(Source: health-heaven)
Beginner Squat
Squats are one of the best leg exercises known to man… and woman! They require the full attention of your quads, hams, glutes, and calves and utilize smaller stabilizer muscles that really sculpt lean legs. This Beginner Squat is perfect for first-timers. Just be sure you use the chairs only for balance, not to hold your weight.
Step 1: Stand between two sturdy chairs with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Squat down, keeping your back straight, abs tight, chest up, and knees over your ankles, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold for 2 seconds then return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
Glute Kickback on Swiss Ball
Your glutes are actually made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle, which you know as your butt), the gluteus minimus (which lies below the gluteus maximus) and the gluteus medius (positioned on your outer hip and helps stabilize your pelvis during such movements as standing on one leg). This exercise is specifically targeted to give your butt the lift you’ve been wanting.
Step 1: Place the Swiss ball on a non-stick mat, then lie over the ball on your hands and knees, as shown.
Step 2: Keeping your knee bent, slowly press the heel of your foot toward the ceiling through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold and squeeze for 2 seconds. Lower your leg back to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds. Repeat.
Step 4: Without resting, switch sides and complete 2 more reps with the other leg.
Swiss Ball Squat
For some – especially those with weak knees or ankles – squats can be a challenge. This exercise, which uses the ball to provide stability and reduce pressure on your joints, is the perfect solution. If you don’t own a Swiss ball, just slide down and up the wall, minus the ball. Perform this exercise against a blank wall or locked door for safety.
Step 1: Position yourself in front of the wall (or door) with the ball supporting your lower back. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, about 1 foot from the wall. Cross your arms in front of your shoulders.
Step 2: Squat down through a count of 10 until you reach a 90-degree angle.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the MTP. Return to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
Quadriceps Flex
Quads are a grouping made up of four (quad) muscles, which run along the top of your upper leg. Contracting your quads can either cause your knee to bend or your hip to flex – both important everyday, functional movements. This exercise requires some balance. Be sure to use a chair or stable countertop for support.
Step 1: Grasping a chair or other hip-level support, stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, bend your knees as you allow your body to fall slightly backward, letting your heels come up off the floor.
Step 3: When your knees are near the floor (the MTP for this exercise), hold and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through another count of 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting point.
Step 5: Without resting, repeat three times.
Plié Squat
The plié may be a classic ballerina move, but this squat doesn’t require a pink tutu. Turning your toes out targets the inner thigh muscles – often considered a very difficult area to isolate.
Step 1: With both hands, grasp a dumbbell and stand with your feet about twice shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out to the sides, keeping them aligned with your knees.
Step 2: Squat down, as if you were about to sit in a chair, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the MTP. Then, for a count of 10 seconds, push through your heels and return to starting point.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
Lunge
Much like the squat, the lunge also utilizes all the major muscles of your legs and buttocks and requires concentration and balance. To avoid injury, make sure that your front knee stays aligned with your ankles, never crossing over your toes, and doesn’t bend farther than a 90-degree angle.
Step 1: With your back straight, chest up and abs tight, stand in a lunge position.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, drop your back knee toward the ground.
Step 3: When your knee is about 1 inch off the ground (the MTP for this exercise), hold for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through a count of 10 seconds, return to starting position. Repeat.
Step 5: Without resting, perform 2 more reps on the other leg, totaling 4 reps.
Lateral Squat
Moving side to side in this lateral squat requires a lot of balance and hip stabilization – a job perfect for your gluteus medius. Remember, this muscle is positioned not where you consider your butt to be, but rather on the side of your hip. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders in line and don’t allow your knee to drop forward over your toes.
Step 1: With your hands on your hips, stand with your feet about a foot wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, squat down to the side toward one leg, while keeping the opposite leg straight.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, alternate sides. Perform 2 reps on each side, totaling 4 reps.
(Source: health-heaven)
Lunges: Lunges is the best leg exercise as it works all the muscles in the legs with one simple move. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Take one giant step forward with your right foot. Hands should be placed on your hips for balance.
Now, lower your body straight down until your back leg forms a right angle at the knee. Raise yourself up slowly using your leg muscles and repeat the movement for 3 sets of 30 repetitions for each leg.
If you have knee pain, take smaller step forward and drop down as far as comfortable. While lunges are the best leg exercise, it can be challenging for people with bad knees. There are plenty of best leg exercises that strengthen the legs without placing too much stress on the knee.
Heel raises: Heel raises is one of the best leg exercises because this exercise can be done anywhere without attracting odd glances from strangers. Calf muscle is the target of heel raise and it is a problem area for many people.
Calves respond to strengthening very quickly and get in shape very quickly. Therefore this is the best leg exercise for people who want fast results.
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Place your hands on the hips for balance. Raise your body onto your tiptoes and hold it for few seconds. Lower back slowly. Repeat this exercise for 3 sets of 40 heel raises.
When you are ready for bigger challenge, stand on a stair or sturdy elevated surface and allow your heels hang off the edge. Raise and lower your body slowly for three sets of 25 repetitions. This works the calf muscle and result will be shown immediately.
Perform this workout by taking the stairs and step halfway only onto next step forcing your calves to work harder. This is the best leg exercise to target the calf muscles.
Plies: Plies is the best leg exercise to tone up the inner and outer thighs. Plies places less stress on joints and can be as intense or moderate as you need.
Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart. Take a small step out with each foot and turn your feet outward like a duck.
Hands should be placed on your hips or hold the back of the chair for support. Lower your body slowly down about six inches and raise it back up slowly.
Repeat the movement for 3 sets of 30 repetitions. Moving slowly forces the muscle to work harder and muscles strength will increase faster. Massaging and stretching also increases your muscle strength.
(Source: health-heaven)
1. Have a steady but long walk puts your body in a continuous rhythmic motion. This benefits not just the leg and thigh areas when it comes to getting rid of those cellulite but also most parts of the body from heads down; neck, shoulders, arms, back and the abdomen. However, how quickly and for how long you should walk, together with your body motions greatly determines if you’ll be just sweating it out or targeting at those cellulite.
2. Next, jogging at a comfortable but controlled pace will also benefit the whole body including our stamina. This exercise is especially target at cutting down cellulite on the legs. Again, special posture and motion is required to achieve the maximum result.
3. Swimming is probably one of the best exercises which tones most of our body muscles. Toning of muscles mean loosing of cellulite. It’s also an exercise that does not strain any particular part of the body. Which swim style to practice is also an important factor when it comes to getting rid of cellulite.
4. Last but not least, calisthenics is probably the most targeted form of exercise for address cellulite issues. This is to put the body into a sustained period of repetitive rhythmic body motions, performed over a period of time consistently and regularly. It is by far the ultimate form of exercise to get rid of cellulite.
The above recommendations may sound like the usual options for a general health well-being. However, if done according to a systematic plan that contains years of research and application specially for conquering cellulite, the result will amaze many sufferers.
(Source: health-heaven)
