photo credit: briser50

So you’ve decided you need to lose a few pounds. You’re getting a little bit soft around the edges and your heart starts racing when you climb the stairs to bed each night. But you’ve tried the gym before, you’ve tried going for jogs in the morning and none of it worked. Light bulb! I’ll get a personal trainer. That will solve my problems. But will it? Are personal trainers really necessary in order to achieve your weight loss and fitness goals? In this post I am going to look at that very question.

Not all personal trainers are created equal

Before we delve too much into the personal trainer debate I want to make something quite clear. Not all personal trainers are created equal. There are good ones and bad ones. In fact, there are some very bad ones. It is important to make the distinction between the two, however, because you don’t want to go around thinking all personal trainers are experts or phonies. Some of them are very good, some of them are not.

So how do you know whether a personal trainer is good or not? Well there are no hard and fast rules but here are some suggestions that you might want to take on board:

• How long have they been a personal trainer?
  If your personal trainer is very new it might mean that they don’t have the experience to guide you, especially if you consider yourself to be quite experienced. Of course, this is not always true.
• Are they qualified?
  In my opinion you shouldn’t have anything to do with a personal trainer unless they are qualified. There are many stories going around about people who trusted a trainer through a health issue and the trainer’s advice just made it worse for them.
• Is the qualification a good one?
  Not all qualifications are great. In fact, some of them are pretty shocking. Just do a two week course and you are able to tell people how to do dangerous exercises like the dead lift and make dietary programs for them even when they are diabetic. Not good enough. Make sure their qualifications are respected.
• How fit are they?
  This is a big point of contention between my brother and myself. He reckons that it doesn’t matter what a trainer looks like as long as they know their stuff. I reckon that is bullshit. If a personal trainer doesn’t have the body you want to get, the fitness levels you want to achieve, etc. then walk right on by. You would never go to a financial planner who drove a 1982 rickety VW Beetle. Trainers should live and breathe their trade.
• Are you making progress?
  If you have been with your trainer for more than three months and have not seen drastic progress then it is time to move on. Why? Because a personal trainer should be always thinking about you. Their goal is to give you the power and knowledge to look after yourself and go out on your own, not keep you down and unfit so you will keep paying them. The best trainers at my gym have big turn over rates. Not because their clients hate them but because they all get so fit so fast. And this is the best marketing exercise they can do for themselves as well.

Make sure you address these questions before you sign on to any trainer. If you are already using a personal trainer then sit down and take a look at these issues now before your next session. You should not take any chances when it comes to someone who is involved with your health.

The positive: why you SHOULD hire a personal trainer

photo credit: mark_donoher

I thought we would lead off on the positive. Let’s take a look at why I think you should hire a personal trainer. These points might not appeal to everyone but hopefully it will give you something to think about while you are making your decision.

1. Certainty
The first reason that you want to get a personal trainer is because they provide you with certainty. You get to stop worrying about whether you are doing the right or the wrong thing. They can point you in the right direction and help you through any questions. This is actually quite a big deal because I know a lot of women who really worry about whether they are using their small amount of exercise time efficiently.

2. Injury prevention
If you go to the gym by yourself it is fair to say that at some point you will get an injury. Sometimes you just get unlucky but more than likely the cause is improper technique or lack of warming up. A personal trainer can help you dodge these issues as they will usually make sure your technique is perfect before letting you do the exercise at full weight. This is a very big advantage. In fact, this is the best reason to hire someone.

3. Faster weight loss
Let’s be honest here. Unless you know what you are doing you are going to make a lot quicker progress having an expert help you out. The most important thing when losing weight is knowledge and hard work – a personal trainer can help you with both of those things.

The negative: why you SHOULDN’T hire a personal trainer

photo credit: B Rosen

Now we can take a look at some of the reasons why you should not bother with a personal trainer. If there are any PTs reading this article I am sorry if this section causes you offense. Leave and comment and let me know if you disagree and I’m sure we can get to the bottom of the matter.

