SAM's Exercise Guide

SAM Ruh · Specific Exercises

The How-To Guide

Exactly what to do, how to do it, and how often.

🪑 Posture Correction

The QA Manager Problem

Sitting at a desk for hours rounds the shoulders, tightens the hip flexors, and pushes the head forward. These exercises fix exactly that.

DailyDo the morning 5-min posture reset below before sitting down to work.
Every hrSet a phone alarm. Stand up. Do 2 chin tucks + roll shoulders back. Takes 30 seconds.
EveningDo the 10-min desk stretch sequence before bed.
Must-Do Chin Tuck Every hour · 10 reps ▾

Fixes forward head posture — the #1 desk worker problem. Your head weighs 5kg. Every inch it moves forward doubles the strain on your neck.

How to do it

Sit or stand tall. Look straight ahead.
Pull your chin straight back — like you're making a double chin. Don't tilt your head down.
Hold for 3 seconds. Release. Repeat 10 times.
You should feel a gentle stretch at the base of your skull. If it hurts, you're going too far back.
Must-Do Wall Angels Daily · 10 reps ▾

Opens the chest and retrains the shoulders to sit back. Desk work pulls everything forward — this pulls it back.

How to do it

Stand with your back flat against a wall. Feet 15cm from the wall.
Press your lower back, upper back, and head against the wall.
Raise your arms to 90° (goalpost position), elbows and wrists touching the wall.
Slowly slide your arms up above your head, keeping everything touching the wall.
Slide back down. 10 reps, slow and controlled.
If your lower back lifts off the wall, stop there. Don't force it. The range will improve over weeks.
Daily Shoulder Blade Squeeze Daily · 15 reps ▾

Activates the mid-back muscles that go completely dormant when you hunch over a screen.

How to do it

Sit or stand tall. Arms relaxed at your sides.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together — as if you're trying to hold a pencil between them.
Hold 5 seconds. Release fully. Repeat 15 times.
You can do this at your desk, in a meeting, while on a call. No one will know.
Evening Hip Flexor Stretch Daily · 30 sec each side ▾

Sitting all day shortens the hip flexors, which tilts your pelvis forward and causes lower back pain. This undoes it.

How to do it

Kneel on your right knee, left foot forward (lunge position).
Keep your torso upright. Gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip.
Hold 30 seconds. Don't arch your lower back. Switch sides.
Place a folded blanket under your knee if the floor is hard.
Evening Thoracic Extension Daily · 10 reps ▾

Reverses the forward hunch of the upper spine. All you need is a chair or rolled towel.

How to do it

Sit in a chair. Place a rolled towel or your hands behind your upper back (between shoulder blades).
Lean back gently over the support, letting your upper back extend over it.
Hold 5 seconds, return to sitting. 10 reps.
You may hear a gentle crack — that's normal. Stop if it's painful.
Desk Setup Desk Checklist Set up once · check monthly ▾

Your desk should look like this

Screen at eye level — top of screen at eye height. Stack books under your laptop if needed.
Arms at 90° when typing. Elbows close to your sides.
Feet flat on the floor. If your legs dangle, get a footrest or a stack of books.
Chair back supports your lower back. Roll up a small towel and place it at your lumbar curve if your chair doesn't.
Phone on a stand if you use it a lot — stop tilting your head down to look at it.
The most important thing: stand up every 45–60 minutes. Set an alarm. Your body is not designed to stay still for hours.
🏃‍♀️ Physical Exercises

Build it in phases — don't rush

Months 1–2: walking only. Months 3–4: add bodyweight. Months 5–6: add strength.

Months 1–220-minute walk, 3x/week. That's it. Don't add anything yet.
Months 3–4Walk + 10-min bodyweight routine below, 3x/week.
Months 5–6Walk + 20-min full routine. Consider adding a class or gym if you want.
Months 3+ Morning 10-Min Bodyweight Routine ▾

No equipment. Do this immediately after waking or before work. 3x per week.

The routine

10 Glute Bridges — Lie on your back, knees bent. Push your hips up, squeeze at the top. Lower slowly. Strengthens your back and counters desk sitting.
10 Modified Push-Ups — Knees on the floor. Body in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Lower your chest to the floor. Don't drop your hips.
15 Bodyweight Squats — Feet shoulder-width. Lower until thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your chest up. Drive through your heels to stand.
20-second Plank — Forearms on the floor, body straight. Don't let your hips drop or rise. Build to 45 seconds over the month.
10 Dead Bugs — Lie on back, arms up. Lower opposite arm and leg toward the floor without letting your back arch. Return. This builds core strength the right way.
Rest 30 seconds between exercises. The whole thing takes under 10 minutes. Consistency over intensity.
Evening 10-Min Wind-Down Stretch ▾

Do this before bed. It releases the day from your body and helps you sleep better.

