Keep Fit This Summer

Summertime can be a hard season to get to your exercise class or to the gym when school holidays and deadlines disrupt your routine. However, summer is never lacking in daytime and it can be easy to fit in some quick exercises at home, outdoors or when you’re on holidays to keep your body active this season. Below are a few exercises we think can help work your whole body in the space of 15-20 minutes. Make sure you have a 20-second break between each exercise and start and end your exercises with warm up and cool down stretches.

1)

Bridges – 3 sets of 10 reps
Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lift your bottom up into the air then slowly lower back down. Make this exercise harder by peeling your back off of the ground vertebrae by vertebrae and lowering down the same way to challenge your mobility.

 

 

2)

Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps
Standing with feet hip width apart, bend your hips and knees to squat down as far as you are comfortable (e.g. to chair height) and slowly rise back up again. Remember to keep your toes in line with your feet and keep your back in a neutral position. To challenge yourself even more, turn your last set of 10 into jump squats by jumping into the air from your low squat position before returning into standing for an extra cardio and power challenge.

 

 

3)

Triceps Dips – 2 sets of 10 reps
Sit down on a stable bench or chair. Place your hands on the front edge of the chair, shoulder width apart and slide you bottom off the edge of the chair, keeping your feet on the ground and your arms straight but not locked at the elbows. Slowly bend your elbows to dip your bottom below chair level. Slowly return up, pushing through your arms to straighten them.

 

 

4)

Mountain Climbers – 2 repetitions of 30 seconds
Position yourself propped up on the ground on your hands and feet, keeping your body straight in a plank position. Engage your deeper abdominal muscles and bend one knee in towards your elbow on the same side, alternating between legs. Quicken the pace as fast as you can for an extra cardio challenge.

 

 

 

5)

Bicycle Abs – 2 sets of 20 reps
Lying on your back with your hands clasped behind your head, engage your deeper core muscles and bend your hips and knees up to 90/90 for the start position. Straighten one leg out keeping it off the floor while you bend the other knee and opposite shoulder closer towards each other, letting your head and shoulder blade lift and follow your shoulder.  Alternate between sides to create a cyclic motion with your legs.

 

 

6)

Plank – 30 seconds
Position yourself propped onto your forearms with your knees on the ground. Engage your deeper core muscles as you lift yourself off your knees onto your toes, keeping your body in a straight, plank like position. Remember not to arch your back and to keep breathing. Hold it!

 

 

 

 

7)

Push Ups – 2 sets of 10 reps
Place your hands in line with your shoulder joints but slightly further than shoulder width apart. Engage your deeper core muscles to prepare. Keeping your bottom in line with your body and your chin tucked in, slowly bend your elbows to lower your body down into a push up and straighten your elbows to return. You can make this exercise easier by performing a standing wall push up, or an inclined push up against a stable bench or on your knees instead of your toes.

8)

Lunges – 2 sets of 15 reps
Take a step forwards with your right leg and maintain an upright posture. Bend your hips and knees to 90/90 into a lunge position and return to standing. Make sure your front knee stays in line with your toes and does not move forward past your foot. Alternate between sides. To make this exercise harder, perform walking lunges by stepping forwards with each leg change instead of staying stationary in one spot. This will give you an extra balance challenge.

 

 

9)

Crunches – 2 sets of 20 reps
Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, clasp your hands behind your head. Keeping your chin tucked in, slowly peel your head, neck and shoulder blades off the floor towards your legs. Slowly lower yourself to the ground. To make this exercise harder, complete a full sit up bringing your upper body towards your thighs and slowly lower back down.

 

 

 

10)

Cardio burn
Finish off with a cardio exercise. This can be running on the spot for 2 minutes, completing 50 star jumps or a quick paced walk for 5-10 minutes.

Remember to keep cool and hydrated in the hot weather. Enjoy your summer workout!

Pictures retrieved from: https://www.physiotec.ca/