4 Leg Toning Exercises and a 15-Minute Treadmill Blast

Targets: inner thighs, quadriceps, hip flexors, knees and lower abs.

Lie on back, place ball between feet. Inner sides of feet contour firmly against ball. Ball should be halfway between feet so that one end doesn't pop out from between feet.

Position legs, ball between feet, straight up; soles of feet face ceiling. Place hands anywhere but on legs. Now, bend only knees, keeping thighs vertical. Only the lower legs move, hinge style. Flex (bend) knees all the way and then straighten legs so that, once again, soles of feet face ceiling-all the while holding ball in place. 30-100 reps.

Stability Ball Inner Thigh Tightener

Place ball between your back and wall; contour back firmly against ball, always keep back vertical. Never bend forward during routine. Place feet very far apart, toes pointed outward as much as possible. Cross arms at chest or hang straight down. Don't touch legs. Lower into a squat (keep back vertical!) so that thighs are parallel with floor. Hold for 3 seconds. Straighten only three-quarters, then repeat 20 times. Fitter trainees should hold hand weights.

Quad and Hip Flexor Strengthener

Stand with feet together. Raise a knee as high as possible, keeping thigh close to chest. Maintaining this knee height, slowly extend lower leg outward, parallel to floor. Hold for a 2-count, then draw leg back in and lower leg. Do each leg 10 times. Variation: After lifting knee, shift it to your side, then extend lower leg.

Unsteady Squats

Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart on an unstable surface, such as a BOSU board, wobble board or other balance implement. Keep feet flush. Now, start squatting, keeping back vertical at all times. Squat to 90-degrees, hold for a 3-count, then straighten. Never lock out knees. Immediately lower back into the squat. Do 20 reps. If this is easy for some of you, hold light dumbbells to your chest with crossed-arms and/or increase reps.

15-minute Treadmill Blast

All treadmill workouts should be done with arms naturally swinging at sides. Holding on cheats you big-time, ruins posture, and burns far fewer calories than what the display indicates. If you're afraid of falling off, start out slower than usual and increase speed as you mentally adjust to a natural, hands-free gait.

Minutes

2 4 mph

1 5 mph

1 3 mph

2 6 mph

1 3 mph

1 7 mph

1 3 mph

30 seconds: 8 mph

1 minute: 3 mph

30 seconds: 9 mph

1 minute: 3 mph

30 seconds: 9-10 mph

2 minutes: 3 mph

30 seconds: 9-10 mph

Cool down with a comfortable walk for five minutes.