The sequence

Child's Pose — Kneel, sit back on heels, stretch arms forward on the floor. Hold 60 seconds. Breathe into your back.
Seated Forward Fold — Sit on the floor, legs straight. Reach forward as far as comfortable. Hold 30 seconds. Stretches the hamstrings and lower back.
Supine Twist — Lie on back. Bring one knee to chest, let it fall across your body. Arms out to the sides. Hold 30 seconds each side.
Legs Up the Wall — Lie on your back, legs resting vertically against the wall. Stay 2–3 minutes. Reduces leg swelling, calms the nervous system.
No phone during this. Just you, the floor, and your breathing.
🌙 Spiritual Practices
Daily Morning Adhkar Routine 10 min · after Fajr ▾

The morning adhkar protect your day. Don't rush through them — say each one with awareness of what it means.

The sequence

Ayat al-Kursi — once, with full attention. This is protection.
Subhanallah × 33. Alhamdulillah × 33. Allahu Akbar × 34.
Astaghfirullah × 10. Ask for forgiveness before the day begins.
One specific dua from your dua journal — read it, mean it.
Make dua for your parents and sister by name. Say their names out loud.
The whole routine takes under 10 minutes. But done with presence, it changes how the day starts.
Daily Quran Tadabbur Method 15 min · any time ▾

Don't just read — reflect. Tadabbur means pondering the meaning. One page read with depth is worth more than ten read by rote.

How to do it

Read your page slowly — in Arabic, then the translation.
Stop at any verse that strikes you. Read it again.
Ask: What is Allah telling me through this verse today? Write one sentence in your journal.
Carry that one sentence through the day.
Over 6 months, you'll have 180 lines. That is your own book of reflections.
Weekly Dua Journal Method 3x/week · 5 min ▾

Write your duas. Seeing them written makes them real. Reviewing them shows you where He answered.

Format for each entry

Date at the top.
Write 3–5 duas. Be specific — "grant me clarity on [specific decision]" not just "make things easy."
At the end of each month, re-read all entries. Mark the ones answered — even partially — with a small star.
Your evidence of His response builds month by month. By Month 6, you'll have proof that He listens.
🧠 Mental Exercises
Daily Morning Brain Dump 10 min · before work ▾

Clears mental clutter before the day begins. You're a deep thinker — this stops thoughts circling all day.

How to do it

Open a notebook or document. Set a 10-minute timer.
Write everything in your head — worries, tasks, thoughts, feelings, random things. Don't filter. Don't organise. Just pour it out.
When the timer goes off, stop. You don't need to do anything with it. The page has it now.
If something on the page needs action, it will be obvious. Circle it. Everything else just needed to leave your head.
Weekly Weekly Review Sunday · 20 min ▾

Keeps you honest with yourself without being self-critical. Do this every Sunday morning with coffee.

The 5 questions

What went well this week? (Write at least 3 things — even small ones.)
What drained me? (One thing I want less of next week.)
What did I avoid that I need to face?
Who do I need to reach out to?
What is my one non-negotiable for next week?
This takes 20 minutes but saves you from drifting through the month without noticing.
As needed Scheduled Worry Time 15 min/day max ▾

Instead of worrying all day, give worry a container. This actually reduces anxiety significantly.

How to do it

Pick a daily worry window — e.g. 5pm, 15 minutes.
When a worry appears during the day, write it on a list and tell yourself: "I'll think about this at 5pm."
At 5pm, sit with the list. Worry properly, with intention. Then close the notebook. That's it for today.
Most worries on the list will seem smaller by 5pm. Some will have resolved. The ones that remain — those are worth actual attention.
💛 Emotional Exercises
Daily Daily Emotional Check-In 2 min · any time ▾

People who feel deeply often skip this — you power through instead of stopping to name what's happening. Name it so it doesn't run you.

Ask yourself once a day

What am I feeling right now — in my body, not just my head?
What is underneath that feeling?
Do I need something, or do I just need to let this pass?
You don't have to fix the feeling. Naming it already reduces its power. "I am anxious" is different from being anxiety.
Monthly Grief Letter Practice Once a month · no limit ▾

For your parents and sister. Grief needs somewhere to go. Writing is one of the safest places.

How to do it

Choose one person — your mother, your father, or your sister.
Start with: "I wanted to tell you..." and write without stopping for 10 minutes.
You can write about what you miss, what you wish you'd said, what you're grateful for, what you still need from them.
End with: "Until Jannah." Then read a Fatiha for them.
You don't have to re-read these letters. The writing is the medicine, not the reading.
Practice The Boundary Script Use whenever needed ▾

You don't need to explain yourself when you say no. But having a script ready makes it easier until it becomes natural.

