Sunday, December 19, 2010

And the winner is... (plus, your inner thigh)


Congratulations! Your mailbox will soon be filled with a small package that contains a running shoe necklace from Fashletics—trust me, you'll love it. And I love that your expression of strength and badge of honor is your body, despite the fact that it isn't "perfect" or thin. That mentality is truly helping you be your strong and healthy best and I urge you to continue thinking that way. (Lesson of the day, dear readers!)

To Sarah at Fashletics—thank you for sharing your products with us!

Now, let's get to your Daily Dose. Today's topic: your inner thigh muscles. Ever wonder how to target them specifically? It's really not as hard as you think, and totally worth doing. These muscles help with pretty much any activity that involves your legs as they work with your outer thigh muscles to flex your hip this way and that, so it just makes sense to keep them as strong as possible. My favorite way to hit 'em? Grab a body bar. It looks like this:
Lie down on your right side, legs and hips stacked, right elbow bent to support your upper body. Bend your left leg, placing your left foot on the ground behind your right knee (or calf, depending on your flexibility). Place one end of the body bar over the arch of your right foot. Hold the other end steady on the ground with your right hand. Now, just lift and lower that right leg, keeping it straight with a flexed foot. You should feel your inner thigh muscles contract. Complete 12 repetitions, roll over, then work the left side before returning to your right side for a second set of 12 repetitions.

No body bar? Try wide-leg squats with your toes pointed out. Hold a weight for added resistance. You can also find the inner thigh machine at your gym—they're pretty common, so yours should have one. (My gym has two!) You can also attach an ankle strap to a cable machine set low to the ground. Stand with your inner thigh facing away from the cable machine, leg slightly in front of the other. Balance on the opposite leg as you pull the attached leg away from the machine. You'll feel it, I promise. (No cable machine? Use a band! Create a loop on one end, tie a knot in the other and slam it in a door. Proceed as directed to with a cable machine.)

Now go, enjoy your Sunday! (Come back tomorrow for something truly delectable!)

Question: Did you work out today? Have an inner thigh exercise that I didn't mention, tell me about it!

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