fun (really!) to roll out a yoga mat and follow a YouTube home fitness video to practise using any of the equipment mentioned to improve posture, strength and balance. These YouTube videos are easy to find by typing in the name of the equipment, followed by ‘workout’.

Of the hundreds of yoga mats on the market, we would recommend the Eco Per mat, from Isagi (by StayPut), not just for yoga but as a steady base for all home fitness floor exercises. Its squidginess and anti-slip brand quality make it a grippy, safe option and it comes with a great carry-strap to roll it up in.

Why bother learning to balance better?

Improving your balance may not be your number one fitness goal, but it should definitely be high on the list. Why? Because balance affects every other area of your life — not just your home fitness workouts.

Think about it: Even walking around requires stability, as does bending down to pick something up, going up the stairs or climbing onto a step stool, (not to mention actual exercises like running, pilates and yoga).

• Balance is crucial regardless of your age or activity level.
• The main reason why is also the most obvious: increasing your stability means you're less likely to stumble and fall. The older we get, the more prone we are to slips and injuries.
• Working on your balance also strengthens the support around your joints, which helps keep them healthy in the long run.
• It also helps injuries (like ankle sprains) heal faster because it improves proprioception, which is your sense of where your body is in the space around you, which typically suffers after you get hurt.

Even better, there are about as many methods to improve balance as there are benefits, so you can pick and choose, to find the home fitness exercise approach that's best for you.

Try our pick, the Sissel Balancefit. It is a multitasker, designed to improve balance, physical co-ordination, strength and circulation. It features specially shaped knobbles in two thicknesses, and these have the added effect of increasing the body’s perceptive ability. It’s also ideal for foot massage, working on pelvic floor exercises or as a dynamic sitting aid.

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What about strength training?

We all lose muscle mass as we get older, and research has shown how crucial load-bearing muscle strength is, both for specific conditions like osteoporosis and for general health into midlife. So it’s important to slow the decline of our muscle mass with a home fitness workout. Even just a bit. Even from home. Even from a sofa or bed…

Stretching rings and bands are particularly good for strength, and many home fitness exercise regimes recommend bands. These X-Tension Resistance Bands have helpful hand holds, and are colour-coded for resistance: yellow for light, red for medium.

Weight-lifting doesn’t have to conjure up images of brawny, thick-thighed men, eyes popping as they lift a laden barbell above their heads, but it is the most efficient way of ‘building load’ into our muscles.

We searched for a reasonably priced high quality set of home fitness weights, and we came up with these ankle and wrist weights. They aren’t very onerous to wear but, when strapped in place they make movement that little bit harder and therefore that little bit more strengthening. And they’re a subtle smart dark green with black.

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Exercise without exercising

Posture cushions are a great way to strengthen your back without exercising!

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They are air-filled cushions on which to balance yourself, primarily while sitting. While the SitFit Plus has a straight edge for using solely on a chair, the basic SitFit is circular, and better for floor exercise. Both are really good for posture!

When you’re done

We also have hot and cold pads which help alleviate muscle pain and aching joints for pre or post exercise. Just pop them in the microwave, oven or fridge as instructed and feel the benefit. The Sissel brand is high quality- we’ve sold many and they have been very well received.

And then… just relax...

To find out more about Granny Gets A Grip, visit their website here

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