The Only Exercise You Need To Strengthen Every Hip Muscle (Ages 50+)
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One exercise, no equipment, and easy to do without even getting changed:
You may be on the fence about this one
Standing on one leg is great, of course, and then…
Basic exercise:
- Imagine stepping over an electric fence side to side.
- Lift each leg high but slowly to engage hip muscles.
- Adjust the height and speed based on ease/difficulty.
Variations:
- Step over an imaginary side fence.
- Step over an imaginary front fence.
- Step sideways in the opposite direction.
- Step backward to complete a square.
- Ensure both legs are worked evenly.
As a bonus, it also improves balance!
For more on all this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
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Want to learn more?
You might also like:
How Tight Are Your Hips? Test (And Fix!) With This
Take care!
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Yoga Anatomy – by Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews
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First and foremost this is what you would expect it to be from the title: a guide to human anatomy in the context of yoga.
What sets it apart from many books of its genre is its holistic approach, considering the importance of factors ranging from the tiny (e.g. how a nerve connects) to the huge (e.g. your body’s relationship to the gravitational field of the planet).
The illustrations throughout are very clear; ink drawings with color added to highlight parts, and often attention given to aspects that are commonly neglected—for example that we are made of more things than just muscles and bones, and what happens to the various internal organs is often relevant too!
Similarly, oft-forgotten muscles and joints get the attention they are due. For example, did you know the diaphragm affects over a hundred joints? It’s obvious when you think about it, but without a reason to do so, it’s easy to forget that the diaphragm even is a muscle, or that many of the joints near it are indeed joints. So, it takes on extra importance when the authors discuss how breathing affects the practice of a given posture—and conversely, how practice of a given posture affects breathing.
There is also discussion of the philosophy of yoga throughout, but the greatest value of the book is surely the better understanding of the biomechanics involved in yoga practice.
Bottom line: if you’re interested in yoga and would like to be better-informed with regard to what’s actually going on with your body, then this is a great book for you.
Click here to check out Yoga Anatomy, and get to grips with the anatomy of yoga!
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52 Ways to Walk – by Annabel Streets
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Most of us learned to walk at a very young age and probably haven’t thought much about it since, except perhaps in a case where some injury made it difficult.
Annabel Streets provides a wonderful guide to not just taking up (or perhaps reclaiming) the joy of walking, but also the science of it in more aspects than most of us have considered:
- The physical mechanics of walking—what’s best?
- Boots or shoes? Barefoot?
- Roads, grass, rougher vegetation… Mud?
- Flora & fauna down to the microbiota that affect us
- How much walking is needed, to be healthy?
- Is there such a thing as too much walking?
- What are the health benefits (or risks) of various kinds of weather?
- Is it better to walk quickly or to walk far?
- What about if we’re carrying some injury?
- What’s going on physiologically when we walk?
- And so much more…
Streets writes with a captivating blend of poetic joie-de-vivre coupled with scientific references.
One moment the book is talking about neuroradiology reports of NO-levels in our blood, the impact of Mycobacterium vaccae, and the studied relationship between daily steps taken and production of oligosaccharide 3′-sialyllactose,
…and the next it’s all:
“As if the newfound lightness in our limbs has crept into our minds, loosening our everyday cares and constraints…”
And all in all, this book helps remind us that sometimes, science and a sense of wonder can and do (and should!) walk hand-in-hand.
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Pregnant women can now get a free RSV shot. What other vaccines do you need when you’re expecting?
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From today, February 3, pregnant women in Australia will be eligible for a free RSV vaccine under the National Immunisation Program.
This vaccine is designed to protect young infants from severe RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). It does so by generating the production of antibodies against RSV in the mother, which then travel across the placenta to the baby.
While the RSV vaccine is a new addition to the National Immunisation Program, it’s one of three vaccines provided free for pregnant women under the program, alongside ones for influenza and whooping cough. Each offers important protection for newborn babies.
voronaman/Shutterstock The RSV vaccine
RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory infections (bronchiolitis and pneumonia) in infants. It’s estimated that of every 100 infants born in Australia each year, at least two will be hospitalised with RSV by six months of age.
