I just had to pass on this great article by Debbie Powers.... She is an expert...
REAR ENDS
Butts….Buns….Fannies….call
‘em whatever you want. Our backsides are more exposed now that spring
is here. Shorts and swimsuits hide very little. Those long winter days
of consuming warm cookies, hot chocolate, or other cold-weather treats
are now in full view of everyone at the pool, lake, or beach. For this
reason, I am going to spend the next few emails with suggested exercises
to help tone those “now-exposed” body parts. We all know that specific
exercises will not necessarily reduce the fat you have accumulated on a
specific area. Only by reining in the calories and creating a calorie
deficit day in and day out will the fat disappear. Vigorous aerobic
exercise burns calories and can reduce overall body fat. However,
exercises targeting a specific muscle group will tone those
muscles and create a tighter look. Combining the right nutrition with
the right exercises will yield results. For this reason, spring and
summer are great times to enjoy the refreshing Body Wise Élancé shakes
for a nutritious and low-calorie meal.
Exercising for great glutes can include both aerobic and strength work:
- Walking – walk very briskly so that you can push your glutes to the max. Add some hills or stairs.
- Jogging – like when walking, hit the hills or try some interval sprints.
- Biking or Spinning – increase the resistance so that you have to pump hard, or even stand to pump.
- Squats – stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower
into a squat as if you were going to sit into a chair. Keep the torso
upright. Return to a standing position. Holding some weights increases
the work.
- Lunges – step out with one foot and lower the back knee toward
the floor. Make sure the front knee does not extend past the front
foot. Push off with the front foot back to the starting position.
Alternate lead foot. Hang onto a chair or wall if you need help with
balance.
- Hip extensions – stand facing a wall, placing hands on the wall,
and with a straight back push one leg out behind you as high as it can
go (while keeping the leg straight). You can also do this down on the
floor on all fours, and simply extending one leg back and up.
Doing these exercises daily will help tone your glutes. Remember
that the basic shape of our rear ends is dictated by our genetics.
However, with some work, you can get a tighter look whether your butt is
wide, flat, high, or low.
Debbie
Powers, an Executive Director with Body Wise International, is
Assistant Professor Emerita of Wellness at Ball State University. She
has co-authored A Wellness Way of Life, 10th ed., McGraw-Hill; A Fit and
Well Way of Life, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill; and A Fit Way of Life, 2nd ed.,
McGraw-Hill.
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