20 Cardio and Strength Exercises to Add to Your Summer Fitness Routine

Get ready to boost your summer fitness routine with these 20 cardio and strength exercises, which will help you stay active, healthy, and energized throughout the season.

If you want to build an effective fitness routine for Summer, cardio and strength exercises are great ways to meet your workout goals, whether you work with personal trainers or go it alone. Strength and cardio both focus on different aspects of fitness, so combining aerobic exercises and strength training in your fitness routine can help you build muscle, lose weight, and stay in shape.

The Best Cardio and Strength Exercises to Add to Your Summer Fitness Routine

Mixing up your fitness routine is always a good idea – to keep things fresh for a new season! I’ve added 20 great cardio and strength exercises to your workout routine. Mix and match these exercises to create the perfect routine for your health and well-being this Summer.

1. Bodyweight Squats

Bodyweight squats are a simple exercise for fitness lovers! Add squats to your Summer routine, whether you’re working out at the gym or at home. If you want to get creative with your workout, try jumping or sumo squats.

2. Push-Ups

A push-up is a workout classic for a reason. This exercise helps to build muscle in your upper body, particularly your chest, arms, and shoulders. If you find regular push-ups hard work, try going on your knees – there’s no shame!

3. Tricep Dips

Tricep dips are a great strength exercise. Stand in front of a workout bench with your hands on the bench behind you. Dip up and down to complete this exercise. You can add tricep dips to your routine to strengthen your triceps, shoulders, and arms. 

4. Crunches

Crunches are an easy way to build a bit of strength training into your routine – and they’re slightly less intense than sit-ups. You can do your crunches at the gym or add them to your at-home fitness regime.

5. Chair Stand

For this exercise, sit in a chair. Then, slowly stand up, tightening your abdominal muscles. Repeat this exercise 8 to 10 times per set. It might sound simple, but chair stands can improve strength and heart health.

6. Kettlebell Swings

A kettlebell swing is a fantastic exercise to add a bit of everything to your Summer fitness routine. This high-intensity but low-impact exercise means you can effectively burn calories, improve your cardio fitness, and even build strength.

7. Bridge

Lay back on a fitness mat with your legs bent and your feet flat in front of you. Lift your upper body to make a bridge shape, and then gently lower your body back down to the starting position. A glute bridge is a convenient exercise to add to your Summer workout routine, as it activates your core and glutes. It can also help to reduce back pain.

8. Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are an effective strength exercise for your upper body. This exercise targets your latissimus dorsi muscles (lats), the back muscle behind your arms, as well as your chest, upper back, and shoulders.

9. Wall Push

A wall push is essentially a push-up against a wall, and it’s an easy strength-training exercise to build into your fitness routine. This exercise targets your chest, triceps, and core but is slightly less intense than a regular push-up.

10. Plank

I think we’ve all heard of the dreaded plank! This intense strength-training exercise is a fantastic workout for your core. Work on holding your plank position for as long as possible. You might only be able to do it for 20 seconds at first, but with practice, you may reach 45 seconds or even one minute.

11. Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are a super effective cardio exercise to add to your Summer fitness routine, helping you maintain a healthy weight and improve your cardiovascular health. One of the most significant benefits of jumping jacks is that you can do them anywhere – at home, at the gym, or in a fitness class.

12. Burpees

To do a burpee, squat, then lower your body into a push-up position. Do a push-up and then frog-jump back to your starting position, reaching your arms over your head. Combining a push-up and squat movement can help you strengthen your legs, hips, abdomen, arms, chest, and buttocks while boosting your cardio fitness.  

13. Lunges

Lunges are a simple but effective exercise to improve your cardio fitness, and you can also add weights to build strength training into your new routine. Add a slight variation to your Summer fitness routine with jumping or walking lunges.

14. Jogging

Let’s get back to basics! Jogging is one of the best ways to improve your cardio and overall health and well-being. It’s easy to implement this exercise into your daily fitness routine. You could go for a jog after work or try a short run on the treadmill at the gym.

15. Jump Rope

Jump rope isn’t just for kids. It’s also great for adults to burn calories and has incredible benefits for heart health, coordination, stamina, flexibility… the list goes on! Try out jump rope if you want to add a bit of fun to your fitness routine.

16. Row Machine

Rowing exercises are a great way to work your whole body, including your back, arms, core, and legs. However, you’ll probably need a gym membership to access a row machine regularly. Rowing is also a fun cardio workout, so add this exercise to your Summer fitness routine.

17. Spinning

You don’t have to attend a spinning class to enjoy the benefits of this cardio exercise! Use your gym’s spinning bike or head out for a bike ride if the sun is shining outside. Spinning works your legs and core and is also excellent for cardiovascular health.

18. High Knees

You can easily add high knees to your Summer fitness routine. Jog on the spot and lift your knees to your chest as you run. You can move forward or stay in the same place – it’s up to you. Practicing high knees can increase your heart rate and work your lower body.

19. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are a simple way to increase your heart rate and improve your cardio. Get down on your hands and knees and stretch your legs behind you. Start running slowly in place, bringing your knees up to your chest. For anyone who’s tried this exercise before – it’s tough! But it’s great for your cardio and can help you stay in shape this Summer.

20. Stair Climber

The stair climber machine is a very efficient workout. It works your legs, but it’s also fantastic for your cardio. If you don’t have access to a gym – don’t worry! You can add this exercise to your routine by choosing the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible. The repetitive step can even tone your lower body and help you meet weight loss goals.

Adding Cardio and Strength Exercises to Your Summer Fitness Routine

Cardio and strength exercises can help you stay happy, healthy, and fit. Whether you want to lose weight or build muscle, a healthy mix of cardio and strength training, plus effective workout strategies, can help you achieve all your fitness goals this Summer.

Are you following a new Summer workout routine? I’d love to hear your thoughts!