Get Fit in 2024: 7 Best Band For Your Buck Exercises
Are you looking to get a little healthier this year? Add a little bit more fitness into your life with these 7 exercises. Not only are these exercises safe for people at any age, they are effective to increase your muscle and tendon strength, bone density and overall fitness. Targeting multiple muscles groups, you’ll have this workout done in no time!
- Goblet Squat
Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Abdominals
Hold onto a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest. Bend your knees and hips as you lower yourself towards the floor. Stand back up and repeat. This is a great general lower body strengthening exercise.
- Romanian Deadlift
Target Muscles: Erector Spinae, Glutes, Hamstrings
Keeping your neck in line with the rest of your body, and maintaining a relatively flat back, bend at the hips. Holding onto dumbbells, keep the weights close to your thighs as your upper body moves towards the floor. Lower until the dumbbells are just below your knees and then stand back up. Strengthen your back and be confident when lifting things off the floor with this exercise.
- Pallof Press
Target Muscles: Core/Abdominals, Glutes, Shoulders
Attach a band to an object that does not move, at approximately chest height. Stand a distance from the band and press the band away from your chest, so arms are fully extended. Pull the band back towards the body and repeat. Providing hip stability and core strength, this is a great full body exercise.
- Push Up
Target Muscles: Pectoral Major, Triceps, Shoulders, Abdominals
Place your hands shoulder width apart on the floor, so that your shoulder joint, elbow joint and wrist joint are all in line with each other. Extend your legs so knees are locked, and you are resting on your toes. Lower yourself towards the floor and raise your body back up. Special note- if this is too challenging at the start, do not drop to your knees, but put your hands on an elevated surface (bench, chair, table). As this becomes easy, place your hands on a lower surface until you reach the floor. Challenging yet effective, try to do one extra push up each time you do this exercise. Soon you’ll be an expert!
- Plank Row
Target Muscles: Shoulders, Rhomboids, Abdominals
Get into a plank position while holding a dumbbell in each hand. The wider your legs are, the more stability you will have with this exercise. Lift the dumbbell back towards your hip. Return the dumbbell to its original position. You can do all the same side at once or alternate each side. This will blast your core and back while challenging the whole body.
- Seated Single Arm Overhead Press
Target Muscles: Shoulders, Abdominals
Sit on the floor with your legs extended outwards. If you struggle with keeping your legs straight, you can have a slight bend in the knees. Using one dumbbell, press it upwards towards the ceiling, trying to get your arm as straight as you can. Using only one dumbbell creates instability, making your abdominals have to engage to keep you from falling over. This exercise is a great way to achieve both upper body strength and core stability.
- Suitcase Carry
Target Muscles: Abdominals
Using a kettlebell (preferred) or a dumbbell, hold it on one side of your body. Walk normally for a couple feet, then turn around and walk back. Make sure you alternate sides each time you walk. If you do not have room to walk any distance, you can do this exercise by marching in place. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this exercise; it is challenging when done correctly.
So there you have it. The 7 best bang for your buck to get fit in 2024! Simple, yet effective. If you do these exercises consistently you will notice the difference of your fitness level in a few short weeks.
If you are loving these exercises, but are looking for more accountability or want to make sure your form is correct, we can help with that! Give us a call at 250-575-0818 to book in and start your fitness journey in 2024 on the right foot.