1. Its expensive
Just like the title of the post suggests, personal trainers are expensive. Some of them are reasonably expensive and some of them are just plain out of control. If you live in up state New York or Hollywood chances are your personal trainer is going to charge more than I pay to rent a house. And that is fine if you like throwing money down the toilet but, to be honest, it is completely unnecessary. Most Hollywood celebrities use personal trainers that other celebrities use, not personal trainers that are good for them. The best personal trainers are not always the most expensive ones.

You also have to look at whether you are getting value for money. Are you making progress? Would the money be better spent on buying fruit and vegetables? Could you put the money to better use by buying equipment? All of these questions are important to ask yourself.

2. Its lazy
A lot of the time people hire personal trainers because they can’t motivate themselves. Now I’m not saying that everyone does this but a lot of people do. If you are hiring a PT because you need education and advice then you are on the right path. But if you are hiring one because you want someone else to motivate you every time or because you can’t workout unless someone is pushing you then a PT is a bad idea. That issue is something you need to work on yourself. That is a mental block and not something that a PT will necessarily solve.

The verdict

My view is quite simple. Everyone should hire a personal trainer but only for a short period of time. Once you have learned the exercises properly, got a workout plan and made some progress it is important that you move out on your own. Personal trainers only have a limited use as far as I’m concerned. If you need one for longer than six months then perhaps you aren’t making the progress you think you are.

What do you think? Do you think personal trainers are a waste of time or something that everyone should be using? Leave a comment.

photo credit: Carly & Art

In case you haven’t noticed there is a global financial crisis going on. And when money gets tight one of the first things to go is the gym membership. Because we at Free Women’s Fitness understand that not all of us can afford to go to some fancy yoga or pilates class we have decided to start a series on using household items to get a cheap workout at home. This is part one in that series.

Working out at home

Working out at home has many advantages. Firstly, you save a lot of money by not going to the gym. And I am not just talking about gym membership fees. When you go to the gym you usually end up buying a water or a protein shake and you spend money on parking and petrol. Over time these things add up, especially if you go everyday.

Another great thing about working out at home is the level of comfort. You don’t have to worry about other people watching you and you definitely don’t need to worry about being fashionable. At home you can just be yourself and get on with the important stuff.

Household item for cheap fitness: the water bucket

photo credit: jekert gwapo

Water buckets are extremely useful dumbbell replacements. All you need to do is fill them with some water and use them as you would a pair of dumbbells. As you get stronger you can add more water. Some exercises you can do with a pail include:

• Dumbbell curls
• Shoulder presses
• Lateral side raises
• Weighted squats
• Front shoulder raises
• Deadlifts

Another great exercise to do with the water pail is farmers walks. This is basically where you take two buckets or cans, fill them up with water, and carry them for as long as you can. It really works your shoulders, biceps and forearms. You will also find that your heart rate gets elevated extremely quickly and as such it will give you a great cardio workout.

Stay tuned…

Make sure you subscribe to our feed or email subscription service. We will be adding a new household item every day. By the end of the series you will have a full gym of cheap home items! It might seem silly but the next time you can’t get to the gym these items will save your workout.

photo credit: mikebaird

When you start your weight loss or fitness journey there is one question that you will inevitably be confused about – should I do weights or cardio first? It is a good question and one that you should absolutely try and find the answer to. In this post I am going to give you some general information and then hopefully you will be able to make up your own mind.

The argument for doing weights first

First of all let’s have a talk about the idea of doing weights as the first part of your routine.

1. You are fresher
The main advantage of this strategy is they fact that you are fresh and awake at the start of your routine. This means you will be able to lift more weight and as such make more progress.

2. Less injuries
Many personal trainers also attest to the fact that less injuries occur when you do weights first as you have a good amount of energy to put into your technique. When you are tired and fatigued this focus often vanishes.

3. Better for weight loss
Some bodybuilders and personal trainers also tell us that weights should be done first if we are trying to lose weight. This is because the weight training helps to deplete the sugar levels in your blood. That way, when you move on to cardio, you will be burning more fat than sugar. And this is what we want.

