Losing unwanted inches isn’t an overnight or over-the-weekend affair. It has taken you awhile to add them, therefore realise right from the start that they won’t just drop off in a matter of days.
But, happy thought, they will disappear reasonably fast, provided you systematically make the effort, and that means faithfully doing the spot exercises as prescribed.
The whole point is, without fail, to do your exercises at least six times weekly, Sunday to Friday inclusive, or any consecutive six days you choose. And, I stress, consecutive days.
Don’t measure or weigh yourself until the end of the twelfth day of exercise; that means almost two weeks after you have begun your better-figure campaign. It will probably take that long for results to show.
The scales may show the same weight as when you began those little exercise sessions, but the tape-measure may have come in one half to a whole inch less. Remember, too, that in most cases it is the measurement loss that will make the big difference in your figure improvements and that weight loss alone is not your goal.
If you have not been taking exercise within the past six months, then begin your sessions with a minimum time – 10 minutes the first two sessions, 20 minutes the third session, and if you’re not too stiff extend it to half an hour for the next four sessions.
Measure yourself (after the 12th day) in two-week periods.
The wonderful thing about losing inches through your own effort, plus my simple physical (not mechanical) exercises, is that they won’t come right back on; not unless you go haywire and eat recklessly.
You should check your measurements (once they have become desirable) every month, and if there is an increase anywhere several days of exercise will take care of it. Holiday times are the exceptions.
Protruding Abdomen
A thick waistline is never youthful. You can’t wear the clothes that are the most fun and nattering, and you know all of the reasons why yours should be as indented and small as possible. I have never thought that a waistline can be too tiny in proportion to the balance of the figure.
Did you know that nature has already provided you with a built-in girdle of muscles? The medical dictionary labels them the latissimus muscles.
A good girdle, fitted by an expert, can do much to put you into fashion’s shape, but I want you to use nature’s own girdle so that you need not rely on a man-made girdle exclusively.
Reach for the stars on your toes. Stand straight and thrust both arms and fingers to the sky.
Bend down, with knees straight, and touch the floor with your fingers. Practise until you can touch the floor with your palms.
Clench hands and with fists on waist twist as far as you can to your right and then to your left with your upper torso.
Lie flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor directly beneath your knees. With both hands grasp your thighs and very slowly pull yourself to sitting position. Sit for a moment, and just as slowly lower yourself to the floor. Repeat this exercise ten times daily.
Waist And Upper Abdomen
Sit on the floor with legs straight out and separated. Tighten your abdominal muscles and bend forward from the waist, with the right hand trying to touch the toes of the left foot, and vice-versa. Gradually work up speed and do a set of ten toe touches each day.
Two More Waist Whittlers
Stand straight with feet separated, hips tucked under, stomach in. Without moving hips, raise arms in front to shoulder height and stretch right hand as far right as possible – you are pushing the right side of the ribcage as far from left as possible. Feel the diagonal stretch. Come back to position and then stretch left. Do this stretching slowly; stretch as far as possible and do ten times.
Stand in same position. Raise arms to left at shoulder level. Stretch fingertips out as far as possible without moving hips. Keeping arms straight, make a semicircle down to the floor with the upper body and bring arms up far over to right. Stretch, swing down, over and up.
Tighten Abdominal Muscles
Lie flat on back with arms extended upward. Swing arms forward and simultaneously raise upper part of the body and bend the knees to the chest without touching feet to the floor. Then lower legs slowly to the floor. Repeat ten times.
Thigh Exercise
Lie on stomach with arms supporting the head. Slowly raise left leg into the air, directly from the hip joint, bend leg back at knee as far as possible, and point the toes. Then straighten leg and lower it slowly to the floor.
Full Upper And Outer Thigh
In my opinion, any upper thigh that measures 22in, or more at the uppermost part needs slenderising. Here’s how:
Stand firmly on both feet with heels almost touching. Place your weight on your left foot while drawing up your right leg until your knee is folded under and your toe is pointing straight out toward your back.
Now, using tension at the upper inner thigh, extend your right leg to its fullest position outward to the right of your body. Tense and firm the leg while extended, sustain the effort, and slowly bring the knee back to position and lower the foot to the floor. Relax and repeat the same movement with the left leg. Do ten times daily.
Or here’s another idea: With an ordinary wooden kitchen rolling-pin you can help to smooth out upper and inner thigh bulges. Begin your flattening movement from above the knee, exerting pressure, firmly rolling your pin UP from thigh as far as you can go. Count your strokes and know that you are a good girl after the count of 100 on each thigh (inside and out, if need be) five days.
Heavy Upper Knees, Thighs
Have you ever been startled by noticing a girl who has slim calves and ankles with really heavy flesh above the knee and too full thighs? Such a figure should never wear bermuda-type shorts, which will accentuate the fullness of the knee section. The solution for this dilemma is to exercise and thereby reduce the upper leg area. As weight and inches decrease, more shapely, firm limbs develop.
Get flat on your back with your knees bent and separated about 6in. Place your heels close to your buttocks and your feet flat on the floor. Slap your knees together briskly and feel the swing of the loose flesh from your knees up to your thighs.
Slap, slap, slap at least 50 times each session until you reach your desired firmness (or until you are slap-happy).
Two Buttock-Reducers
Stand in your bare feet with your weight on the balls of your feet and heels about 2in apart. Take your time and bring the buttocks close to each other. Slowly feel their contraction. At the same time, without bending your knees, exert tension from your knees up as though you were pressing your knees together.
This will firm the inner thigh muscles. Hold this position to the count of ten. Just as slowly release tension in the buttocks and knees. Do this exercise at least six times daily for maximum results.
Here is our pet hip- and buttock-decreaser. Do this at least 15 minutes daily to roll extra inches away:
Lying flat on your back on the floor, arms outstretched, keeping your shoulders as flat on the floor as possible, cross left leg far over right and reach with left foot for area opposite waist at right. This causes a twisting, rolling motion from waist down. Try to keep upper part of body flat to floor. Repeat with right leg over left.
Round Back, Shoulders
First of all, understand that you will be exercising the back deltoid muscle, which extends over the shoulder and down to the shoulder-blades.
With your thumb on the outside, curl your fingers into a relaxed fist. Break your fists backward by bending them upward against the wrists.
Standing in perfect posture, push both arms behind you with elbows and forearms clenched straight. Keep your arms parallel to each other and lift them behind you as far as they will go, which will not be high. Put your stomach in and up under your ribcage and hold your head erect. Tense your buttock muscles simultaneously.
Hold yourself in this position, releasing your tension until your fingertips point floor wards; relax your wrists. Do this movement three times, relax, and repeat until you have reached the count of 30 movements.
For Calf-Slimming
This exercise will help you to rid yourself of fatty tissue on the inside of the knees and calves.
Sit on the floor with your knees drawn up and your heels close to your buttocks. Rest your weight on your hands behind your hips flat on the floor. Slap your knees together sharply. Spank at least 50 times a day.
To Firm Ankles
This will tighten loose flab around the ankles.
Sit on the floor with legs straight out. With one foot at a time, point your toes and draw circles in the air, revolving around the ankle which you are using as a pivot point. Sketch 50 circles with each ankle daily.
Author bio: Natalie is an American writer, and best known for a series of articles which help women feel good and be pretty. She has written many publications, such as Huffington Post, Washington Post, and UF eLearning.