The Trick to Toned Legs (and other things)
Do you know the reason those new Reebok shoes to tone your rear and legs are supposed work? They are taking something you are already doing (walking) and linking it with exercise. Now, I don’t know if those shoes really work, but let me share with you a few ways that concept really works for me in other areas.
I take activities I already do and combine them with things I want to be doing - or more specifically, that I want the results of doing. Like returning phone calls while driving, worshiping in the shower, reading my Bible before and during my breakfast, etc- two birds with one stone. That method of combining is just as effective with exercise.
I do sit ups and crunches before I get out of bed (or at least before I get dressed). I started with just 5 sit ups each morning, but now I do a bunch of them and don’t stop until I really feel the burn. I combine leg lifts with brushing my teeth. Not only do I brush my teeth for a longer time (like I should anyway), but in about one year my legs were toned and you could see defined muscle. Now, a year sounds like a long time, but I just tell myself - if I don’t make any changes to my routine, my legs will be in the same shape (or likely worse) in a year. So, morning and night, I do leg lifts - alternating which direction I lift, or in circles, etc. I also combine some kind of exercise with tv commercials. If I have to sit there anyway, why not do leg lifts or half-sit-ups while sitting on the couch. When I wanted green tea’s health benefits, I linked it to the dreaded afternoon slump and replaced my afternoon coffee with hot green tea, lemon, and honey. And to add more walking to my day, I park farther away and walk briskly into the store; or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
The key to any of those being effective is consistency. Just link the thing you are wanting to do (or that you are wanting the results from doing) to something you are already doing. And start small! Just add one thing to your routine and do it every time. And just remember, combining the new thing to your established routine is the first step to seeing results.
