Exercising Outside

Sometimes exercising in the house can get a little boring, so why not go outside for a change or combine your exercise program with some outdoor activities?

If you find choosing an appropriate exercise a little difficult, the best ones for dealing with cellulite are those that will help firm and tone up the legs, hips and bun. Ideally aim to work out for between 20-40 minutes each time and as your stamina increases, then you can build on to the time.

Cycling: the ideal exercise for firming the fronts and backs of your thighs.

Tennis: there is no better exercise than tennis for promoting shapely legs.

Power walking: according to experts you don’t have to work up a sweat at the gym on a workout to tone up your muscles – a brisk walk is just as good. In fact the medical profession agrees that the health benefits associated with walking exceed those of every other form of exercise.

Different kinds of exercise burn up various amounts of calories:

Walking: if done for 30 minutes burns up 230 calories Cycling: if done for 30 minutes burns up 192 calories Swimming: if done for 20 minutes burns up 180 calories Skating: if done for 20 minutes burns up 207 calories Dancing: if done for 25 minutes burns up 215 calories Aerobics: if done for an hour burns up 306 calories

Power walking can:

• help you shape up and at the same time burn approximately 350 calories an hour

• lower cholesterol

• regulate blood pressure

• relieve chronic pain

• help insomnia and infertility

• alleviate depression

What better all-round form of exercise could you ask for? To get the full benefit, aim to do three or four 20-minute sessions of brisk walking a week. The technique is simple: shoulders back, neck relaxed, shoulders aligned directly above your hips and a heeltoe roll in a straight line through the foot narrowing the width of your track to allow for greater speed with arms and legs moving in sync. Each week try to improve on your last efforts by going a little further. Always warm up and cool down before and afterwards. Aerobics: no better exercise for strengthening and toning the legs as well as the rest of the body. Join in at the local gym.

Step classes: these help to sculpt the legs but make sure you don’t do more than one class a week otherwise you will risk bulking up your legs too much. Spinning: one of the latest fitness crazes. The classes entail riding really quickly on a special exercise bike while the instructor keeps you pedaling with different techniques and music. A 45-minute workout can apparently burn up an amazing 500 calories. Your local gym may well have more details.

Water: if you exercise in water, it is 15 times more effective than doing that same exercise on land

simply because of the resistance against your muscles. Water is a superb and quick way to tone your body because whichever direction you move, your body will still have to push against the water.

Skipping: indoors or outdoors, skipping is the ideal all-over workout and perfect for stretching the leg muscles. It also works the heart, lungs, and upper body to get a really good workout. You may have to start in bursts of 2-3 minutes but you will be pleasantly surprised how quickly the body adapts.

Spare minute exercises

Here are two simple exercises that can be done in any spare moment – whilst washing the dishes, waiting in the bus queue, even when serving dinner!

Bun clencher: Clench your buttocks, hold for a few seconds and then simply release – perfect for toning up the buttocks.

Thigh firmer When waiting for the kettle to boil, gradually raise and lower your leg straight behind and as high as you can, almost like a ballerina. Hold the position for 30 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.