Summer’s coming, so how’s the holiday physique looking? Could be better? Here’s how to get in rip-roaring shape – without leaving the house!

Finally, we’ve been blessed with some beautiful weather. The world seems a better place and life is sweet. It’s also slightly raises the anxiety levels as it serves as a little reminder that summer is coming and it’s time to prepare for swimwear.

Fancy a few tips on how to lean up without leaving the house? Here are six easy exercises which you can do at home in only a matter of minutes.

1 Stair climbing

Run up and down stairs at a fast pace non-stop for one minute – it will boost your heart rate and as it’s weight-bearing it will load your bones too. If you find it easy, then try carrying something heavy (evenly loaded carrier bags full of books will do fine).

2 Squats

Unless we do some strengthening exercises we lose muscle and that means we have less calorie-burning dense tissue which leads to a reduction in your metabolic rate. Stronger, denser muscles burn more calories even when you’re at rest.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider) and push your hips back as if you’re sitting into an imaginary chair. Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles. Press your weight into your heels then push up to bring yourself back to the starting position. Work up gradually to squat for 30 seconds then build it up to one minute.

3 Ropeless skipping

Imagine holding a skipping rope then rotate the ‘rope’ forward as if you’re skipping. Add in the footwork, you can hop from one foot to the other or jump lifting both feet simultaneously. Remember to keep the arms turning – you can alternate circling forward and backward – and keep going for up to one minute.

4 The plank

The plank works 100 per cent of your abdominal muscles compared to 64 per cent for sit-ups. You’re also less likely to strain your neck, which is common when doing sit-ups.

On the floor, get into a push-up position then bend your elbows at 90° and rest your weight on your forearms. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders and your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold the position for as long as you can up to one minute (and remember not to hold your breath).

5 Pelvic bridge

A great exercise to engages your core and glute muscles which can really help improve your posture and any potential back pain.

Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. Squeeze your butt while lifting your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line and hold for a few seconds before easing back down.

6 Lateral raises

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides holding weights in each hand. You could start with bottles of water or tins of soup then build up to using hand weights. Raise your arms up and out to the side to shoulder level then slowly lower them back down and repeat. Don’t be tempted to let your arms drop suddenly, try to resist gravity. Keep going for up to one minute.

Do each exercise for up to one minute then as you improve turn this into a circuit by repeating the sequence twice, then three times so it takes less than 20 minutes. Then prepare to rock your favourite swimsuit – you deserve it!