These unique exercises, devised by “the Bodydoctor” David Marshall, who has honed the physiques of celebrities from Rachel Weisz to Ant and Dec, work several areas of the body at once, and are equally suitable for men and women, for beginners and more experienced exercisers.

“Our bodies are supposed to work fluently and move as a unit,” says Marshall. “The beauty of all these movements is that they’re not one-dimensional. They are working all of your body in the way that it’s designed to work and will help to retune your musclature.” Repeat them every day for maximum results.

Warrior curl: a “yogic crunch” that works the whole abdomen
Lie on your back with knees bent. Extend arms so that your inner arms hug your ears. Curl arms and head one inch off the floor to activate your stomach. (Keep arms extended.) Bring knees up until thighs are at a right angle to the floor. Curl up, while bringing one knee in towards your chest and extending the opposite leg. Return to start position and repeat with opposite leg. Start with 10 repetitions and build up.

Wag the tail: works the abdominal
Lie on your back. Place hands under your neck. Bring both knees in as close to the chest as possible and hook your feet together at the ankles. Curl your torso up to activate stomach. (Keep your elbows wide. Do not pull on the back of your head.) Imagine you’re a puppy and you’ve just been given a bag of bones. You’d wag your tail, so wiggle your hips from side to side. Try to keep your upper body still but elevated off the floor. Continue for 30 seconds (or for longer if you can).

Baby crawl: works hips, thighs, back, neck, shoulders and stomach
Lying on your front, place your thumbs and forefingers together to create a triangle. Place your chin into the triangle. Then raise yourself up so your back arches and your chest lifts off the floor, keeping your forearms and hands flat on the floor. Bring your right knee as close to your right armpit as possible while looking over your shoulder (not down the side of your body). Extend your leg and repeat on the other side. Start slowly for one minute, then build up speed but do not work too fast.

Knee-in press-ups: works arms, shoulders, back and stomach
Start on all fours. Press your toes into the floor so that they are tucked under and your shins are parallel with the floor but not touching it. Walk your arms forwards so you are in a halfpress-up position. Lower yourself until your chest is about four inches from the floor, then bring your right knee in towards your right armpit while looking down your right-hand side. Extend your right leg back to the starting position and then repeat with the other side. Build up to as many as you can do. Take care to work with control rather than force.

Figure-8 lunge: works legs and buttocks along with upper body, stomach, back, shoulders and arms
Stand with your feet hip width apart with a dumbbell (or a can of soup or bottle of water) in each hand. Take a big step forward with your right leg. Your back heel should be lifted off the floor. Lower your back knee until your shin is parallel to the floor. Extend arms in front of you so they are long but not locked out. Keep hands about four inches apart. Pull in your stomach then outline a figure of eight with your hands. Do as many as you can, then repeat the movement with the other leg forward.

For more information about training at the Bodydoctor studios in Mayfair and Belgravia, call 020 7235 2211.