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Popularity: 7% [?]

For most women any type of physical exercises, including exercises for lifting and firming the thighs, are going to help improve the body. Whether your main goal is to enhance the appearance of your problem areas or your overall well-being, the right thigh lifting and firming exercises can definitely help you get the best results.

You were built to walk and move – you were built to for physical activity. But, most modern jobs require a lot of sitting at a desk – especially for ladies. This leads to long list of unwanted health conditions and negatively affects your appearance – and sex appeal (wide flabby, saddle bag hips and big, heavy thighs).

Since we can’t all leave our regular jobs and earn a living by walking/jogging through the streets, a regular fitness program is an ideal solution. Specific thigh lifting and firming exercises are an essential part of that targeted workout routine.

So, what should you do for your problem thighs?

Brisk walking (especially hill waking) or jogging, 3 – five times each week is a great start. Do things that prompt you to walk more (use your body), such as parking your car further away from your workplace and taking the stairway as opposed to the easy elevator (yes, I know you’ve heard that one before – but are you doing these simple things?).

2 to 3 times per week, do specifically targeted thigh lifting and firming exercises, if your thighs, buttocks and hips are stubborn problem areas for you. If you don’t like looking at your lower body in the mirror when you are naked – then this means you.

Beneath, you’ll read the written instructions of an exercise that works well, but it truly helps to have a video, e-guide or detailed photos to insure that you are doing the exercises properly. For some ladies, it is also helpful to exercise in front of a mirror – to check for proper positioning and movement.

Bad form can lead to unnecessary injuries and negate the effectiveness of the exercise – leaving you with disappointing results – and long term frustration.

Here is a great thigh lifting and firming exercise to include your workout.

‘Slow Burn’ Hip and Thigh Lifts (Hip & Thigh Abduction)

Lie down on your right side (preferably on a soft fitness mat), with your head resting on your arm or the palm of your hand. Bring your knees forward – so your hip joint is at a 90 degree angle.

Straighten your top leg (left) so your foot is out in front of your body. Slowly lift your left foot from the floor to the sky (about 3 feet off the floor) – pause for 1 second at the top and then slowly lower your foot, lightly touch the floor and repeat the move. Do 10 – fifteen repetitions and then turn over onto the opposite side and do the same number on the other side.

Are you confused yet?

Typed instructions of thigh lifting and firming exercises can be quite confusing, especially to the first time exerciser. A woman that has performed this type of lower body lifting and firming exercise in the past, understands the movement, almost instantly.

But any female who is new to this exercise can quickly become frustrated and helpless.

Thigh abductions are very targeted thigh lifting and firming exercises, but they must be executed properly. And they must be done in conjunction with a series of other lower body exercises in order to give you the body enhancing results you deserve and desire.

Its quite possible that you may either need the help of a fitness professional, a good instructional guide with photos or a video.

Truthfully there’s actually no point in doing just this one thigh exercise, if you are not doing it properly and you are not combining it with the right support exercises. When the right exercises are combined in the correct sequence – you get the body changing benefits of muscle movement synergy and stimulation.

Also – you want to get this right because you could easily injure yourself and cause unnecessary setbacks – that would delay your positive results even longer – and nobody wants to wait longer to improve their body?

The key point is that specific thigh lifting and firming exercises are extremely effective, but you’ve got to be certain you are following a well-structured program that consists of the group of critical exercises you need – and not just one single exercise.

A well planned grouping and sequence of butt, thigh and hip exercises can visibly transform your lower body problem spots into an eye-catching work of art – that you’d certainly be proud of displaying in your favorite swimsuit.

Joey Atlas, MS – Exercise Physiology, is the Amazon.com Bestselling author of the fat loss book, Fatness to Fitness and the Author of the Ultimate Cellulite Reduction Exercise Program for Women. Visit his sites for more free tips and articles from Womens’ Favorite Trainer, Joey Atlas..

Popularity: 27% [?]

