In many cases, aches and pains are a reflection of your daily routines. Habits like sitting at a desk all day, looking down at your phone, or straining to pick objects up off the floor can leave your body feeling creaky, tight and sore. Making time to practise good movement habits can keep you feeling limber and strong – and physical therapists know this all too well.

"People come in with the same problems over and over again," says Theresa Marko, a physical therapist in New York City. She often finds herself recommending the same exercises as solutions – movements that, for example, counteract hours of sitting or screen time.

We asked physical therapists to share the exercises they wish everyone would incorporate into their fitness routines. Here are six that came up again and again.

1. Standing on one leg

Good balance is important for fitness and daily life, but it deteriorates with age unless you're deliberate about practising it, says Conor Nordengren, a physical therapist in Massachusetts. One of the simplest ways to do this is by regularly standing on one leg.

This simple move strengthens the muscles in your foot, ankle, knee and thigh, and helps build stability in your legs, hips, pelvis and lower back. "I stand on one leg in the kitchen, waiting for coffee, waiting for the elevator," Marko adds. If it's challenging, rest your hand lightly on a chair or wall until you feel stable enough to let go. If it feels easy, close your eyes. Stand on each leg for at least 30 seconds every day.

2. Hip hinges

The ability to properly bend forward at the hips is useful for daily tasks like picking things up off the floor, as well as exercises like deadlifts and kettlebell swings. But many people struggle with hip hinges, says Dhara Shah, a physical therapist at Emory Healthcare. It's common to round your back and lock your knees when bending over, which puts pressure on the spine and can lead to pain or injury.

Regularly practising hip hinges strengthens your glutes and hamstrings. To do one, send your hips backward while bringing your chest forward. Keep your back straight, shoulders slightly pulled back, abs pulled toward your belly button, and knees softly bent. Practise daily with two sets of 15 hinges.

3. Sit-to-stands

Sitting down and standing back up may seem simple, but with age, it can become increasingly difficult without proper strength and stability. Practising sit-to-stands strengthens your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves and core muscles, and improves your ability to do lunges and squats.

Lower yourself into a chair and stand back up in a slow, controlled way. If it's challenging, practise several times a day. If it's easy, lower yourself even more slowly and just barely tap your butt to the seat before standing back up. The lower the surface, the more challenging it becomes. Do two sets of 20 repetitions several times a week. For more of a challenge, hold weights or a kettlebell.

4. Dead bugs with diaphragmatic breathing

Many people feel the effects of sitting for long periods in their neck, shoulders or back, but the problem often begins in their innermost core muscles, says Carrie Pagliano, a physical therapist in Virginia. When your core is weak, your neck and shoulders compensate to keep you upright.

Lie on your back and raise your legs at a 90-degree angle, then raise your arms straight toward the ceiling. With your spine pressed into the floor, slowly straighten and lower your left leg while also lowering your right arm. Return to start, then repeat with opposite sides. While extending, slowly exhale through your mouth to contract your deep core. While returning to start, inhale and feel your belly expand. Do two sets of eight exercises a few times a week.

This breath work stabilises your core from the inside out, says Alicia Ferriere, a physical therapist in New Jersey. Together with the dead bugs, it supports your spine and relieves aches in your neck and shoulders.

5. Wall pushups

Pushups allow you to practise lifting your body weight – essential for staying independent and getting up if you fall, Nordengren says. They strengthen the chest, shoulders, arms and core. Unless you regularly do pushups from the ground, start with your hands on a stable raised surface like a wall or countertop. As you build strength, gradually lower the surface until you reach the ground.

Start in a plank position with your back flat, feet pressed into the floor. Engage your core and slightly tuck your tailbone to prevent your back from arching. Bend your elbows to a 45-degree angle, slowly lower your chest, then push back up. Imagine you are pushing the floor away. Do two sets of 10 reps twice a week.

6. Cat-cows

To counter the effects of sitting or standing for long periods, many physical therapists recommend the cat-cow stretch – alternating between arching and curving your back while on all fours. Take a few deep breaths in each position to feel a deeper stretch. This classic move relieves stiffness in your spine, shoulders and neck, and improves mobility.

When in the all-fours position, you can limber up other body parts too, Ferriere says. Try reaching forward with each arm or stretching each leg out behind you, and do a few hip circles.

The takeaway

Ultimately, these exercises are "giving you a little extra buffer to live your life," Nordengren says – so your body stays strong, steady and prepared for whatever comes your way. Incorporating even a few of these moves into your weekly routine can make a meaningful difference in how you feel and move as you age.