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Ask the Chiropractor: Common Exercises

Top 5 Exercises I Give My Patients for Strength and Stability

As a healthcare professional, I focus on exercises that build strength, improve stability, and help prevent injuries. The five exercises below are ones I commonly give my patients because they reinforce good movement patterns and can be adjusted for any fitness level.

Each exercise is simple but effective, and I’ll break down exactly how to do them so you feel confident trying them out.

1. Goblet Squat

Why It’s Great:

This is a squat variation that helps you build lower-body strength while keeping your back in a safe position. Holding the weight in front forces you to engage your core, which improves balance and posture.

How to Do It:

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest level with both hands.
  2. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed outward.
  3. Brace your core, then lower into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
  4. Keep your chest up and go as low as you can while maintaining control.
  5. Press through your heels to stand back up.
How To: Goblet Squat

2. Staggered Deadlift

Why It’s Great:

This is a reduced load variation to a traditional deadlift. The nice part is that you can still load up the back side of the leg but less load on the spine. It’s also especially helpful for improving hip mobility.

How to Do It:

  1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width, straddling a kettlebell or dumbbell on the floor.
  2. Hinge at your hips, bend your knees slightly, and grab the weight withttps://youtu.be/UDKuhQqMIBs?si=6G4m61J2PPP1Fw_Gh both hands.
  3. Engage your core, keep your back straight, and drive through your heels to stand up.
  4. Lower the weight back down slowly and repeat.
Staggered Stance Romanian Deadlift

3. TRX T, Y, I Exercise

Why It’s Great:

This exercise strengthens the muscles in your upper back and shoulders, which helps improve the endurance of postural muscles and prevent injuries. If you spend a lot of time sitting or working at a desk, this is a must-do.

How to Do It:

  1. Adjust the TRX straps to mid-length and face the anchor point.
  2. Hold the handles with a slight lean back, keeping your body in a straight line.
  3. Move your arms into the following positions:
    • T: Arms straight out to the sides.
    • Y: Arms at a 45-degree angle overhead.
    • I: Arms straight overhead.
  4. Keep control of each movement and avoid shrugging your shoulders.
TRX TYI Tutorial

4. Pallof Press

Why It’s Great:

This is one of the best core exercises you can do because it trains your abs to resist rotation, which improves stability and reduces the risk of back pain. Instead of just working your abs like crunches do, this movement makes your core functionally stronger—meaning it helps with real-life activities like lifting, twisting, and carrying.

How to Do It:

  1. Stand sideways to a cable machine or resistance band anchored at chest height.
  2. Grab the handle with both hands and hold it at your chest.
  3. Press your hands straight out in front of you, resisting the pull of the band.
  4. Hold for a second, then bring it back in.
  5. Keep your hips and shoulders square—don’t let the band twist you!
Pallof Press

5. Stair Push-Ups

Why It’s Great:

Push-ups are one of the best upper-body exercises, but many people struggle with proper form. Doing them on stairs makes it easier to control the movement while still building strength. The higher the step, the easier it is—so you can adjust the difficulty as needed.

How to Do It:

  1. Place your hands on a stair or elevated surface, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  3. Lower your chest toward the stair, keeping your elbows at about a 45-degree angle.
  4. Push back up to the starting position.
  5. To make it harder, use a lower step—or try them on the floor!
Stair Push-ups

Final Thoughts

These five exercises are simple, effective, and adaptable to different fitness levels. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or looking to improve your strength and stability, they’ll help you move and feel better.

Try them out and let me know which one works best for you!

Need modifications or have questions? Drop a comment below!

Make sure to take a look at my blog post on starting exercise and preventing injury.

Dr Notley
Treating necks, backs, headaches, and other musculoskeletal injuries as a Chiropractor/Athletic Therapist, in Winnipeg, since 2000.

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Originally posted on May 17, 2022 @ 4:40 pm