RSV infection is most common roughly between March and August in the southern hemisphere, but infection can occur year-round, especially in tropical areas.
The vaccine works by conferring passive immunity (from the mother) as opposed to active immunity (the baby’s own immune response). By the time the baby is born, their antibodies are sufficient to protect them during the first months of life when they are most vulnerable to severe RSV disease.
The RSV vaccine registered for use in pregnant women in Australia, Abrysvo, has been used since 2023 in the Americas and Europe. Real-world experience there shows it’s working well.
For example, over the 2024 RSV season in Argentina, it was found to prevent 72.7% of lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV and requiring hospitalisation in infants aged 0–3 months, and 68% among those aged 0–6 months. This research noted three deaths from RSV, all in infants whose mothers did not receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.
This was similar to protection seen in a large multinational clinical trial that compared babies born to mothers who received this RSV vaccine with babies born to mothers who received a placebo. This study found the vaccine prevented 82.4% of severe cases of RSV in infants aged under three months, and 70% under six months, and that the vaccine was safe.
Vaccinating mothers during pregnancy protects the newborn baby. StoryTime Studio/Shutterstock In addition to the maternal vaccine, nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, provides effective protection against severe RSV disease. It’s delivered to the baby by an intramuscular injection, usually in the thigh.
Nirsevimab is recommended for babies born to women who did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy, or who are born within two weeks of their mother having received the shot (most likely if they’re born prematurely). It may also be recommended for babies who are at higher risk of RSV due to a medical condition, even if their mother was vaccinated.
Nirsevimab is not funded under the National Immunisation Program, but is covered under various state and territory-based programs for infants of mothers who fall into the above categories.
But now we have a safe and effective RSV vaccine for pregnancy, all pregnant women should be encouraged to receive it as the first line of prevention. This will maximise the number of babies protected during their first months of life.
Flu and whooping cough
It’s also important pregnant women continue to receive flu and whooping cough vaccines in 2025. Like the RSV vaccine, these protect infants by passing antibodies from mother to baby.
There has been a large whooping cough outbreak in Australia in recent months, including a death of a two-month-old infant in Queensland in November 2024.
The whooping cough vaccine, given in combination with diphtheria and tetanus, prevents more than 90% of whooping cough cases in babies too young to receive their first whooping cough vaccine dose.
Similarly, influenza can be deadly in young babies, and maternal flu vaccination substantially reduces hospital visits associated with influenza for babies under six months. Flu can also be serious for pregnant women, so the vaccine offers important protection for the mother as well.
COVID vaccines are safe in pregnancy, but unless a woman is otherwise eligible, they’re not routinely recommended. You can discuss this with your health-care provider.
When and where can you get vaccinated?
Pregnant women can receive these vaccines during antenatal visits through their GP or in a specialised antenatal clinic.
The flu vaccine is recommended at any time during pregnancy, the whooping cough vaccine from 20 weeks (ideally before 32 weeks), and the RSV vaccine from 28 weeks (before 36 weeks).
It’s safe to receive multiple vaccinations at the same clinic visit.
The RSV vaccine is now available for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program. Olga Rolenko/Shutterstock We know vaccination rates have declined in a variety of groups since the pandemic, and there’s evidence emerging that suggests this trend has occurred in pregnant women too.
A recent preprint (a study yet to be peer-reviewed) found a decrease of nearly ten percentage points in flu vaccine coverage among pregnant women in New South Wales, from 58.8% in 2020 to 49.1% in 2022. The research showed a smaller drop of 1.4 percentage points for whooping cough, from 79% in 2020 to 77.6% in 2022.
It’s important to work to improve vaccination rates during pregnancy to give babies the best protection in their first months of life.