The argument for doing cardio first

Now let’s take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum – cardio first, weights after.

1. A proper warm up
The main advantage of this strategy is the fact that you get a really good warm up before you hit the weights room. Many women these days jump right into the weights without much of a warm up and end up pulling a muscle or doing a slight strain that can set your weight loss progress back weeks or even months. When you do cardio first you are more likely to warm up properly.

2. You can go further/harder
As you know, here at Free Women’s Fitness we like to advocate harder cardio than normal. We like to encourage all the girls out there to hit the treadmill or exercise bike with vigor and passion and to step up and do a more intense workout. This becomes difficult after a weights session, however, as you are too fatigued and low on energy. If fitness is your main goal then it might be better to do your cardio session at the start.

Conclusion

There are positive and negative aspects to both scenarios depending on your goals. If you are aiming for weight loss then perhaps it might be better to do weights first. If you are trying to get fit then jump on the cardio machines first and really bang it out with some intensity.

If you have any other suggestions then please drop by the women’s only forum and let us know. I would love to hear what you have to say.

photo credit: Ed Yourdon

One of the most common reasons that women don’t workout is because they just can’t find enough time in the day. This is very sad state of affairs. It is horrible to think that in a 24 hour day there is not enough time to do something that is good for you. In this post I would like to show you a few ways to find more time to workout in your busy day.

How to find more time for workouts in your busy day

These suggestions come from my own experience so if anyone else has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. Please stop by our forum and let us know what works for you.

1. Make it your priority
At the moment a million other things are your priority. Making the beds, feeding the kids, going to work, cooking dinner, watching your favorite TV show, going to bed. Somewhere in there you need to make fitness and health your priority. Now I am not saying make working out a more important priority than your kids. But it should be a more important priority than watching Lost or Deal or No Deal. If you can do this you will find that you make time for your workouts instead of wondering why there is no time.

2. Wake up earlier
The sad fact is that most of us are pretty busy. In order to find time to workout you might have to wake up early. This might mean waking up 20 minutes early and doing some yoga or body-weight exercises in your lounge room or it might mean waking up an hour earlier and going for a run and a weight session. Either way, waking up early will give you more time that you can specifically allot to fitness.

3. Park the car away from work
There are some really simple little things that you can do if you want to find time to workout. To do this you need to remember that you don’t always have to put on tights and drive to the gym in order to have a workout. For example, parking your car 15 minutes away from your office will give you a 30 minute walking session every single day. That way you get a workout without even having to do anything different.

4. Go directly to the gym
One technique that I have found to be particularly useful is going straight to the gym before or after work. This direct approach gives you a lot less wriggling room. When you drive straight to the gym you have less time to convince yourself that you are too tired or too busy. You just go there and do it.

photo credit: lu_lu

5. Workout in your lunch break
If you go into the city during lunch time you will be amazed to see all the corporate boys and girls going for a jog together. It is a great idea. Most workplaces give you an hour lunch break which is often way more than you need. Why not try this instead:

• 0-5 minutes: get changed
• 5-35 minutes: go for a run
• 35-45 minutes: shower and change
• 45-60 minutes: eat lunch

This schedule is more than reasonable and by following it you will get a 30 minutes workout every single day, regardless of how busy you are. Why not make the most of the time that your work gives you instead of exercising on your own time?

6. Read, study or work at the gym
Something I have seen more and more people do lately is read while they are sitting on the exercise bike. I think it is a great idea. If you are find that you don’t have time to workout because you need to study or read over some case notes from work then why not take them to the gym and read them while you are pedaling away on the bike? You will kill two birds with one stone and you will feel a lot better about your “take home” work.

Conclusion

Your health is so important. You should never let your busy life get in the way of your workout routine or program. If you really want to be healthy and live a long life you need to find some time in your busy day to workout. Try some of these tips and see how they work for you.

Last week I talked about how skipping is one of the best exercises for weight loss. Today I want to have a little chat about the different types of skipping ropes that are on the market and help you decide which one to buy. Your rope will make all the difference to your skipping experience.

