Are there any exercises that target just hips and thighs? I am two stone over-weight but most of the weight is on my thighs (giving me ‘saddle bags’ – errrk!). I can’t get trousers or skirts that fit, and my ‘J-Lo’ bottom is out of proportion with my tiny waist and B-cup bust. Please help, I feel even worse now I’ve typed this about my body.
The thigh exercise I’m recommending is a triple whammy. It targets front thighs for long definition, streamlines the outer thigh and helps to lift the buttocks. I call it can openers. Lie on your side, knees bent as if sitting on a chair. Keeping your feet and knees together lift your feet off the floor at a 45 degree angle. Pull your tummy in. This is your start position. Keeping the feet together, open the top knee as wide apart as possible using the outer thigh. Lower the top knee and then extend the leg in line with the body. Bring the leg back into the bent leg position and repeat. Keep the feet off the floor throughout. Complete 12-16 slow reps each side.
People with pear-shaped figures also need to streamline hips and thighs and create visual body balance between upper and lower body. So here’s the deal – four times a week, add these cardio suggestions to the can openers. Breaststroke and front crawl are particularly beneficial for pear shapes, as they engage the large upper back muscles of the lats and chest, helping to give tone and shape. Complement with power walking on an incline, if using a treadmill build up to a 6% incline, focus on lengthening through the body with each stride, especially through the back of the thigh and buttock. If walking outside, on up hills lean from the heel and not hinge from the hip. Try to complete structured cardio exercise on at least four days a week. A little consistency and patience will get you the desired result.
Send your exercise questions to: Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER ([email protected]).
· Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (www.joannahall.com)
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