We know pregnant women would like to receive information about new and routine maternal vaccines early in pregnancy. In particular, many pregnant women want to understand how vaccines are tested for safety, and their effectiveness, which was evident during COVID.
GPs and midwives are trusted sources of information on vaccines in pregnancy. There’s also information available online on Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation, a collaboration led by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.
Archana Koirala, Paediatrician and Infectious Diseases Specialist, University of Sydney; Bianca Middleton, Senior Research Fellow, Menzies School of Health Research; Margie Danchin, Professor of Paediatrics and vaccinologist, Royal Childrens Hospital, University of Melbourne and Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI); Associate Dean International, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Peter McIntyre, Professor in Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Otago, and Rebecca Doyle, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Built from Broken – by Scott Hogan, CPT, COES
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So many exercise programs come with the caveat “consult your doctor before engaging in any new activity”, and the safe-but-simple “do not try to train through an injury”.
Which is all very well and good for someone in fabulous health who sprained an ankle while running and can just wait a bit, but what about those of us carrying…
- long-term injuries
- recurring injuries
- or just plain unfixable physical disabilities?
That’s where physiotherapist Scott Hogan comes in. The subtitle line goes:
❝A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries, and Rebuilding Your Body❞
…but he does also recognize that there are some things that won’t bounce back.
On the other hand… There are a lot of things that get written off by doctors as “here’s some ibuprofen” that, with consistent mindful training, could actually be fixed.
Hogan delivers again and again in this latter category! You’ll see on Amazon that the book has thousands of 4- and 5-star ratings and many glowing reviews, and it’s for a reason or three:
- The book first lays a foundational knowledge of the most common injuries likely to impede us from training
- It goes on to give step-by-step corrective exercises to guide your body through healing itself. Your body is trying to heal itself anyway; you might as well help it accomplish that!
- It finishes up with a comprehensive (and essential) guide to train for the strength and mobility that will help you avoid future problems.
In short: a potentially life-changing book if you have some (likely back- or joint-related) problem that needs overcoming!
And if you don’t? An excellent pre-emptive guide all the same. This is definitely one of those “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” things.
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The Comfort Zone – by Kristen Butler
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Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin. Funny, how being comfortable can be a good starting point, then we are advised “You have to get out of your comfort zone”.
And yet, when we think of our personal greatest moments in life, they were rarely uncomfortable moments. Why is that?
Kristen Butler wants us to resolve this paradox, with a reframe:
The comfort zone? That’s actually the “flow” zone.
Just as “slow and steady wins the race”, we can—like the proverbial tortoise—take our comfort with us as we go.
The discomfort zone? That’s the stress zone, the survival zone, the “putting out fires” zone. From the outside, it looks like we’re making a Herculean effort, and perhaps we are, but is it actually so much better than peaceful consistent productivity?
Butler writes in a way that will be relatable for many, and may be a welcome life-ring if you feel like you’ve been playing catch-up for a while.
Is she advocating for complacency, then? No, and she discusses this too. That “complacency zone” is really the “burnout zone” after being in the “survival zone” for too long.
She lays out for us, therefore, a guide for growing in comfort, expanding the comfort zone yes, but by securely pushing it from the inside, not by making a mad dash out and hoping it follows us.
Bottom line: if you’ve been (perhaps quietly) uncomfortable for a little too long for comfort, this book can reframe your approach to get you to a position of sustainable, stress-free growth.
Click here to check out The Comfort Zone, and start building yours!
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What exercises will keep my ageing joints healthy?
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Growing older has plenty of upsides – but achy joints is not one of them.
As we age, the joints that once handled every bend and fall start to weaken. This is because the amount of cartilage, a tough but flexible kind of connective tissue, and fluid in your joints decreases over time.
This may lead some people to avoid activities such as exercise. But with the right approach, exercise can actually help protect your joints.
Let’s dive into the science.
ljubaphoto/Getty Why joints matter
Each joint is cushioned by articular cartilage, a type of specialised tissue that covers the ends of bones. This cartilage protects the joints and creates a smooth surface for motion.
