What comes to your mind when you see stunning women like Taylor Swift, Cameron Diaz, Kylie Jenner, Tricia Helfer and Tina Turner? They all have beautiful legs.
There is nothing as great as rocking shapely legs in shorts, miniskirts and leg-bearing dresses. Long shapely legs have always been by women worldwide.
So if you want to have them, follow these tips below for legs that are simply the best.
· Diet
If you want to have shapely legs, you have to pay attention to what goes into your mouth. If you are a regular eater of junk food, sugar or excess processed carbs, you can give up your dream of having shapely legs.
The truth is you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Exercise is only effective if you combine it with good nutrition.
Also, you eating all that trash will cause you to gain unwanted body fat and cellulite all over your body and your legs.
So these are what you should eat on your journey to getting beautiful legs:
· Increase your protein intake.
Aim to eat 150 grammes of protein a day. The best sources of protein are eggs, fish, lean beef, poultry and pork.
If you are vegan, you can get your protein from tofu and lentils. Eating enough protein will help you gain the lean muscle mass that is crucial for having shapely legs.
· Eat foods high in fibre.
These foods will keep you full for a longer time. They aid digestion and bowel movement. That, in turn, leads to weight loss and general health.
They are also high in vitamins and minerals that give you healthy skin.
Foods that are high in fibre include most fruits and vegetables, sweet potatoes and whole grains. However, eat them in moderation.
Fruits and whole grains because although they are high in fibre, they are also high in carbs and may cause you to gain excess body fat.
I Eat more vegetables like cruciferous and green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits because they are lower in carbs but high in fibre. They are also delicious if you know how to cook them too.
· Eliminate refined carbs and sugar.
These foods have no nutritional benefits and can make you gain unwanted body fat. Also, studies have shown that regular consumption of refined carbs and sugar can increase your chances of obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Examples of these foods are cakes, white flour, margarine, pastries, soft drinks etc.
· Exercise
Various exercises are good for building lean and shapely legs. Ideally, your fitness routine should comprise cardio, strength training and stretching to make it well rounded.
So the best cardio for burning excess body fat and working your legs are walking, running on an incline and the Stairmaster. If you are bottom-heavy and would love to reduce your legs, you should try cycling and using the elliptical instead.
· Strength training.
Strength training is crucial for women who want shapely legs. However, there is something you need to put into consideration.
Different exercise routines give different results. Some leg exercises will make men look terrific but can have an opposite effect on women. If your goal is to build muscle on your legs, do these exercises with heavyweights.
However, if you want lean legs like a gazelle, do these exercises with light weights or no weights at all. These exercises are:
· Squats.
This exercise works the glutes, thighs and hamstrings.it helps strengthen and shape the muscles in those areas
· Process.
1. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and pull in your stomach.
2. Lower down as if you are sitting on an invisible chair.
3. Straighten your legs to lift.
Do 30 squats and increase repetitions as your fitness level increases.
· Lateral lunges.
This is an excellent lower body exercise that strengthens and stretches the thigh muscles for beautifully shaped legs. They also put less strain on your back. It is suitable for bad lower backs.
· Process.
1. Stand straight with feet hip-width apart.
2. Take a step out to the left and bend your left knee as you push your hips back. Keep your feet flat on the floor throughout lunge.
3. Push off your left leg to return to a standing position
Do 15 lunges on each side and then switch to the right side.
· Step-ups.
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This exercise looks simple but, you will feel the burn. It works the glutes, calves and thigh muscles. Just get a sturdy stool or stair and you are good to go.
· Process.
1. Face the step with your feet apart.
2. Step up with the right foot, pressing through the heel to straighten your right leg.
3. Bring the left foot to meet your right foot on top of the step.
4. Bend your right knee and step down with the left foot. Bring your right foot down to meet your left foot on the ground.
5. Do 20 step-ups each on each leg.
· Sumo squats.
Here is another exercise that is very good for sharpening the calves, inner thighs and glutes.
· Process.
1. Stand tall with feet wider than your shoulders and toes turned out at a 45-degree angle. Inhale and pull in your stomach.
2. Lower down, keeping your back straight.
3. Squeeze your glutes and return to a standing position.
Do 20 to 30 repetitions.
· Stretches.
Do these after your cardio and strength training exercise. If you don’t add stretches to your exercise routine, you can end up with bulky, knotty leg muscles that most women hate. They are crucial if you want lean and shapely legs.
The following exercises listed below are excellent for stretching your legs.
· High kicks.
This exercise is good for stretching your legs after doing squats and lunges.It also stretches your leg and glute muscles.
· Process.
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arm by your sides.
2. Lift your left leg as straight out as you can while reaching for your toes with your right hand and right leg. Alternate sides
3. Keep your back straight.
4. Lower your left leg and repeat with the right leg. Alternate sides.
5. Do 20 repetitions each.
This exercise stretches your legs and glute muscles.
· Seated Toe Touches.
This exercise stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings and calves lithe.
· Process.
1. Sit upright with your feet and legs together in front of you. keep your legs relaxed and back straight.
2. Lift your arms up in front of your shoulders and bend. Try to touch your toes with your hands or stretch as far as you can.
3. Hold for 30 seconds and return to starting position.
Repeat 3 times.
· Downward Facing Dog.
This exercise stretches the whole back and legs.
· Process.
1. Kneel on all fours and keep your back straight.
2. Inhale and pull your navel to your spine. Exhale and lift your knees coming straight on your toes and lifting your pelvis as high as possible.
3. Push your heels towards the floor. Inhale and come back unto your toes.
4. Exhale, go back yo your knees.
Repeat three times.
Other exercises that are also effective are Pilates, yoga and dance aerobics.
Shave your legs.
Nothing screams sex appeal like silken smooth hairless legs. To get the look, try shaving your legs with a depilatory cream like Veet once in 3 weeks.
I am not a personal of using razor blades because you can cut yourself if you are not careful. Also, shaving with razors can cause ingrown hairs which can be very uncomfortable. You don’t have to worry about that when you use a shaving cream.
You can also opt for waxing but mind you, it can be painful and more expensive than a shaving cream.
The best removal treatment in my opinion is laser treatment. You will get the best results because it destroys the hair at the root. There is a minimal chance of regrowth, which will give your legs their sleekest look.
· Exfoliate.
If you have dead cells on your legs, they won’t look smooth and beautiful irrespective even if you do all the tips mentioned earlier.
This is because cells make your skin look dull and ashy. You should exfoliate your skin including your legs once a week.
You can try exfoliating your skin with this homemade body scrub. You will need the following ingredients:
1. 2 Tsp coconut oil.
2. 2 Tsp sugar.
Use it after taking a bath and rinse off. I tried this and legs looked simply divine.
· Moisturize.
This is the next step you should take after exfoliating your legs to make the soft and smooth. Ideally, you should do this after taking your bath for the best results.
· Get rid of varicose veins.
Varicose veins can diminish the beauty of your legs. However, don’t despair. There are several for you to get rid of these unsightly veins.
They can be treated with a procedure called Sclerotherapy. It involves injecting a solution into the veins that will cause them to collapse and fade.
Other treatments that can be used to treat varicose veins are Phelbectomy, laser ablation etc.
So try these tips mentioned above and rock your gams Kendall Jenner style.