In a parallel universe, long pants and woollen tights may be acceptable in the warmer months, but not on planet earth. So now is the time to tone, tan and detoxify those pins so you can let them loose in shorter skirts and flippy sundresses come spring, summer and beyond!
Tap Into Toxins:
If you train and tailor your diet in the hope of thinner thighs – to no avail – you may be fighting the wrong enemy. Fat may not be the culprit that is bulking up your legs, it may in fact be due to hormone imbalance and an impaired lymphatic drainage of toxins. The latter is really hard to move through the body and if your liver is sluggish (piled up with toxins) the body stores fat in the nearest tissues, which – voila! – Is the thighs and the butt. If this sounds like you, your liver – not your legs – may be a priority, so visit your GP for advice on how to maintain a healthy, natural body detoxification cycle.
Tan up:
Sunnier days can prove frightening for flaky, white legs. So to optically allude to a recent Greek getaway – that never actually happened – get thee to the chemist or cosmetic counter for a self-tanner. Many brands – Lancôme and ModelCo to mention a few – have specific leg tanners that work to create a longer, leaner illusion by reflecting light flatteringly, creating shading around thighs and prominence around the shin bones. You can shake and spray an instant tanner, or work up to a gradual glow with a body moisturiser – Dove and Palmers are classics – that promotes a bronzed effect daily.
Go With A Wedge:
For those who want to create a stylish illusion of longer, leaner limbs, go with a nude heel – to extend the skin-tone of the leg – or a wedge heel. When it comes to jeans and pants, opt for a high waist – again creating the impression your legs go on until next Easter – and wide-leg pants with vertical detail. The floor skimming length of these pants means no area of the ankle or leg is wasted!
Don’t Get Mad, Get Even (thighs):
Cellulite started decades ago. Well, at least the little fat cells that house this silent but unsightly sucker did. See, by the time we are adolescents, we are gifted with an increased rate of fat cell acceleration – compared to boys – around the buttocks and thighs. What this means for women is that by the time women are in their twenties, thirties and yes – under those fluorescent change room lights trying on an unforgiving swimsuit – in their 40s and beyond, the damage is done. The worst thing to do is beat yourself up about it. Prevent those fat cells from leasing out space to any further lymphatic gridlock by improving circulation – via exercise and herbal remedies. Cardiovascular exercise – like walking (including hills) and jogging combined with body brushing is the perfect wakeup call for this area.
Get Strong With A Friend
Four legs are better than two! So if you are not a runner, or a walker, become a lifter! Increasing strength in the legs is a great way to boost muscle (hello tone!), which then uses more energy, kick starting a continued metabolic, fat blasting effect long after you’ve untied the Nikes. And the best bit? This can be done in a fitness class with a friend. Whether weight or circuit training in the gym through to Pilates, aqua aerobics or spin classes, egg each other on each week, and get your legs I tip-top shape as a twosome!