Is the classic leather boxing rope the best?

The most popular form of skipping rope is the heavy leather rope that was popularized by boxing. For over a hundred years boxers have been using a leather jump rope to improve their cardiovascular ability, muscle fitness and endurance. When people saw how fit boxers were they wanted to copy their training regime and as such the leather rope was adopted into gyms and weight loss centers around the world.

But is it really the best choice?

I have been skipping for close to ten years now and in that time I have had over fifteen skipping ropes. Some of them were good. Some of them were terrible. And after all these years I can honestly say that the leather skipping rope is NOT the best choice for your skipping needs.

Plastic speed ropes: the better skipping choice

So what should you choose instead of the traditional boxing leather rope? A plastic speed rope. These new inventions are a much better option if you want to make your skipping sessions intense, furious and extremely good for calorie burning.

The weighted versions of these ropes are particularly good. They allow you to turn the rope a lot faster than normal and as such you get a more intense cardio workout as well as really pushing your muscle strength to the next level. The main problem with the leather ropes is that you simply cannot turn it very fast. The plastic weighted ropes completely overcome this problem.

The other major advantage of the plastic speed ropes is the ball bearing handles that allow you to turn the rope at high speed without any tension. The rope is not “fixed” to the handles as in a traditional skipping rope but instead rotates 360 degrees inside the handle. This is a fantastic feature that every serious skipper must look for.

Conclusion

If you are in the market for a new skipping rope I would bypass the leather rope altogether. Go for a modern weighted plastic skipping rope and watch how much better your skipping sessions will be. I am certain that you will find them a lot more challenging, entertaining and productive.

photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

If you are like me you are always trying to find new ways to burn fat. A few years ago I read a book by Bruce Lee where he mentioned that skipping rope was about three times more effective at calorie burning than running. Since then I have become an avid rope jumper and am pleased to announce that he was right.

Why is skipping a faster way to burn fat?

If you have ever spent some time skipping you will know how hard it can be. As mentioned, skipping is one of the best ways to burn fat and lose weight. Here are a few reasons why that is so:

1. It is a full body workout
Any exercise that works multiple parts of your body at once is going to burn fat faster. Skipping is one of them. When you jump rope you are using your shoulders, biceps and forearms to turn the rope, your abs to stay upright and your calf muscles, thighs and glutes to do the jumping. The more muscles you bring into the equation the better.

2. It is intense
If you spend a bit of money and get a speed rope you can get quite an intense workout. Skipping is fantastic because you can use your arms and your legs at the same time unlike most other forms of cardio. The faster you want to go the more calories you are going to burn. You can even up the ante to the point where you do double jumps instead of the regular single skips. This is a super hardcore workout.

3. Your metabolism stays elevated
If you want to lose weight fast you need to pick exercises that keep your heart rate up long after the session has finished. Skipping is one of those exercises. Your muscles get worked at the same time as your lungs and as such you will continue to burn calories long after you have put the rope down.

4. It is diverse
A lot of women think that skipping is boring because you just jump on the spot. Well, anyone who thinks that obviously does not know how to skip very well! Skipping has so many different variations – each of which works a different body part. You can sprint on the spot and work your legs, do knees up and work your abs, double unders to work your shoulders… the list goes on. This diversity is extremely important for staying at it.

Tips for better skipping

If you want to get the most out of your skipping sessions you need to learn how to do it properly. The goal is to look like a professional boxer, not a school-kid doing one step at a time jump rope. Watch this video to see how it should be done.

See how intense and varied the workout can be? To get the most out of your skipping session you should copy this boxers technique.

• Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed
• Lean back slightly
• Point your toes
• Only jump a small amount such that the rope just passes under your foot
• Breath deeply
• Vary your jumping style – one foot, both feet, left foot, right foot
• Don’t get frustrated!

