Now that you know the shoes you need this Fall it is time to talk about getting the gams that will be showing them off. MCbJ fitness contributor has the tips you need to strut those stilettos in fit fashion. And nothing goes better together than hot legs and hot shoes so its time to work it mama. Even if you don’t like to work out do it for the shoes. xx
Let’s talk legs ladies! Fall is the time for us mommies to regroup our minds, revamp our wardrobes and reset our fitness routines. Today we’re talking sexy lean legs.
First things first, we can make our legs leaner with diet and exercise but we can’t make them longer. Your genes help determine your body type. In order to get muscle definition and a tight lower body you need to focus on cardio and strength training.
Cardio Mama:
When choosing a cardio workout, think activities like power walking, running, inline skating, step machine, aerobic or spin classes. You benefit from cardio by burning fat, as well as developing your leg muscles. If you are already doing cardio moves that directly uses your leg muscles, increase the difficulty and definitely add interval training to your workout. Ideally, your cardio workouts will alternate between longer, less intense workout days, such as longer jogs, hikes or power walks, and HIIT (high intensity interval training) – think spin or cross training classes, and treadmill workouts.
Strength Training Mama:
On the days you’re not breaking a hardcore sweat doing cardio, you need to add strength training to your routine. Some women might shy away from strength training with the mistaken belief that lifting weights or using gym weight machines will give them bulky muscles. As you lose fat doing cardio, you need to balance your workout by doing muscle-building exercises to preserve muscle mass. Building muscle also helps to burn even more calories since muscle burns calories even when you are not exercising. Ways to incorporate strength training into a busy mom’s day are easy (you can do these exercises at home with the kids): Simple lunges, wide squat jumps, outer and inner thigh lifts and calf raises are all leg defining simple moves for you to try.
Start with a set of 10 on each leg and repeat 3 times. As you become stronger add more repetitions of each exercise. If classes are more your speed, seek out ballet barre, Pilates, yoga and Body Pump classes. A lot of “cardio” classes also cross over into strength training like spin and cross-fit.
All of these tips look great on paper. I know the difficulty of just finding the time and energy! Start with a simple calendar and schedule in your workouts.
Alternate between cardio, HIIT training and strength days. Sign up at a local gym with day care, join a Stroller Class or find help. If you’re lucky enough to have school-age children, find a studio near your kid’s school.
Drop the darlings off at school and make it to a morning spin class. It can be done – I DO IT EVERY DARN DAY!
You’ll have lust-worthy Legs for all those trips to the grocery store. 😉
Stay healthy!
with love,
Cortney
SHOP THE GEAR
Image Credit: Pinterest, Fit Pregnancy
Cortney Taketa is YAS spin instructor, and a fabulous mommy of three. For more fitness tips by Cortney, check out her other posts here.
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