Scripts to practice

"I can't make that work right now." — Neutral. No explanation. Full sentence.
"I need to check my capacity and get back to you." — Buys time without a yes.
"That's not something I'm able to take on." — Clear, kind, final.
"I appreciate you asking, but no." — Warmth without apology.
Practice these out loud. Say them to yourself in the mirror. The first few times will feel wrong. That's the guilt — not a sign you're doing something wrong.
✍️ Writing Exercises
Daily The 10-Minute Timed Free Write Daily · no editing ▾

The most important writing exercise there is. Bypasses your inner critic. This is how you find your voice.

Rules

Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Write without stopping. If you don't know what to write, write "I don't know what to write" until something comes.
Do not delete. Do not correct. Do not re-read while writing.
When the timer ends, stop. You can re-read after if you want.
Your best lines will appear in these. You'll know them when you see them. Put them in your "Best Lines" document.
Weekly Observation Exercise Weekly · 100 words ▾

Trains the writer's eye. You already feel everything deeply — this trains you to translate it to the page.

How to do it

Pick one ordinary thing in front of you — a cup of coffee, your cat sleeping, the light in a room.
Write exactly 100 words describing it. Not what it means — just what it looks, sounds, smells, feels like.
Then write one line about what it makes you feel. Just one.
This is the foundation of imagery. Your poem already shows you can do this. Now do it as a practice, not just an inspiration.
Monthly Imitation Exercise Monthly · one session ▾

All writers learn by imitating writers they admire. It is not copying — it is studying the craft from the inside.

How to do it

Choose a poem or paragraph by a writer you love.
Type it out word for word. Feel the rhythm and structure in your hands.
Now write your own piece using the same structure — but completely your own content.
You'll find elements of their style appearing in your own work. That's how a voice grows — by borrowing and making it yours.
Prompts 26 Weekly Writing Prompts ▾

One for each week of the plan. When you don't know what to write, use the one for your current week.

Month 1

A person who shaped you without knowing it.
The last time you cried and why it was right.
A place that still holds you.
Something you've never said out loud.

Month 2

What loyalty looks like in your life.
Something that made you angry that you haven't let yourself say.
The version of yourself you're becoming.
What you want people to feel when they read your words.

Month 3

Your cats — but make it about something bigger.
A memory you return to without meaning to.
What being a mother taught you that nothing else could.
Something you forgave, and what it cost you.
Rest. What it means. Why you resist it.

Month 4

Your faith — what it looks like on a bad day.
The moment you felt most like yourself.
Something brave you did that no one saw.
What you would tell your younger self — but make it a poem.

Month 5

A letter to your sister.
What you saw on the trip that changed something.
The hardest thing about being you, made beautiful.
Someone you love but struggle to say it to.
What Makkah still means to you now, not then.

Month 6

The person you were in Week 1 of this plan.
A letter to your parents — tell them what you became.
What Jannah feels like when you imagine it.
Begin again. Write about beginning.
💼 Professional Exercises
Month 2 Skills Gap Analysis Do once · revisit quarterly ▾

Know exactly where you are versus where you want to be. This is a QA Manager approach — applied to yourself.

How to do it

Write down your ideal role/position in 12 months.
List the 5 skills or qualities that role requires.
Rate yourself on each: 1 (not there yet) to 5 (strong).
The lowest scores are your development priorities. Pick one to work on each month.
You already have the analytical brain for this — the exercise is turning it on yourself.
Ongoing Visibility Practice Weekly · one action ▾

As an author and QA Manager, you have two professional identities. Both need to be visible to grow.

One of these per week

Speak up in one meeting where you would normally stay quiet.
Share one professional insight or post on LinkedIn.
Send one piece of your writing to one new person.
Ask for feedback from someone whose opinion you respect at work.
Propose one process improvement to your team — even a small one.
Visibility isn't about showing off. It's about letting the right people see what you're capable of.
💰 Financial Exercises
Month 1 The 50/30/20 Budget Review Monthly · 30 min ▾

Simple framework. 50% of income to needs, 30% to wants, 20% to savings/debt. See how your actual spending compares.

How to do it

Take your monthly take-home income.
Calculate 50%, 30%, and 20% of that number.
Using your spending tracker, sort last month's spending into Needs / Wants / Savings.
Where are you over? Where are you under? One adjustment per month.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is awareness. Most people don't know where their money goes until they write it down.
Month 4 Net Worth Snapshot Quarterly · 20 min ▾

Know your number. Most people avoid this. The avoidance costs more than the reality.

How to do it

List everything you own with value: savings, investments, property.
List everything you owe: loans, debts, outstanding balances.
Assets minus liabilities = your net worth. Write it down.
Do this again at Month 6. Watch it move — even slightly — in the right direction.
The number might be uncomfortable. That's information, not judgment. The goal is for it to trend upward over time.
You don't have to do all of this at once.
Pick what your week needs. Build what lasts.

Alhamdulillah for the body that can move, the mind that can grow,
and the soul that keeps trying.
SAM Ruh · Exercise Guide · For your eyes only