With summer just around the corner, it is time to start toning your body so you can confidently strut your stuff on beach days. Who has hours upon hours to do cardiovascular exercises every week, though? Even though walking 30 minutes a day is extremely beneficial and can promote weight loss, it may not get you where you want to be by summertime.
We advocate resistance training in conjunction with mild cardio workouts every week to accelerate your weight loss journey. Not only does this type of workout help you burn fat, but it also helps you tone your body and build a little muscle. While resistance training and cardio are beneficial, it is also essential to consume a healthy diet alongside your workouts. You can’t out exercise poor eating habits, so try and focus on plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds to have the best results.
What Is Resistance Training?
Resistance training involves exercises that have you working against some force, which resists your movement. The most popular type of resistance training is weightlifting, but you don’t have to lift weights to train with resistance. Many bodyweight exercises or movements in water are commonly involved in resistance training programs.
The following exercises have video demonstrations to help you perform them correctly. The best part about these exercises is that you can do them anywhere.
The Burpee
Burpees work out all of the primary muscle groups and cause your heart to pump blood faster than normal. They help you burn off more belly fat than doing lots of cardio.
Bodyweight Squats
Squats are very simple exercises that help you tone your gluteus muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings. They are easy to do incorrectly, so make sure you are doing them with correct form. You can increase intensity by holding dumbbells.
Pull-Ups
You’re a big kid now! Bad jokes aside, pull-ups help to tone your back. Since they can be hard to do correctly right out the gate, here is a modified pull up that is very easy to do.
Lunges
Lunges work to tighten your hamstrings and buttocks. If you experience knee pain while you are doing this exercise, you can do the glute bridge, which is the video below the lunge video.
The Skater
This exercise is going to get your blood pumping! It helps increase your balance and works to strengthen your inner thighs.
Push-Ups
You can begin sculpting your chest and shoulders by doing push-ups every day. Because you are supporting yourself the whole time, push-ups also help to strengthen your core.
The Plank
Planks are amazing for engaging all of your muscle groups, provided you are doing them correctly. It works your abdominal muscles and some people find that it alleviates back pain.
