We all eat and indulge too much over the Christmas period and with ‘getting fit’ in the top 10 New Years Resolutions – here are two January exercises you can complete from your own home.

Russian Twist ? this focuses on the core, or the abdominal muscles. Do this exercise 1-2 ab exercises into your workout, perform 1-15 repetitions, 1-3 times a week.

1. Start by sitting on the floor with hips and knees flexed to the approximate 90 degrees angles
2. Grasp a medicine ball or small dumbbell and swing it to the right and left as you keep the hips from rotating with the shoulders
3. The arms are not perpendicular to the torso, but instead, kept low, near the thighs as the medicine ball is swung to each side
4. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions

Back Extension

1. Position body face down on apparatus placing hips and ankles on respective pads
2. Place hips (not stomach) on pad. Place lower leg or Achilles tendon area on pad. Cross arms and place on chest
3. Start position: back should be parallel to ground with knees slightly bent
4. Lower body until legs and hips are approximately at 90°
5. Return to start position
6. To increase resistance, place arms behind head ? arms extended overhead ? holding weight plate or weighted object across chest