The 8-minute legs routine: Six easy exercises for fabulously shapely
Most of us women spend time assessing our bodies, finding fault with
at least two or three areas. One of the most commonly bemoaned are the
lack of shapely legs. Due to largely sedentary factors, thighs get a
little too flabby for our taste, calves are too plump, those
unattractive ’saddlebags’ at the hip line and ankles that are too
thick are enough to prompt you to do something about it, now! However,
you probably don’t follow through, believing that you’ve got to make a
gigantic, time consuming deal out of the process. You don’t have to
bicycle or jog for hours each week to achieve your goal. As a matter
of fact, in just 8 minutes a day, you can address all of these
problems! The 8-minute legs routine is the solution. Here we’ve got
six easy exercises to get those shapely legs ? and keep them. I’ll bet
you can barely shower in eight minutes. So let’s run down the list of
the 8-minute legs program.
1.Begin with the standing toe touch. Standing with your legs together,
bend from the waist, extending your fingers towards your toes. If you
can touch your toes, great. If not, reach as far as you can without
hurting, bouncing towards the toes 10 times. As you do this exercise,
you’re stretching the muscles of the backs of your thighs and calves.
You’ll eventually be able to touch your toes. The ultimate goal is to
place your palms flat on the floor.
2.The second exercise in your 8-minute legs program works on the
inside muscles of your thighs and calves. Sit down and spread your
legs about eighteen inches apart. Bending from the waist, extend each
arm towards each foot. Again, if you can’t touch your toes with your
fingertips without hurting, that’s OK. You’ll work up to it over time.
Repeat 10 times.
3.Now it’s time to stand up and march! Just march, standing in place,
raising your legs as high as you comfortably can with each step. March
40 paces in place. This portion of your 8-minute legs routine helps
tone muscles not often used.
4.Here’s one I’m not overly fond of, but it’s very effective at toning
and strengthening legs, calves and ankles. Push-ups do require some
strength in your arms as well, so here’s your chance to get rid of any
hints of flab in the upper arms. Try to do the ‘non-cheating’ push-ups
(from your feet). If you can’t, do the version where you push up from
your knees.
5.This part of your 8-minute legs workout not only helps tone up
thighs and calves, but helps flatten your belly. You guessed it ? sit
ups. The easy version is done by fully extending your arms back behind
your head, which makes it easier to get your upper body off the ground
and touching your toes, as possible. The more difficult version is the
elbows bent, hands locked behind your head. Both types tone up those
legs and thighs admirably. With elbows bent, your abs reap the
benefits of this exercise more quickly.
6.For lack of a better name, I call this 8-minute legs routine the
’saddlebag’ remover … you know, those bits of excess fat that find
their way to the sides of your hip line. Begin by standing and
stretching your arms out to each side. Slide one arm down one leg,
while arching your other arm over your head. The idea is to slide the
one as far down the leg as possible, with the arching arm as far in
the same direction as possible. Not only does this exercise address
the ’saddlebags’, but also tones your inner arms.
If you choose four exercises each day, on a rotating basis and perform
each for just two minutes each, your 8-minute legs workout will have
you looking fabulous in just about a month! Divide your 8-minute legs
program into two 4-minute workouts, morning and evening. Now that’s an
easy recipe for great legs!