A thick liquid known as synovial fluid also helps lubricate your knees, hips and shoulders. It does this by reducing friction between your cartilage and joints. Synovial fluid also supplies cartilage with key nutrients.
However, cartilage isn’t very good at repairing itself. This is partly because it doesn’t have its own blood supply.
The gradual breakdown of cartilage is known as osteoarthritis, a condition which affects more than 500 million people worldwide. People with osteoarthritis often feel the most pain in weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips and spine.
How exercise impacts your joints
The body distributes synovial fluid through motion. So exercise helps gets this fluid, and the nutrients it contains, to cartilage.
Meanwhile, muscles around your joints act as shock absorbers. So strengthening your muscles, including through exercises such as weightlifting, helps to reduce the pressure placed on your joints. Research suggests strength exercises targeting the quadriceps, a group of muscles at the front of the thigh, are particularly effective at reducing joint pain.
A landmark Cochrane review assessed all the relevant evidence looking at the effect of exercise on osteoarthritis. It found exercise reduces pain and improves function in people with knee osteoarthritis. It also showed exercise has a similar impact as anti-inflammatory drugs, but without the same side effects.
Exercise may also help maintain proprioception, the body’s ability to sense its own position and movement. However, proprioception declines with age. So as you get older, your brain is less able to register these signals and may cause your joints to bear weight unevenly. This wears down your joints quicker.
However, exercising on varied and even unstable surfaces can reduce this wear-and-tear process. It forces your ankle, knee and hip joints to quickly adjust their movements, keeping them engaged and flexible.
What about low-impact exercise?
Low-impact exercise refers to exercises where you keep at least one foot on the ground, or support the body in some other way. This kind of exercise reduces the amount of weight and force placed on joints.
Examples of low-impact exercise include swimming and water aerobics. Both involve being suspended in water, which can support up to 90% of your body weight. Cycling may also be beneficial for your joints, particularly your knees.
Tai chi, a gentle form of exercise based on gentle movements and breathing techniques, is another option. Research suggests it may be as effective as physical therapy for people with knee osteoarthritis. Yoga can also help strengthen the muscles around your joints and improve your overall flexibility.
Walking deserves a special mention. Walking on uneven terrain, such as on grass, gravel or bush trails, can help maintain proprioception. One 2026 study found unstable surface training significantly improves postural control, or the ability to remain stable, in older adults.
Another systematic review found exercises which challenged participants’ balance reduced fall rates by roughly 23%. This is important, given falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in adults over 65.
I’ve never done low-impact exercise. How can I start?
Here are three tips to make low-impact exercise as safe and effective as possible.
1. Start small
You don’t need any fancy equipment to start. Where possible, opt to walk on uneven surfaces, such as grass, sand or gravel, instead of pavement. Even ten minutes walking across a park lawn will improve your joint movement.
You can also practise standing on one leg, for example while brushing your teeth. It’s best to start on firm ground first, aiming to stand on each leg for 30 seconds. You can then progress to standing on a folded towel or foam pad. Importantly, you should master each task or level of difficulty before advancing.
2. Use support
Safety is paramount. Always perform low-impact exercises near something you can hold for support, such as a park bench or bathroom vanity. If you’re walking for exercise, walking poles are an excellent option. Importantly, never exercise on unstable surfaces when you’re tired.
3. Get advice
No exercise is risk-free. For example, holding a yoga pose beyond your range of motion may injure your lower back, shoulders or knees. Doing deep squats or lunges with poor form can put unnecessary strain on your knee joint.
So before you start, speak to a certified exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. They can help you design a tailored exercise program.
The bottom line
Our joints are subject to the inevitable wear-and-tear of age, but low-impact exercise can help. So it’s worth trying, no matter how young or old you are.
Gordon Waddington, AIS Professor of Sports Medicine Research, University of Canberra
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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