Healthy eating requires precise planning, from grocery shopping to lunch options to eating out. The best way to maintain healthy eating habits is to have a good support system for your efforts.

Plan your supermarket visits. You can easily bypass foods that add valuable and needed nutrients to your nutritional plan when you shop impulsively and aimlessly. Schedule routine visits to the store, have a list, and never shop when you’re hungry. Read the labels. You’ll find a nutrition label on most food packages that provides information on how much protein, fat, carbohydrate, sodium, cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, etc.is contained in a single serving. This info helps you see how certain foods (even your sinful favorites) fit into a healthy diet. If you are shopping the perimeter of the store, buying fresh produce, fish, meat, poultry, and dairy, you’re already getting most of what you need in a sound nutrition plan. Foods in the center of supermarket aisles generally contain the most preservatives and are devoid of important vitamins and minerals unless you really know what you are looking for.

Lunch and post-lunch tips. Bring your lunch to work in one of these five forms:
1) Brown bag containing a healthy sandwich or salad (it only takes a couple of minutes to pack it)
2) A nutrition bar, with an ideal combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
3) A protein shake in a thermos, with an apple at the side.
4) If you are a fan of pasta, watch what you put on it. Alfredo sauce and oils can pack a lot of calories. Use soup broths or vegetable purees as a sauce base. Add chopped vegetables to make a pasta salad. Dice up broiled or grilled chicken to get your protein in.
5) Plan ahead for a mid-afternoon snack at work – Have apples, oranges, and raw veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, or baby carrots, cans of tuna and chicken for boosting your energy levels.

Eating out tips.

When eating out at a restaurant, avoid entrees that are fried or in a cream sauce. Stick with fresh fruit, and ask for steamed veggies, which are nutritionally denser. Soups are generally low in calories, and hence a soup as a starter is a good idea. Other starters and appetizers should be either boiled, poached, barbecued, steamed or baked. For your protein, have baked poultry or fish. Skip the dinner rolls and butter. Have a salad with light dressing on the side. Ranch and cream dressings are usually higher in calories. Vinargrettes are usually the best in terms of calorie content.

The importance of a support group If you plan on joining a diet group (or are already in one), you’ll get a boost when you attend weekly meetings. Whether you like the idea or not, diet groups can offer tremendous support, motivation, and education about eating a healthy diet. The social atmosphere fosters a sense of accountability and responsibility, which is conducive to more weight loss. Most successful dieters are involved in some kind of support group, whether it’s family, a diet group, or friends. Having a “cheering section” could make the difference between quitting and persisting.

For more information about these exercises and to get free full color exercise routines, diet plans and grocery lists, visit Best Weight Loss Programs and Toning For Women. You can train with Nitin at the Phone Fitness Trainer website

Popularity: 13% [?]

There are a lot of different foods out there that pack a nutritional punch. Most people tend to stick to the usual suspects when it comes to tasty nutrition—such as apples, oranges, bananas, broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes. But variety is the spice of life. And I’ll bet you didn’t know the foods I’m about to tell you about packed such a powerful punch, and are quite tasty.

Since Halloween just past will start off with a Halloween staple. Pumpkin! Pumpkin is packed with the antioxidant beta-carotene, just like it’s orange brother the carrot. This powerful antioxidant works wonders on your immune system among many other benefits such as lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. It’s also jammed 3 grams of fiber into each serving. Remember canned or frozen is just as good as fresh because it’s stored at the peak of freshness; this goes not only for pumpkin, but all fruits and veggies. Pumpkin is a vegetable by the way.

Next we have beans. Beans are super cheap. They pack a good amount of protein in them. And are an excellent source of fiber and energy. Long lasting energy because they provide complex carbohydrates. Try adding them to your salads, rice or pasta dishes, or even eaten alone they are great. Baked beans are fine too; just go light on the extra sauce.

