By Annabelle Hood
If you could wave a magic wand to transform just one part of your body that you dislike most, what would you change?
Over a third of women admit that wobbly abs (aka ‘jelly belly') is their biggest body hang-up. Muffin top, the widening of waist and enemy to skinny jeans everywhere, comes in a close second. Thighs, flabby arms (aka ‘bingo wings' or ‘family fortunes'), double chin, back fat (‘bra back') and large ankles (‘cankles') also seem to be on our body gripe list, according to a survey conducted by weight loss aid Zotrim.
So what's a healthy girl to do?
Blitz those body bits!
"We all have a part of the body we'd like to improve," says Joanna Hall, fitness guru and author of The Exercise Bible. "For each body bit, I've devised essential exercises to improve the tone, shape and balance of that muscle group. Do these easy exercises three times a week for a month and you will definitely see and feel a difference."
Blitz your jelly belly
‘Hundreds' is an old pilates favourite that tones the whole abdominal area: "Lie on the floor, face up, arms extended by your sides. Engage the trunk of your body, keeping your spine in neutral," says Hall. "Lift your legs off the floor, extending them away from your body as you curl the upper body gently off the floor. Keep this contracted abdominal position as you ‘beat' (or ‘pulse') your arms to the floor. Repeat until you've counted to 100, breathing out for five beats and in for five each time."
Of course, a flat stomach is about not over-indulging too. "When we gain weight, our belly is often the first place that we notice it," agrees Zotrim Consultant Dietitian Jane Griffin. Make healthy eating choices and resist the urge to skip meals, which will only lead to bingeing and belly-bloating later.
Blitz your muffin top
"Lie on your back, face-up, with a neutral spine. Hold a small (eg, tennis) ball in both hands," says Hall. "Slowly curl to the outer side of each calf. Keep the shoulders relaxed and draw in through the navel as you rotate. Draw the bottom right rib closer to the opposite left hip, ensuring you keep some trunk tension as you uncurl (try to avoid rolling the lower body as you rotate). Repeat 16-20 on each side."
Blitz those thunder thighs
Celebrity fitness trainer Matt Roberts has toned all manner of celebrity legs, bums and tums. "While you cannot ‘spot reduce' fat by exercising only that area, you should see good results if you target the larger muscles of the legs correctly."
Ready, steady, lunge? "For toning and tightening, I always recommend a walking lunge, using your own body weight or dumbbells for more resistance," he says. "Standing, take a long stride forward and land on your heel while sinking into a deep lunge. Repeat on the other side, performing three sets of 12-15 reps on each leg to maximise oxygen uptake and burn more calories."
Blitz your bingo wings
"The ‘scissors' exercise tones the backs of the arms and gives lean definition," says Hall. "Lie on your back, arms extended directly over the eye-line. Hold a small 1.5 kg weight in each hand. Lower the arms in opposite directions, one over your head, the other down to your thighs. Keeping the weight off the floor, lengthen through the arm as you lower. Draw the arms back overhead and ‘scissor' in the opposite direction. Take four counts to complete this move. Hold out and raise one hand three in off the floor, then repeat on the other side. Do 12 repetitions on each arm."
Blitz a double chin
"Push the palms up towards the ears on the underside of the jawline, and bring them over the top of the jaw and back down towards the chin to break up fat deposits," says facial guru Bharti Vyas. Next, "place all fingers firmly on the chin. Pinch and hold with the thumb underneath the chin. Move and pinch up around the jawline, squeezing firmly as you go, without dragging the skin. This helps disperse fatty tissue and encourage lymphatic circulation in the jaw."
Blitz your cankles
"Heel raises are great for toning the upper calf," says Roberts, "and running or cross training should help start mobilising the fat around the ankle itself. Standing on any kind of step, ensure your heels are hanging over the edge. Holding on to a banister or wall for balance, slowly lift up onto your toes until you feel the contraction in the back of your leg. Lower and repeat for two sets of 15-20 reps to aid toning, progressing to one leg only rises to increase the intensity."
Blitz that bra back
"Any exercise involving a pulling motion will help condition your back," says Roberts (and no, we don't think he means down the pub). "My personal favourite is a single arm row, performed by having the hand and knee from one side of your body, supporting your weight on a bench while using the arm on the opposite side to pull a dumbbell up level with your hip" he says. Got it? Great, because now you simply "return to the starting position and repeat for two to three sets of 20 reps on each side." Come on... tell me that beautiful backless dress isn't worth it?
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