There are certain areas you may want to tone up before you put on your bathing suit. Nice tone shoulders will draw people's attention away from some of your less than flattering areas. As always, working your butt off (literally) helps. Here are a few exercises to get you toned and ready for that bathing suit.
Shoulders
Front Raises - Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent slightly, hold the dumbbells on the front of your legs with your palms facing your legs. Exhale as you lift the dumbbells directly in front of you until it reaches shoulder level. Inhale while you bring the dumbbells down to starting position. Do 12 repetitions.
Lateral Raises - Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees bent slightly, hold the dumbbells on the front of your legs with your palms facing together. Exhale as you lift your arms in a lateral motion away from your sides until they reach shoulder height. Inhale while you bring the dumbbells down to starting position. Do 12 repetitions.
Remember to say "Mississippi" on the way up and "Albuquerque" on the way down.
Legs & Buttocks
Step Ups - Use a bench or a step. Start off with your arms by your side, chest up, shoulders down and abdominals contracted. Lift the right leg up, placing the foot flat on the elevated surface. Exhale as you raise the left leg up, pause at the top, and then slowly lower the left leg, keeping the right leg up. Continue with the same leg until you have completed 15 repetitions and then repeat with the other leg.
Floor Bridge - Lie on the floor with your knees bent at right angles and your arms by your side. Lift your hips off the floor, using your arms for support if necessary, so that your knees, hips and shoulders are all in line. Squeeze your buttocks together on the way up and release them on the way back down. Do 15 repetitions (or more).
For those of you who have my video or are familiar with my "Bertha Butt Boogie workout", you can vary the exercise by bringing your knees together as you move up and move the knees apart as you move back down.
Along with these exercises, you will want to make some adjustments to your eating habits. Little changes will make a difference.
· Instead of eating the full fat ice cream, buy the ½ fat ice cream.
· Eat clear broth soups instead of the Stews and Chowders.
· Choose a salad for lunch instead of a sandwich.
· For a snack have some cut veggies instead of chips. (Have the veggies prepared and store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.) Click here for more low calorie snacks.
