Building strength is about helping your body cope better with everyday demands – sitting, standing, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling. And you can do a lot for your health with very little equipment, space or time. You do not need gym membership, heavy weights or complicated routines. In fact, some of the most effective strength work uses simple movements you already do in daily life.

Key Movements to Support Your Health

• Push movements – using your arms and upper body to push something away
• Pull movements – drawing something towards you, important for posture
• Standing / squat movements – getting up and down
• Hinge movements – bending at the hips to lift safely
• Core stability – supporting and controlling movement
• Leg strength & balance – how we walk, climb stairs and move confidently
• Carrying & holding – real-life strength for everyday loads

Standing and squat movements help build strength in your legs and hips. They’re essential for everyday tasks like sitting down, standing up, climbing stairs and moving confidently through the day.

This is one of the most important movement patterns for long-term health and independence – and it’s something we already practise many times a day. You don’t need weights or a gym to benefit from this movement. Try this:

• Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor
• Stand up by pushing through your feet
• Pause briefly at the top
• Slowly lower yourself back down to the chair

That’s a squat. Using a chair helps keep the movement controlled and accessible. As you build confidence, you can use a lower seat, slow the movement down or do it without the chair – but every version counts.

You don’t need a high number for this to be worthwhile. A good starting point is 6 to 10 controlled repetitions, take a short break, and then repeat.

🚀 NUMAN Kickstart Challenge: New year, fresh start. Get moving, build momentum, and kick off January feeling strong (future you will be very grateful).

🥕 Move More with HelloFresh: Add a little extra movement to your days and get rewarded for it. Simple, satisfying, and very on-brand for January wins 🥦.

❄️ Beat the Cold January Challenge: Cold outside? No problem. Wrap up, get moving, and beat the winter blues one activity at a time.

⌚ Apple Watch: Quit Quitting: Consistency is the name of the game. If you complete the challenge, you’ll earn an Apple Watch badge. And just for being a Strava user, you’ll get up to 3 months of Apple Fitness+ for free to keep you motivated. 💪.

Every so often, sport serves up a reminder that outcomes aren’t always decided by budgets, reputations or league tables.

In the world of football, few stages capture that spirit better than the FA Cup – a competition where giants and minnows share the same pitch, and anything can happen. Occasionally, it really does.

That’s exactly what unfolded when Macclesfield FC, a semi-professional side, overcame Premier League opposition Crystal Palace FC. On paper, Macclesfield were 117 places below Crystal Palace. In reality, effort, belief and teamwork closed it.

What makes the story even better is that some of the players juggle football with everyday jobs. This is such a great video of Macclesfield player, PE teacher Sam Heathcote, returning to the primary school where he works on the Monday morning afterwards. What a brilliantly inspiring story for those kids!