Conclusion

Skipping truly is one of the best ways you can burn fat and lose weight. Try to make it a regular part of your workout program. You will find that your whole body benefits from this amazingly intense form of exercise.

photo credit: patrick kiteley

Life is busy. Work, family, cooking dinner. It doesn’t leave us with a lot of time to workout. So when we finally make it to the gym we need to make sure we are getting the most out of our workout sessions. In this post I am going to show you 11 ways to get more from your time at the gym.

11 tactics to get more from your gym session

These tips are designed to help make your gym workouts more efficient, effective and result producing. If you have anything else to add please head over to the forum and leave your tips. You never know, your knowledge might really help someone.

1. Have a coffee before hand
Studies have shown that coffee helps you workout. It keeps you more focused and alert and it can even help you perform better physically. This is particularly true if you are doing a weight loss workout as caffeine speeds up your heart rate and metabolism.

photo credit: Joanne Probyn

2. Warm up correctly
A lot of women fail to warm up correctly. If you are doing a weights session that involves a lot of upper body work you need to make sure you warm up that part of your body. Running on a treadmill is no good! If you are going to be doing upper body weights perhaps start with some rowing.

3. Keep hydrated
When you workout your body loses fluids. This can end your workout prematurely because it starts to make you feel sick and tired. Keeping hydrated is extremely important if you want to make sure you are getting the most from your time at the gym. Keep a water bottle with you or make sure you constantly visit the fountain.

4. Workout the big muscle groups
There are two types of weight lifting exercise – isolated and compound. Isolated exercises only work one muscle at a time and as such do not have a lot of full body benefits. Compound exercises, on the other hand, workout lots of muscles at once. This is a much better option for saving time, burning calories and getting a full body workout in a short space of time.

5. Use heavy weights
Whoever it was that first said that light weights tone your muscles was a fool. Light weights don’t do much at all to be honest. If you want to tone up and lose weight then you need to use heavy weights. Don’t worry, you won’t get bulky. All you will do is burn calories faster and make a lot more progress.

6. Workout with a partner
Sometimes we can be a little bit lazy when we workout by ourselves. We wander around looking at the televisions or taking big breaks in between sessions. However, if you workout with a partner a lot of that is cut out. Similarly, you will be more likely to work hard when your partner is pushing you to do better. Try it out.

7. Have a fixed routine
A few years ago I used to go to the gym and spend half of my time walking around wondering what to do next. This is a big waste of time. Plan your sessions before you go by creating a fixed routine. Stick to that routine and you will find that your sessions become a heck of a lot more productive.

8. Take some music
There is nothing like a good loud song to get you working out harder. I always seem to run a lot further when I have a good hip hop song in my ear. Try and put together a workout playlist and crank it on whenever you do your cardio sessions. The added emotion will really get you moving.

photo credit: dongga BS

9. Have a set goal
One thing I noticed recently was that I worked a lot harder at the gym when I had a set goal. In previous years I would just go the gym out of some sense of needing to stay fit and slim but recently I decided that I wanted to lose 5 kilograms after spending too much time in the local cafe on an overseas trip. Once I had this set goal I did what I needed to do to achieve it and stayed on track. Find out what you want to achieve, write it down and go for it!

10. Cut your sessions to 45 minutes
Your gym sessions should not go for longer than 45 minutes. Any long than this and your body starts to produce a chemical that can actually hamper your progress. But that is not the only reason. If you cut your session times down you will be forced to fit more in and work harder. This is a fantastic way to work out – intensely.

11. Squat
The squat is the best wight lifting exercise there is. A good session of heavy weighted squats will burn more calories than any other exercise. But what is really cool about the squat is the fact that your body will continue to burn calories after you have finished the workout. If you really want to super charge your gym session you need to start squatting on a regular basis.

If you have any other suggestions please drop by our forum and let us know!

photo credit: J.C. Rojas

Let’s face it. Cardio can be boring. Hours and hours on the treadmill or exercise bike just hoping that the weight will drop off. And in the end we never reach our weight loss goals because the exercise was just too monotonous.

