Lean Legs, Tight Glutes
Sculpt your lower body for summer with these toning exercises!
Modify exercises and repetitions to suit your level; the following repetitions are standard.
How This Works: The following exercises strengthen your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. Repeat each movement 10-15 times, performing 1-3 sets.
Weighted Squats
Hold two dumbbells and place them over your shoulders (note: the use of dumbbells for this exercise is optional.) Stand with feet hip distance apart with your toes, knees and hips in a straight line. Contract your abdominal muscles and rotate your hips backwards as you slowly lower your body down as though you are about to sit on a chair. Go down until your backside is in line with your knees (knees at 90° degrees angle). Hold the position for a couple of seconds and make sure your knees are behind your toes. Keeping the weight in your heels, slowly push your body back to start position.
Hamstring Curl (Option for using Swiss Ball)
1. Swiss Ball Option: Lie on your back with a Swiss ball by your feet. Place your heels on the ball and your arms in a straight line by your body. Slowly raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Squeeze your hamstrings as you bend your knees and roll the ball in towards you. Hold for a couple of seconds then slowly roll the ball back out. To starting position.
2. No ball? No problem! Your option is to lie on the floor on your back with your heels pressed into the seat of a chair. Keep your knees bent and place your arms in a straight line by your side. Slowly raise your hips up as you contract your hamstrings and lower back down to starting position.
Ball Glute Lift (Option for using Swiss Ball)
1. Swiss Ball Option: Lie back on a Swiss ball resting your neck, shoulders and back on the ball. Your backside and legs should be off the ball. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor and hip distance apart. Squeeze your glute muscles and lift your hips up to a flat position making sure you keep your feet flat on the floor. Your back should now be parallel with the floor. Slowly lower your hips to starting position.
2. No ball? No problem! Your option is to lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Contract your glutes as you lift your hips off the floor and bring back down to starting position.
Calf Raises
Stand up straight on the first stair of your staircase with your heels off the stairs and towards the ground. In the correct starting position, you will feel a stretch in your calves, and that’s fine. Bend both knees slightly and push through the balls of your feet and lift your heels up as high as possible while squeezing your calf muscles. Hold for three seconds, lower to starting position and repeat.
Yours in Health,
