Exercise physiologist and personal trainer Christine Gils shares five exercises that nurses and midwives can do anywhere, anytime. You can follow the workout on the video below.

Because of the work that you do, nurses and midwives can suffer from issues with their energy levels and posture. In this workout, Christine shares five exercises you can do with minimal equipment.

X-over Elbow to knee (20 repetitions)

Great to do to start as a warm-up. Standing feet hip width apart, lift one knee to opposite elbow and cross opposite elbow to lifted knee. Make sure you switch your core on as you do this. Alternate sides and do 20 repetitions again.

Hip circles and side to side (10 repetitions on each side, then repeat)

Standing with knees bent and feet straight, hands on hips. Move your hips side to side 10 times, and then do circles 10 times one way and 10 times the other way.

Body Squats (15 repetitions)

Stand upright with feet slightly wider than hip width with a slight turn out in your feet. Keep your knees over your ankles and behind your toes. Chest up, hips back, sit into a squat as you inhale and exhale as you lift up. Be sure to keep your core on and squeeze your glutes as you stand up.

Wall Angels (10 repetitions)

Standing straight or against a wall, knees bent, feet flat, lower back flat against the wall, head and arms against the wall as best as you can. Have arms straight and slide against the wall to touch overhead. You can do this without a wall if you like.

Overhead stretches (hold for 20 seconds each)

Standing, reach your arms overhead, fingers interlocked and stretch up and back over your head. Next reach over the side, then the other side. Then open arms up to a chest stretch, then interlock fingers behind you, arms straight, and lift arms back and chest out again. Finish with shoulder circles. Repeat if you have time and hold each for 20s. This exercise is great for relieving upper body stress.

In these trying times, while we focus on looking after others, it is critical not to forget to look after ourselves! Remember that we must pour into ourselves if we’re going to be pouring into others, otherwise we will be running on empty, which is no good for any of us! Thank you for all that you do.

This article was written in partnership with FitFinder, the first marketplace for all health and fitness instructors.

If you would like to learn more about how to take care of your body, or organise a full session with Christine, simply go to: https://www.fitfinder.com.au/trainer/christine-gils

For your first session, use the code: Nurse50 to receive $50 off your first session to give it a try!