NEED ADVICE- how to slim legs and bum what easy excercise can i do?

[babybakey]

ive just had a baby a couple of months ago i have been slimming but i seem to be much bigger on my bottom half now and i need some excercises i can do either at home while little mans sleeping or would walking etc do a good job? it needs to be free things as were short on cash with our second child arriving.

thanks

[Savvy_Sue]

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Walking is fantastic exercise! Make the most of it while he's in a buggy, you slow down a bit once they're out of it.

[margaretclare]

Hello

You cannot 'slim' just one part of your body. What has happened, probably, is that your muscles have become stretched and lax. You need to tone up. Walking is great exercise - it's good for your heart and circulation, burns up calories, and it also keeps your leg muscles strong.

Yesterday I went for an exercise class run by the local council in association with the local football team. One important exercise is: without holding your breath, stand up straight and pull in your tummy button. Imagine there is a line inside you pulling your tummy button towards your spine. Breathe normally while doing this.

This is an important exercise because it tones up your abdominal muscles which are there to support your back.

And don't forget your pelvic floor muscles which you'll have already been taught. Very important!

Other than that, eat sensibly, real food not junk, and don't be tempted to 'snack' rather than eat meals, thinking you haven't time.

Good luck!

[vinrute]

Hello. Since you're short on money I know this isn't the best option, but there's a great book I recommend called "Escape Your Shape: How to Work Out Smarter, Not Harder" by Edward Jackowski. He was the man who originally invented the different workouts based on the four body shapes; hourglass, ruler, spoon, and cone. Based on the principle that the exercise you do shapes the body you have (as runners will have very different workout routines to body builders, who will work out differently compared to swimmers, etc.) The book has 3 routines for each body shape (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and all can be done in your own home or hotel room with the bare minimum of props (all I use is a mop for a weight bar and a jump rope). Even if you can't find the book available (though definitely worth checking libraries!) quite a few of his ideas are available online, so I'll try to sum them up concisely. :P

If you need to take weight off of your lower half, you're probably a spoon shape at the moment, so look for home workouts especially designed for your body shape, such as this one: http://greatinfos4u.blogspot.com/2008/04/exercises-to-enhance-body-shape-within_10.html

Remember the difference between aerobic exercise (which burns fat) and anaerobic exercise (which builds up muscle). Walking up a steep hill is anaerobic because it builds up the muscles in your legs, and though that's perfectly healthy, making them bulkier won't help with slimming down. So avoid inclines and any extra resistance or weights. Instead try to focus on lots of repetition and distance.

The author of the book absolutely loves jump roping. It burns 23 calories a minute, it's cheap and portable, it works out your entire body, and its known to reduce cellulite. Even if you only jump rope 10 jumps to start, if you work up to even just 50 or 100 jumps a day you'll notice a difference.


The main thing is just to find a simple 30 or so minute routine to do 3 times a week and stick to it no matter what. A small walk to warm up (even if it's just in circles around a living room), a few aerobic leg exercises, jump rope, and a cool down walk. Just remember that it really isn't the amount you exercise, but the actual exercises you do and the consistency with which you do them that will pay off. If you mix and match different home spoon workouts I don't see how you could go wrong. :)

[non_believer]

Hi there - squats are great for slimming and toning your legs and bum. These can easily be done at home, but if you need a bit of guidance, I can really reccommend Davina McCall's 'Power of 3' workout dvd. It's split into 3 sections each of which combine short bursts of cardio with sets of exercises focusing on different body parts, meaninig you will tone the specific area but also burn fat overall. The first section focuses on thighs and bum and is really effective - but be warned you will be in pain after the first time you do it! The only downside (for me) is that Davina is a bit annoying, but after the first few times you will be used to the movements so you can turn the volume down, which may suit you if the baby is sleeping! The whole workout takes about an hour, but each of three sections are only 20 minutes so you can just do the one section if time is short. Amazon are selling the dvd for about £14 (even cheaper on vhs if you have a vhs player). Hope this helps.