Women's Beauty Secrets

Chapter 8: Figure Improvement III

Thighs and Legs

Lie on back with your legs together and rise at right angles to your body, hands by your sides, palms down. Keeping your legs straight, swing them out to the sides as far as possible, then return to the starting position. Repeat 20 times.

Sit upright on the floor, head up, knees bent, and soles of your feet together and grasp your feet with your hands, keeping your arms straight. Pull up on your feet and lower your knees outward toward the floor. Keep your head up and your back straight, and hold this position for 20 seconds. Relax your arms and raise your knees. Repeat five times.

Sit on the floor with your lower back against a wall, knees bent, feet on the floor, hands on either side of your knees, fingertips resting on the floor. Leaning on your fingertips, lift both legs as high off the floor as possible, then straighten your legs and point your toes. Make scissors movements with your legs, crossing your right leg over your left, then your left foot over your right. Do 10 scissors movements, then return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Stand with your hands on your hips and a hard football or similar object between your feet. Without actually moving your body, legs, or feet, use your leg and thigh muscles to try to pull your legs together. Hold the pull for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.

Stand with your feet together about 20 cm from the wall. Lean back so that back is braced against the wall, hands by your sides. Keeping your feet flat on the floor, slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Keeping your body still, raise your heels off the ground as high as you can. Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower your heels and push yourself back up the wall. Repeat 5 times.

Kneel upright on the floor, head up, arms stretched out straight in front of you at shoulder level, palms down. Keeping your body straight, lean backward slowly as far as you can. Hold this position for a few seconds, then, return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you, feet together, then lean forward and grasp your left foot with your left hand. Keeping your right leg on the floor and your left leg straight, lift your left leg as high as possible. Keep your left leg in the air, and bend and straighten it 5 times. Lower your left leg and repeat with your right leg. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, hands on the floor behind you to support your weight. Lift your left leg a few inches off the ground. Keeping your leg straight, pull your toes toward you as hard as possible. Then flex them away from you, stretching your foot and pointing your toes. Repeat 20 times. Still keeping your left leg in the air, make 20 clockwise circles with your left foot, then 20 counter-clockwise circles. Lower your left leg and repeat with your right leg. Repeat the whole exercise twice with each leg.