Natural Health October 2017

FITNESS & Weight Loss
SEXY IN JUST
15 MINUTES WORKOUTS!
No time to exercise? Try these quick, effective workouts for women that target key areas—
abs, arms, inner thighs, and more.
Trim Your Inner Thighs
With Easy Exercises
The Routine
Summer’s staples (shorts, swimsuits,
and slim-cut pants) put the inner thighs
on display. To target these tricky-to-hit
muscles (and the surrounding ones), use
this routine by Matthew Hurst, owner
of Training Zone, a gym in Atlanta.
Beginners should do each of the
standing exercises 15 to 20 times; the
intermediate and advanced can repeat
them 25 to 30 times.
Move 1: Wide-Stance Squat
(A) Stand with feet slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart and toes pointed
out to 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.
(B) Slowly lower for two counts into a
squat position. Hold the squat for one
count, then straighten your legs for two
counts to go back to the
starting position.
Move 2: First-Position Plié Squat
Begin with heels touching and toes
slightly turned out.
(A) Keeping heels together, rise up onto
your toes. (Hold on to a wall if you feel
wobbly, but maintain posture.)
(B) Bend your knees into a half squat for
two counts, then come back up in two
counts, keeping heels together.
Move 3: Squat With Ball
(A) Position your feet shoulder-width
apart with toes pointed straight ahead.
Place a medium rubber ball (or a knotted
beach towel) between your legs just
above the knees.
(B) Squeezing your inner thighs to keep
the ball steady, lower into a squat for
two counts. Hold for one, then return to
standing for two counts.
Move 4: Wide-Stance
Arm Swing
(A) Place your feet just wider than
shoulder-width apart and point toes
to 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. Grasp
a dumbbell (three to five pounds for
beginners, 8 to 12 for more advanced)
vertically in front of your stomach
(B) With arms straight, lift the weight
to shoulder height as you lower into
a squat for two counts. Hold for one
count, then slowly lower the weight and
return to standing for two counts.
Move 5: Inner-Thigh Press With
Rubber Ball
Lying on your back on a mat, bend your
knees so that the soles of your feet are
flat on the floor. Place a medium rubber
ball (or a knotted beach towel) between
your knees. Contract your inner thighs to
squeeze the ball for 30 seconds. Relax
for 10 seconds, then repeat the cycle
four more times.
6 Easy Lower
Abdominal Exercises
The Routine
Sure, a more toned midsection can
ease your bathing-suit anxiety.
But it can also protect you from
injury: Research shows that a strong
transversus abdominis—the muscle
that wraps around the torso—stabilizes
your back, which makes it easier to lift
anything, whether it’s kids or grocery
bags. To work this tricky-to-target area,
20 Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84