Excited about your Summer vacation but worried about losing your fitness gains?
Here are some great exercises you can take on the road. All you need is a mini loop band and a resistance band. No matter how full your bag is or how little space you have to move, there’s no excuse !
❇️Banded Pull Aparts:
This is a great exercise to strengthen your upper back and increase shoulder mobility. Grab the band with an overhand grip with palms facing the ground. Your hands should be approximately shoulder width apart, go wider or narrower depending on the tension of your band. Your arms should be parallel with the floor with elbows fully extended. Pull the hands apart squeezing your upper back musculature and bringing your shoulder blades together. The band should make contact with your sternum.
❇️Banded Bicep curls:
Stand with one foot on your resistance band holding handles or ends next to your sides with palms facing forward. Slowly curl hands up to shoulders, squeezing biceps and keeping elbows next to your sides. Slowly release arms back down to starting position•
❇️Banded Step-outs
This is a great exercise for your glute medius. Place mini loop band around your legs just above your knees. Place your feet shoulder width apart, keep a slight bend in your knees and your chest up. Push hips back as though you were about to begin a squat motion. Step to the side with the right foot. Your stance should be well outside of shoulder-width. Pause, then step back into the start position. Repeat for the desired number of reps and then repeat on the left side•
❇️Squat Progression:
A common form flaw with squats is the caving in (valgus) of the knees. This is often caused by weak glutes and abductors. The mini band is a great tool to correct this flaw in technique. The tension of the band increases bodily awareness, creating a mind-muscle connection in those areas. Performing banded squats for reps allows you to strengthen the proper squat form.
Progress from a squat to a squat- jump, to a lateral or an “In n’ Out” squat jump to increase the intensity.