Nice Legs!

Ready for shorts weather? Let's get moving today for better results!
1. Checking in all day! Are you using your legs all day? When you sit or stand from a chair, do an extra squat without using the arm rest on your chair. When you walk from place to place, walk with purpose. Have a minute? Do walking lunges around your house for a few minutes. Do moving squats to get to another room or place in your house.
2. Cardio Cardio Cardio! Yes, it's true, leg-intensive cardio sculpts legs and burns that layer of fat over the top. Walking works more of the hamstring and glut muscles (back of the leg), but you have to walk like you mean it. Running uses more quadruceps (front of the leg) and burns more calories. Swimming uses hips and hip flexors. Biking is more quadruceps than hamstrings. All of these are beneficial, so don't limit yourself to one form of cardio.
3. Pilates. You know Pilates as a core workout, but the Pilates professional understands that the core is connected to all other parts, and the legs cannot work without core support. So, several parts of the series are hip exercises that work the muscles in a way that slims and lengthens muscles (think pretty hips).
4. Explode! Jumping rope, jumping on the trampoline, jumping movement in sports, sport training that uses plyometrics, and the new aqua plyo trainings give the muscles such a challenge that they burn a ton of calories and they develop for strength and endurance. Aqua Plyo training is jumping in coordinated exercise in a pool. Look in to this, especially if you are concerned over injuries or joint problems.
Questions? Find me here or on my FB page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carriefit/138324099558280

Core Focus

The first stage to a strong "core (central section of the body; abs and lower back)" is a new mental focus on this area, all day long. Once the muscle memory is learned, it will be a subconscious focus, but at first, the mind must interract with the abdominals with everything that the body does.
Start with a focus on breathing. A good, strong breath is deep into the lower abdominals, and then is pushed out by engaging the abdominals. Pilates and yoga are based on this philosophy, though they perform deep breathing in slightly different ways. In order to learn the basics of yoga or Pilates, the breathing comes first.
Then, any time you have a moment and can focus on the abdominal section, focus on pulling it in. Think of it like zipping up a tight pair of high waisted jeans, but make sure the lower back does not collapse and fall backward. In order to make the waist smaller, it must pull in from all angles.
Finally, in every motion, breathe out and pull the abdominals in. This is especially true in exercise and in lifting anything. The rectus abdominus is an unusual body part that can push out or pull in, depending on how the person allows this body part to be used. If the person pushes the abdominal wall out while lifting, then the muscles will grow outward and create bulk in the middle of the body. If the person pulls in on every movement, the muscles will grow inward and create the sleek and toned midsection that looks great and works well with the rest of the body.
Even with pretty, strong abs, they can hide under a layer of fat. Burn visceral fat with cardio exercise. Fight bloat with a low sodium diet and LOTS of water.