In this post I am going to show you 5 exciting ways to spice up your cardio life. When you find new and stimulating things to do to lose the weight you will be much more likely to succeed.

5 exciting ways to spice up your cardio life

Here are a few different forms of exercise that I have dabbled in over the years. All of them are massive calorie burners. All of them will do more for your waistline than any treadmill or walking group. Be brave and give them a try. Whatever you do, don’t let nerves hold you back from experimenting with these amazing disciplines.

1. Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that is as fun as it is explosive. The movements are made up of high kicks, jumps, flips and cartwheels. It is one of the best forms of exercise out there as it uses your entire body in every single movement.

photo credit: JoelZimmer

Another great thing about Capoeira is the fact that it is all done to the melody and beat of some infectious traditional African/Brazilian music. This really gets your heart racing and makes the whole experience a lot more fun. If you are after a new and intense form of cardiovascular workout then this is the class for you.

2. Indoor soccer
A few years ago I joined an indoor soccer team. At first I thought it was going to be a little bit boring but I was dead wrong. Indoor soccer is now the best part of my week. Five friends and I head down to the local club on a Thursday night and play one 30 minute long game. And it is intense. Indoor soccer has you twisting, turning and sprinting back and forth like a mad woman! It truly is one of the best ways to burn some calories whilst having a lot of fun.

3. Day long hikes
If you are a bit of a natural woman then chances are you will love getting outdoors in the open and going for a walk. It doesn’t matter where you live – America, Australia, Europe or Africa – all around the world there are beautiful places to go hiking.

photo credit: cheukiecfu

Why not get a few friends together, make some healthy snacks and organize a day long hike in the hills? You will get lots of fresh air and sun and burn some calories whilst recharging your batteries and getting back to the simple things in life. There is nothing like a walk in the fresh air to get you feeling healthy and alive.

Another great thing about hiking is that it does wonders for your calf muscles, thighs and butt. Walking up hills whilst carrying a heavy backpack will leave you sore for days! It is one of the best ways to shape and tone your lower body.

4. Muay Thai kickboxing
When it comes to getting toned, losing weight and shaping up there is no exercise better than kickboxing. This is a true full body workout that will get your heart rate up and your lungs burning. What better way to spice up your cardio life?

photo credit: livegym-showtime

Kickboxing originated in Thailand and has now evolved into many different styles and forms. There are the more traditional schools that focus on technique and power and then there are the more modern schools that focus on getting a good cardio workout. Both are good. Both will get you fit and teach you how to defend yourself.

When you go to a kickboxing class expect lots of punching, kicking, kneeing and jumping. Expect to have a lot of fun. I highly encourage all women to put your shyness and nerves aside and try this one out. It will change your exercise life forever. And don’t worry – you don’t have to fight anyone if you don’t want to!

5. Samba lessons
The final idea that I want to throw out there today is one I tried a few months ago expecting to have a nice relaxing workout. Instead what I got was an intense cardio workout that had my whole lower body struggling to keep up.

Samaba is a great workout because it requires a lot of fast paced movements with some really excellent music in the background. It is one of those rare forms of exercise where you forget about the hard work you are doing because you are so focused on having fun. After an hour or two of this style of dance you will have burned a heck of a lot of calories and had more fun than you’re ever had at the gym.

Conclusion

If you want to lose weight and stay healthy you need to do cardio. But sometimes running is not enough. Sometimes you need something a little more challenging or a little bit different. If you keep your cardio life exciting and spicy you will be more likely to actually stick to your routine. Take a look around your local community and see what you can come up with. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

photo credit: madaboutasia

Would you like to have sexier legs? Do you want to turn your soft and chunky legs in to smooth, firm and toned ones? Well it is possible. In this post I am going to show you how to use some simple exercises and diet tips to make your legs sexy.

Exercises for Sexy Legs

The first thing you need to do if you want to get some sexy legs is start a regular exercise program. This exercise program needs to be made up of:

• Basic weight training
• High intensity cardio; and
• Simple stretching

Now I am not talking about a lot of exercise. Four times a week should be enough. But, the more time you can devote to your training the better your results will be. Be careful not to over train, however, as this will lead to exhaustion and poor muscle recovery.

