Body Toning Exercises for Women

Although body toning exercises for women do not differ significantly from body toning for men, women tend to focus on specific parts of their body. However, while women tend to gain weight around their lower body, the entire body should be worked as a unit.

Even though the myth of spot reduction has been disproved, many women continue to cling to the idea of "losing inches" through exercise. Sadly, this type of unrealistic expectation is one of the major causes of exercise burn out. Toning exercises will not reduce the size of your thighs. You will need to burn fat through aerobic exercise and monitor your intake of dietary fat. However, toning exercise will increase your lean muscle mass, which will in turn speed up your metabolic rate. This means that you will be burning additional calories while at rest.

The best body toning exercises for women are those that move the body through a full range of motion. Ideally, these exercises should be progressive, which means that there should a variety of ways to make them more challenging. This can be done by adding resistance, increasing range of motion or changing the angle of movement. Remember that variety is not only the spice of life; it is also the key to avoiding exercise burnout.

The outer thigh is a common area of focus for women. It can be worked in a side-lying position, by raising the top leg. Although this is the most popular way to work the outer thigh, other methods may offer increased definition. For example, working the external rotators of the leg will exercise similar muscles used in a dancer's "turn out."

• Lie on your side with your knees bent. Your hips should be stacked.
• Lift your top leg. Do not lift it any higher than hip height.
• Keep your pelvis in a stable position and rotate the leg so that your knee faces toward the ceiling.
• Return your leg to the parallel position.
• Lower the leg to the starting position.

You can make this more challenging by adding a resistance band around the legs. Resistance bands can also be used for standing leg-toning exercises. Use a smaller band and place it around your ankles. Take a big step to the side with your right leg and then bring your left leg in to meet it. Perform eight steps to the right and eight steps to the left.

Inner thighs can also be toned from the side-lying position. However, for inner thigh work, the bottom leg, as opposed to the top leg is worked. You can add intensity by attaching ankle weights. You can also increase the range of motion by performing them while lying on the couch. Move to the edge of the couch and prop yourself up on your elbow. Lower the working leg to the floor. Keep the working knee straight as you lift the leg to the height of the couch.

Consider using a stability ball for your abdominal workout. Since the ball requires balance, core activation is increased, which means that you are working your deeper muscles. To work your lower abdominal muscles, lie on the floor and place the ball between the inner thighs. Lift your pelvis from the floor.

The stability ball hamstring bridge is one of the best hamstring and butt exercises.

• Lie on the floor with your knees bent.
• Place your feet on top of the ball.
• Lift each vertebra from the floor, until you are in a bridge position.
• Stay in the bridge and bend and straighten your legs for 12 repetitions.
• Slowly roll back down to the floor.

Although some women neglect upper body exercise, this is not advisable. The triceps, which are located at the back of the arm, have a tendency to get flabby. Sit at the edge of a bench and align your hands so that your fingers are facing directly ahead. Bend your elbows and lower your hips toward the floor and then slowly straighten your arms.

• Pictures of People Exercising
• Women Fitness Models
• Male Fitness Model

• Breast Lifting Exercise
• Contour Abs
• Naked Exercise
• Naked Pilates
• Hula Hoop Exercises

• Upper Body Toning Exercises
• Best Toning Exercises for the Lower Body
• Muscle Toning Exercises
• Thigh Toning Exercises
• Weightlifting Exercises