Five Fat-Burning Workouts for Women

Summer is the perfect time to get outdoors, get moving and get healthy. Walking, jogging, and hiking are all great outdoor exercises to get the heart pumping and lose some unwanted winter pounds. However, if the great outdoors isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of indoor activities that will burn fat and slim those problem areas.

The abdomen is many times the most complained-about problem area in women. Pregnancy and getting older make belly fat difficult to get rid of. Try these fat-burning exercises to tone your midsection.

Upper Abs: Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent and feet firmly on the floor hips or shoulder-width apart. Place your hands behind your head. Pull your stomach muscles toward your knees, bringing your upper back slightly off the floor. Keep your lower back on the floor and be sure not to pull your neck with your hands. Pretend you have an apple or orange between your chin and chest so that you don't tuck your chin. Exhale as you go up and inhale as you go down. Work up to three sets of fifty, resting one minute between sets.

Lower Abs: Lie down with your back and waist flat on the floor. Place your hands beneath your bottom and raise your legs straight in the air. Raise your bottom into the air and back down slowly. You should be able to feel a pull in your lower abdomen, below your navel. Work up to three sets of twenty, resting one minute between sets.

Another problem area in many women is the inner and outer thigh. To tone flabby thighs that rub together when you walk, try these quick and easy exercises.

Inner Thigh: Perhaps the easiest exercise to tone inner thighs is to lay flat on the floor and lift your legs straight in the air. With your abdomen tight and your lower back pressed to the floor, spread your legs apart and slowly bring them back together. Spread your legs only until you feel mild tension. Inhale as you spread your legs and exhale as you raise them. Do three sets of twenty, resting one minute between sets. This is a great exercise because, if done properly, it also works your abdomen and outer thigh.

Outer Thigh: In a standing position, hold on to something sturdy, such as a chair or table. Raise your outside leg (the leg farthest from the table) out to the side. Hold it in this position for a few seconds in order to tighten the outer thigh muscle. Slowly lower your leg back to the floor. Exhale as you raise your leg and inhale as you lower it. Perform twenty repetitions, then switch to the other leg. Repeat exercise three times with each leg.

The buttocks is another major problem area in women. There are quite a few exercises to tone up a flabby bottom, but I'll list just a couple.

Buttocks: The easiest exercise to tone your buttocks can be done virtually anywhere and anytime. Simply tighten your buttocks muscles, holding them tight as long as possible then relaxing. Repeat this as many times as you can. Another exercise is to get on your hands and knees on the floor. Raise one leg up and back behind you, keeping your knee bent and tightening your buttocks muscle. Be sure to keep your back and waist still. Perform twenty repetitions, then repeat with other leg.

Keep in mind that, even though these are great fat-burning exercises, these alone will not necessarily lead to weight loss or a toned body. In order to see those love handles melt away, combine the exercises with a healthy diet and good mental health. With these three ingredients, you're sure to see a healthier you in no time!