Basic weight training
First we will look at the weight training aspect of getting sexy legs. There are certain exercises you can do that shape and build the muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, thighs and calf muscles. It is vital to do weights. Weight training not only makes your legs stronger and firmer, it burns a hell of a lot of fat.

Do not buy in to the myth that weight training will make your bulky. It won’t. Women simply do not have enough testosterone in their body to cause excessive muscle growth. Weight training is used to burn fat, increase the metabolism and strengthen the muscles.

Here are the exercises you need to do:

• The weighted squat:
  This exercise is the best exercise you can do for your lower body. It uses every muscle below your waist and is a fantastic way to burn fat and develop your firmer muscles.
• The weighted step up:
  This exercise is done by taking some medium heavy dumb bells and stepping up on to a stable bench or table. It is especially good for the glutes and thighs and is an essential exercise for sexy legs.
• The jumping squat:
  This exercise is done by squatting down to the ground with one foot forward and then springing in to the air as high as you can. Whilst in the air, change your feet so the back one is now in the front and repeat. This exercise is tough but brings super fast results.

Beginners should start with a light weight and perform as many sets as they feel comfortable doing. As you master the technique and become stronger you should add more weight and/or more repetitions so that your muscle development does not stagnate.

High intensity cardio
I always choose high intensity cardio over low intensity cardio. Why? Because it is so much better!

High intensity cardio like sprinting, stair runs, martial arts, boxing, etc. burn more calories. They also cause your heart rate to stay elevated long after the exercise session has finished meaning you will be burning fat long after you leave the gym.

The main advantage of HIC is that you can do everything you need in under 30 minutes. No more jogging on the treadmill for an hour and a half – just bang out 25 minutes of boxing class and you will have achieved so much more!

If you want to get sexy legs it is a good idea to choose HIC that targets your legs. For example, stair sprinting, running up hills and kickboxing are all excellent choices. If you want more traditional gym exercises you could do fast paced exercise bike riding, stair master or sprinting on the treadmill.

Try and do three sessions like this per week in order to get the maximum benefit.

Simple stretching

photo credit: k4dordy

The last piece in the exercise part of our ‘sexy legs puzzle’ is some simple stretching. Stretching is extremely important to the health of your legs and will keep them limber and firm. Take a look at the legs of any gymnast, martial artist or yoga instructor!

Yoga is my favorite way of stretching my legs because it is also extremely good for your health and mind. It is relaxing at the same time as being challenging. Some of the best workouts I have ever had have been in a yoga class as we did deep stance poses and stretches. You legs always feel rejuvenated and healthy after a good yoga class.

For a real challenge I recommend Hatha or Bikram Yoga. If you don’t feel like a new person after a yoga class I will personally write you an apology.

Diet tips for sexy legs

photo credit: mela sogono

The best thing you can do if you want to have sexy legs is forget about whatever diet you are on. Forget about fad diets and milkshakes. Forget it all and start eating healthier.

Most diets either promote no fat or no carbs. Both of these are extreme. We need some fat to be healthy. We need some carbs to be healthy. The diet you need to be on is an all natural one.

If you want to get sexy legs (or just lose weight!) you should replace man made foods like chips, pasta, baked good, snack bars, candy, soda, etc. with natural foods like nuts, fruit, vegetables, water, milk, eggs, etc. When you do this you will find you get the perfect balance of proteins, carbs and fats and you will burn fat without even trying.

And you will become healthy. How many women do you know who have become sick, gaunt or moody when on a low carb diet? It happens for a reason – their body isn’t happy. Forget diets and go natural. This is the best thing you can do for your body.

You can get sexy and toned legs!

With a little bit of commitment, dedication and the right information you can have some extremely sexy and toned legs. Perform regular weights, cardio and stretching sessions and eat a natural diet. These are the secrets that you have always wanted.

Not as tough as you might have thought!