This, says physio Matt Todman, gives you the benefits of a press up, while tackling tightness in the thoracic spine, between the shoulders. Stand facing the wall with your feet at least a foot and a half away (the further you go, the harder it gets). Place your palms on the wall at shoulder height and do a press up – but here’s the twist. As you push away, take one hand back 180 degrees behind you, before heading back for another press up and switching sides. You’ll strengthen your shoulders, arms and chest, improving stability around your shoulder blades. frontlinecf.com

You probably used to do this when your were a child, but you still should if you can. It saves time, makes you feel springy, burns more calories and works your muscles even more than walking up stairs. Taking bigger steps should, however, be approached with caution if you have knee problems or trouble balancing, as it requires (but also builds) greater stability in the hips.

We all need to resist the slouch, and the posture plumb line is here to help. This visualisation has a ripple effect, lifting the crown of your head, settling your shoulders back – chest lifted a little – and using your core and glutes to sit or stand straight. Treat it as a postural reset, though, rather than a position to hold rigid – movement and variety are our musculoskeletal best friends.

Worth it for the bragging rights alone, this is often touted as a longevity indicator (although there are many caveats to the 2012 study that posited it as one, such as most people who couldn’t do it and then died were the oldest in the 51-80 age-range). If a knee or hip injury counts you out, don’t panic, but if you have no physical reasons to avoid it, you might as well start practising: sit on the floor cross legged, place your feet on the floor, and hoick yourself up without touching the floor with your hands or elbows – a feat of balance, core and lower body strength to be proud of.

This is a high-reward habit, powering up muscles in the lower body and core, strengthening tendons, ligaments and bones while burning calories. For the basic squat, stand with feet hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Keep your chest up as you lower yourself, stopping when your heels want to lift or your torso wants to flounder. “Try to keep your knees over your ankles,” says Todman, and push through your heels to lift back up. To ease into squats, try with a chair behind you, touching your bottom to the seat before standing up again. If you want to get the blood pumping, jump as you come up.