Best exercises for Thighs.
AMAZING THIGHS FOR A WOMAN OF 67!
This is my friend Charlotte. She is 67! Charl has never gone in for body wraps or special beauty treatments, & only moisturises after swimming! She eats a healthy but not faddy French diet: no processed or junk food, good quality protein, local fruit and veg and plenty of red wine (she lives in Paris), and she and her husband do the 5:2 diet nearly every week to keep them trim. She leads an active, normal life. The secret of her cellulite-free & toned thighs is just walking, cycling & swimming, all of which she has done regularly most of her life! See below for my top tips for slimmer, firmer thighs in older age. It's never too late to start.
TOP TIPS FOR FIRMER THIGHS - 30-45 MINUTES, 3-5 TIMES A WEEK.
SWIMMING: probably the best as it is a weight-bearing exercise, so no stress on the joints as the body's weight is supported by water. Beginners, like me, can do a gentle breast stroke, but do use goggles & keep your face in the water to avoid straining the neck. A top tip from my physiotherapist!
Experienced swimmers will get a really good all over body work out doing the crawl & butterfly stroke. I'm still learning to do the crawl properly, but have come on amazingly since getting lessons in Byron Bay, Australia.
CYCLING: Like swimming, but unlike jogging, it's a low-impact exercise because the body's weight takes pressure off your legs and therefore your knees. It's good for your heart and you get to enjoy nature, sunshine & fresh air. I always feel so happy when I have cycled to the gym, albeit usually only on sunny, warm days!
10K STEPS A DAY: if all else fails, I find this a great thigh workout & good for weight loss and heart health. Ten thousand steps a day sounds a lot but if you get a phone app or a pedometer you'll be surprised by how much you do in a normal day. Build up slowly & wear really comfy shoes and you'll be doing 3-5 miles a day in no time, especially if you have a dog! More advice here:
SKIN BRUSHING (5 MINS. DAILY): And finally, to do something cheap & effective for your thighs & arms in the privacy of your own bathroom. I recently asked a friend who has been a beauty therapist for thirty years, how to improve the skin tone on my thighs: she said skin brushing is the simple most effective treatment she knows! There are huge health benefits as well, so I have re-discovered this simple regime & now do it every day before my shower. I have posted 'how to' separately so click here on: Beauty to have a read when you have time!
