Training taken a back seat over the summer? We hear you. These seven bodyweight moves will help rebuild strength, raise your heart rate and get you moving again – in just 15 minutes
Let’s be honest, holidays aren’t always the time to chase PBs or spend hours in the gym – if there’s even time for that. For many of us, summer is a chance to switch off from the daily grind, make memories with friends and family and embrace the juggle that comes with the school holidays. Well, that’s my positive spin on it anyway.
As a PT, I know consistency matters. As a mum, I also know life sometimes gets in the way.
The good news? A few weeks (well, slightly more!) of doing less doesn’t mean you’re starting again from scratch. While fitness can begin to dip during a period of reduced training, the strength, movement patterns and fitness you’ve already built don’t simply disappear overnight. And once you start training consistently again, your body is remarkably good at remembering what to do.
You don’t need to go overboard, either. If your goal is simply to start feeling stronger and fitter after summer, a short, full-body workout can be a great place to begin.
According to Louis Chandler, Director of Fitness at Alo Wellness Club, just 10 to 15 minutes of purposeful movement can be enough to reset and get moving again after the holidays. Most importantly, it doesn’t need to feel daunting.
“Travel can easily throw your routine off, but getting it back doesn’t have to be complicated,” he says. “Even 10 or 15 minutes of intentional movement can boost your energy, improve your mood and help you get the confidence to return to the gym and your routine without too much pressure.”
After all, consistency is what counts – not one perfect workout.
With that in mind, here are seven bodyweight exercises you can do in your living room or in a quiet corner of the gym. No fancy equipment, no hour-long session and no pressure to make up for what you did – or didn’t do – over summer.
It’s time to get back to it.
The Workout
Move from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible, then rest for 60 seconds before repeating the circuit once more. As Chandler says, the goal is simply to “make movement feel accessible again.”
1. World’s Greatest Stretch
Time: 60 seconds
One of my go-to movements for starting a workout, and for good reason. It opens the hips, hamstrings, and thoracic spine while moving your body through several movement patterns at once. Take your time with it – this is about getting everything moving again rather than racing through the reps.
2. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Time: 30 seconds each leg
Hours of sitting – whether that’s on a plane, in the car or enjoying a few more lazy mornings – can leave your glutes feeling a little sleepy. Single-leg glute bridges fire them back up while challenging hip stability and your core. Drive through your heel and squeeze your glute at the top rather than arching through your lower back
3. Split Squats
Time: 30 seconds each leg
A brilliant bodyweight exercise for rebuilding single-leg strength while challenging balance and hip stability. Working one side at a time can also highlight any left-to-right differences that have crept in while you’ve been doing less. Keep your torso tall, lower with control and push through your front foot to stand.
4. Push-Ups
Time: 30 seconds
There’s a reason push-ups have stood the test of time. They strengthen your chest, shoulders and triceps while asking your core to work hard to keep your body stable. If full push-ups feel too much after some time away, elevate your hands on a bench or sofa and build back up.
5. Lateral Bounds (Skater Jumps)
Time: 30 seconds
Time to add a little power. Lateral bounds get you moving from side to side – something we often neglect in workouts dominated by forward and backward movements. They challenge coordination, balance and lower-body power while asking the muscles around your knees and ankles to stabilise each landing. Start small and stick each landing before increasing the distance.
6. Single-Leg RDL Reach
Time: 30 seconds each leg
No dumbbells required here. This single-leg hinge challenges balance, ankle stability and posterior-chain control while reinforcing the hip-hinge pattern you’ll use in everything from deadlifts to picking something up from the floor. Keep your hips square and move slowly – wobbling is all part of the work.
7. High Knees
Time: 60 seconds
Finish by getting your heart rate up. High knees or fast feet will add a quick cardiovascular hit, challenge coordination and hopefully leave you feeling more energised than when you started. You don’t need to go flat-out from the first second – build the pace and finish strong.
How I’m resetting my own routine this September
Personally, this is exactly how I’m approaching September. Rather than worrying about jumping straight back into a rigid training plan or trying to make up for workouts I missed over summer, I’m focusing on getting back what I’ve already built – and enjoying finding my rhythm again.
For me, that means two to three short strength sessions each week alongside two or three 40-minute cardio sessions, usually including a Zone 2 run and some faster hill work. It’s enough to remind my muscles and lungs what they’re capable of without leaving me exhausted three days into my grand September comeback.
And that’s the bit I’d emphasise as both a PT and a busy mum: you don’t have to do everything at once.
September always feels like a mini New Year to me. The kids go back to school, routines return, and suddenly there’s an opportunity to carve out a little time for yourself again. Use that momentum, but don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change everything overnight.
Start with 15 minutes. Do it again a few days later. Add a run, a walk or a gym session when you’re ready.
You haven’t lost everything you worked for over the summer. You’re simply reminding your body – and yourself – how good it feels to move again. Excited? I am.
Lucy wears Alo Alumni Short, £68, Aspire Tank, £58, Performance Off-Duty Cap, £68 and Saucony Endorphin Elite 3, £300. Shoot location: Virgin Active, Bromley.
