Sun kissed, cool breeze, warm air, bright and sunny. It’s that time of year again, Summer is right around the corner!! With covid restrictions easing, it is going to become a poolside summer. However, with social media promoting unhealthy diet culture, it is vital to know how to prevent crash dieting, and hardcore exercises that squeeze every ounce of energy out of you in hopes of bouncing back to summer fitness, which can leave you susceptible to injury. Sometimes we find ourselves discouraged because we don’t have a ride to go to the gym. However, there will no longer be any excuses from achieving your goals. Don’t make up excuses and bounce back to fitness from the comfort of your own home. Here we provide six at home, bodyweight, free weight, and banded exercises. Equipment needed: free  weights, knee bands, yourself, a smile, and the comforts of your own home.

Free Weight Exercises

Goblet Squat: 

For a goblet squat, you will need a weight (weight depends on strength). However you can also have a dumbbell modification. Squats are the building blocks of strengthening your lower body. A goblet squat provides many health benefits as well as strengthening. A regular squat can promote back pain, however a goblet squat can prevent spinal problems, ultimately being a safe option. It releases stress off your back allowing for the exercise to target your glutes and quads. It also targets your abs as well because of the positioning of the dumbbell to your chest. 

Deficit Reverse Lunge:

For this exercise, deficit reverse lunges call for free weights (weight depends on strength), it can also be modified with just bodyweight as well. Deficit reverse lunges hold many  benefits for improving health and fitness. It works your lower body, back, hips, while promoting coordination and balance. 

Banded Exercises

Knee banded Lateral walks:

For these lateral walks, you will need an elastic band to provide resistance. This resistance promotes balance and stability in your hips. It not only engages your hips, but also your glutes. This exercise promotes several health benefits. Another one is improving knee strength. If you do the exercise properly, you can improve your balance and stability, overall a win-win.

Knee-Banded Hip Abduction:

The equipment needed for this exercise is an elastic band  (resistance of band depends on strength). Knee-banded hip abduction holds many health improvements. As we get older, our hip abductors become no longer what they used to. These muscles are vital in motion as they allow us to walk, standup allow for range of motion. Knee banded hip abduction can promote strength and treat knee and hip pains. This exercise will allow you to keep moving well into your elder years.

Bodyweight Exercises

Side-to-Side Plank:

Pushups- the exercise we have all known to grow and hate. I introduce side-to-side planks. This variation is a core engaged burner without the dread of a push up. This exercise channels three muscles as you work: your obliques are in motion as you move side to side. It also promotes spinal health, eliminating injury possibility. It also strengthens your hips and shoulders, working all three muscles at once. If you struggle with balance, this exercise will promote coordination as well. Overall, side-to-side planks provide many health benefits, so if you are interested, follow the steps below for this firing workout. 

Bulgarian Split Squats:

If achieving stronger legs is one of your goals, Bulgarian split squats is the one for you. This leg strengthening single leg squat exercise targets four muscles, calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Because it is close to a single leg squat, it forces your body to fire at all those muscles at once. In doing so, it promotes coordination balance. This is a leg dominant exercise that will boost your energy and strength. If you want to add Bulgarian split squats to your summer routine, then follow the steps below.