Can't get to the gym? Caroline Idiens' essential workout has 7 exercises, uses 2 dumbbells, and targets all the major muscles

The holidays are here, and if you don't have the time (or inclination) to get to the gym, welcome to the club. They could cancel my membership in the middle of December, and I wouldn't notice until the new year.

But, I do like to stay moving over Twixmas - if only to have a few minutes to myself. A simple low-impact cardio workout, winter walk, or strength training session is right up my street, and for the latter, Caroline Idiens is one of the personal trainers I turn to for inspiration. You can follow her other workouts live or on demand at Caroline's Circuits.

This seven-step workout contains all the "exercises you need to do at 35+ to build strength", she writes under the Instagram post, and it only requires one set of dumbbells (and somewhere comfortable for floor work). "We lose muscle from age 35+ and it is essential that we support our bones and muscles for a strong future."

Caroline recommends doing 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise for three sets. It'll take about 40 minutes to an hour in total, and be sure to leave yourself time to stretch before and after.

The 7-step workout

1. Squats

The squat is a basic in any strength workout. It's what's known as a compound exercise, meaning it targets multiple muscles at the same time. In this case, Caroline explains it focuses on "building lower-body strength and engaging the core".

Here's how to do it:

• Stand shoulder-width apart with your dumbbells in hand. If you're new to strength work, try it with body weight first.
• Bend your knees and bring your body down like you're sitting on a chair behind you, pushing your knees over your toes.
• Keep your core engaged and your back straight.
• Hold for a moment at the bottom, then push through your feet to return to standing.

2. Reverse lunges

Lunges are a functional exercise and very versatile. You can do them "forward, reverse, and lateral", says Caroline. "This exercise works glutes, hamstrings, and quads. Again, add weights as needed."

In this video, Caroline is doing a reverse lunge. Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take one step backwards, holding your dumbbells if you're using them.
• Bring your back knee to the ground, bending your front one at the same time, until your back knee sits a couple of inches off the floor.
• Push through your front leg to come up to standing.

3. Chest press

Having defined chest muscles not only helps with daily movement like lifting and pushing forward, but they can also give our chests a more lifted appearance. It's a "brilliant bodyweight exercise that builds upper-body strength and engages the core," says Caroline.

If you can't do a chest press, you can do wall push-ups or chair push-ups instead.

Here's how to do a chest press on the floor:

• Lie down on the floor, knees bent and core engaged.
• Lift your dumbbells above your head so they come in line with your chest, turning them horizontally.
• Keep engaging your core, and pull your shoulder blades back and down to keep your body stable as you move the weights.
• Bring the weights down to just above your chest, then push them back up.

4. Rows

Rows involve pulling the weight towards you, making them one of the best back exercises to do at home. They "strengthen your back, improve your posture" and are a "great functional move", says Caroline, which means they mirror movements we do in everyday life.

Here's how to do a row:

• Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, and holding one dumbbell.
• Take one step backwards, hinge at your hips and create a soft bend in your knee, making sure to keep your back straight and your core engaged.
• Pull the dumbbell towards your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell and repeat for 12 repetitions and 3 sets.

5. Shoulder and knee taps

If there was only one core exercise you did for the rest of your life, it should probably be the plank. It's so versatile. Adding in shoulder and knee taps makes it harder and challenges your stability, levelling up the benefits.

Here's how to do them:

• Come down onto the floor, resting on your hands as you would if you were doing a push-up. Your body should be a straight line.
• Make sure your arms are stacked directly under your shoulders and your hands directly under your arms.
• Engage your core by pulling your belly button into your spine. Keep your back flat, then with control, bring one hand up to the opposite shoulder, one at a time.
• After six repetitions, drop onto your forearms and tap one knee on the ground at a time, until you reach 12 repetitions in total.

6. Romanian deadlift

Caroline says the Romanian deadlift (or RDL for short) is "one of the best functional exercises out there and uses so many muscle groups", and she's right. The RDL recruits the entire lower body, including the hamstrings and glutes, and almost the entire back and core muscles.

Here's how to an RDL with dumbbells:

• Stand up with your feet hip-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand.
• Pull your shoulder blades back and down, and engage your core.
• Hinge at the hips, imagining that you're hitting a button on the wall behind you with your buttocks. This stops you from using your lower back, which can cause aches.
• Lower until your dumbbells are just past your knees or you feel a real stretch behind your thighs, then push through your feet to stand.

7. Shoulder press

The shoulder press is an underrated exercise in Caroline's full-body workouts. While it does help build strength in the shoulders, creating a toned appearance and helping with all kinds of lifting and pressing movements we do in everyday life, it also targets muscles in the back.

Here's how to do it:

• Kneel down on the floor, engaging your core and pulling your shoulder blades back and down.
• Raise your dumbbells carefully above your head, turning your elbows slightly out.
• Press up until your arms are almost straight, then bring them back down. You've reached the bottom of your movement when your elbows are just below your shoulders.

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