Incorporating simple tools like resistance bands to your exercises can transform your workouts. They make simple exercises more challenging and fire up muscles that are not otherwise being engaged. Bands are also extremely versatile and without a doubt a lot more practical than a stack of free weights at home.

These three banded exercises target the entire body and will elevate any workout.

Banded Serratus Reaches

This upper body exercise uses a light resistance band to target your shoulders. By maintaining resistance against the band you are able to recruit the stabilizing muscles in your shoulder as well as really help to focus on controlling the movement.

Loop a light or medium resistance band around your forearms.
Bend your elbows into a 90 degree angle with your arms lifted in front of your chest.
While maintaining resistance against the band, slowly raise your up so they are inline with your shoulder and then return to the starting position.
Repeat 12-15 times

Plank with Banded Hand Taps

Here is a full body exercise that will challenge your core stability, arms and the mind-body connection between your upper body and core. You can choose to do this exercise from your knees or for more of a challenge, you can do it from your toes.

Loop a light resistance band around your forearms.
Lower down into a plank position either from your knees or your toes.
While maintaining resistance in the band, begin to move one of your hands a few inches forward and back, then out to the side and back and then finally behind and back.
Repeat on the other side.
Really focus on engaging your core and stabilizing your hips as you move your arms.

Dynamic Glute Band Series

The final exercise has a lot going on, not only is it targeting both the back (maximus) and the side (medius) glute muscles, but it is also challenging your stability. Challenging your body with new movement patterns is also a great way to keep your brain sharp. You can spend a total of 15 seconds on each movement for a total of 45 seconds.

Loop a resistance band around your calves with a slight bend in your knees.

Movement #1

Imagine that you are in a box standing in the bottom left corner.Push off your left foot to hop to the top right corner, then to top left corner, to the bottom right corner and then back to the bottom left corner. Focus on pushing to where you want to go and not reaching.