Get Lean, Sexy Legs With These 6 Exercises

As a small child, you may have grown up wanting to be a ballerina. As a teenager and adult, you may have admired ballerinas' long legs and perfect posture. You did numerous crunches, hoping to get flat abs and better posture. If it didn't help, don't be distraught.

Dancers have good posture because their backs and abs are strong. The leg stretches they complete help them elongate their muscles, which gives them a leaner look, too. To help you get the ballerina legs you always wanted, try these stretches.

1. Leg Swings
Stand with your left side facing a chair and your left hand resting on it. Bring your legs together with your heels touching and toes pointing out on a diagonal. Extend your right arm out to the side at shoulder height. Lift the right leg off the floor in front of you to hip height and turn it out to the side slightly while bending it.

Swing your right leg back behind you. Keep your back nice and straight, zip up those abs and squeeze your buttocks as you swing the leg. Return to the start position and repeat on the other side. You should spend 30 seconds on each leg.




2. Plie
Stand with your left side facing a chair and your left hand resting on it, with your toes turned out slightly and heels together and lifted a few inches off the floor. Bring your right arm out to the side at shoulder height. Bend your knees into a low plie as you press your heels together like glue. Squeeze your inner thighs as you return to standing. Keep your back straight and zip up those abs the entire time. Complete as many plies as you can in one minute.

3. Tuck
Holding on to the chair with your left arm, turn your body on a diagonal toward the chair. Bring your legs and feet together, lift your heels several inches off the ground and bend your knees. Extend your right arm out to the side at shoulder height. With your inner thighs squeezing together, alternate tucking your pelvis forward and back. The higher the heels come off the floor, the trimmer the thighs.

4. Hamstring
Turn the chair so that you are facing the seat. Stand with your feet and legs together and lean forward from the waist. Place your palms on the seat of the chair and lift your right leg straight behind you so it's one line from your right leg to your head.

Flexing your foot, bend and straighten your right leg, pulling your heel to your rear. Keep your back strong and navel pulled toward your spine the whole time. Complete as many exercises as you can in 30 seconds on each leg.

5. Pretzel
Sit with your right leg bent in front of you and your left leg bent behind you. Place your hands on the floor in front of you. Lift the left leg off the floor just an inch or two behind you. Now pulse by lifting and lowering the bent leg. This pulse is a very small movement that focuses on the deeper muscles. Pulse as many times as you can in 30 seconds. Then switch legs and repeat.

6. Bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart. Extend your arms straight alongside your body. Lift your heels and hips off the ground. Tuck your pelvis up and down for one minute.

Denise Austin has helped millions of people lose weight. She's sold 20 million exercise DVDs, authored more than 10 books and starred in the most-watched fitness show in history! Austin's mission is to help America get fit –- and now she's online at DeniseAustin.com to motivate and educate people everywhere to eat right and exercise. Visit DeniseAustin.com to lose weight!

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