Third are sardines. Just like tuna, basically health food in a can. But sardines pack a much higher amount of omega-3′s in them. Also include a tremendous amount of calcium. And obviously very good source of protein. They may not smell too good, but their jam packed with vitamins and are pretty much mercury free.

Next would be what most people would call the big brother of raisins—Plums. Also known as prunes. They are a dried up fruit that look like a big raisin. But get this, plums contain two times the amount of potassium that bananas have, and close to 40% more antioxidants than blueberries! That’s pretty awesome! Plus it is a good source of fiber. They make for a very easy snack to just take along in a little baggie, as long as you’re having some protein along with it.

Lastly we have cabbage. Green or red it’s all good. Cabbage contains phytonutrients. These nutrients help protect the body from free radicals much like antioxidants do. Red contains more than green, though. It is super rich in iron. It also has been proven to lower serum cholesterol. Red cabbage has several benefits over green in that it contains up to 8 times more vitamin C, and contains the antioxidant anthocyanin that helps protect brain cells. Either way, red or green, it is a powerhouse vegetable and will vastly improve your health.

Try and some of these to your diet and I’m sure you will see and feel a difference in the way you feel. Remember no diet is complete without protein at each meal and plenty of water throughout the day.

Feel free to pass this article on to family, friends, and co-workers. Enjoy!

Jason Yun, CSCS, CISSN is a Columbus Body Transformation Expert who runs Yun Fitness Boot Camps in Hilliard and Dublin, and teaches the Metabolism Makeover Weight Management Program in Columbus. For a free 2-week trial of his boot camps visit www.Yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html or call 614-432-9703.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Many exercisers (both athletes and non-athletes)are under the impression they don’t need bodyweight training. But bodyweight only exercise should not be ignored if you want to improve fitness, burn fat and build a high-performance body. Let’s look at how bodyweight training can benefit both athletes and regular exercisers.

Here is what happens: We have been brainwashed to believe physical training is resistance Training (weight lifting) and Cardio. We do sets and reps of a certain exercise to target a certain muscle group with certain rest periods. Then after we are done treating the body like a bunch of parts, we do some aerobic cardio to improve the heart and lungs. So, athletes think that doing a workout with only the resistance of their own body is too easy because there is no added resistance. And here’s the thing… if you are only getting the inflated muscles of bodybuilders, they are probably right.

However, I believe the body should be trained as one complete unit. The entire body, all the muscles as well as the heart and lungs should be challenged at the same time. The lines between resistance training and cardio training need to be blurred. I would ask the athletes, “Is your sport done in a compartmentalized way with robotic actions where strength and cardiorespiratory endurance are separate? Or, is your entire body needed to work in unison in order to excel at your sport?” Bodyweight training is great for switching between strength exercises and “cardio” exercises seamlessly… which is an excellent way to train.

Plus, exercise is really a question of movement. And there are two types of movement: moving your own body through space, and moving objects through space. I would argue that for most athletes, being able to control and move your own body around with strength, balance, flexibility and coordination is going to help your perform better. And for the regular non-athlete, bodyweight is important to help you prepare yourselves to meet the challenges of everyday life.

My recommendation is to blur the lines between strength training and cardiorespiratory training in the same bodyweight workout. For example, complete a circuit of push up, air squats and crunches as fast as possible without rest, and then do 50 jumping jacks before repeating the circuit 2-5 times… and repeat for 20 minutes without rest. This type of bodyweight workout targets all your muscles as well as your heart and lungs and trains the body to work as one complete unit.

I encourage you to add bodyweight training to your overall workout program regardless of whether you are a high-performance athlete or just a regular exerciser trying to improve fitness and control your weight. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective bodyweight training can be. And when your heart is pounding, your breathing is hard and you are laying on the ground in a pool of your own sweat, ask yourself… “Are bodyweight exercises too easy?”

Get a free copy of my Special Report “Bodyweight Exercise Cardio Intervals” . I’ll show you how bodyweight training can be surprising challenging and very effective. Get this valuable free report .

Popularity: 6% [?]