The High-Heel Workout
Dana Meltzer Zepeda,SELF magazine
She's got legs and she knows how to use them! High heels may go hand-in-hand with flirty sundresses but, if you aren't careful, your favorite stilettos could wind up weakening your lower back, knees and ankles.
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"If you wear heels, the body is forced into a position that can shrink your calves and thicken your Achilles tendon," says L.A. Pilates instructor Thalia Thomas, who has trained Sienna Miller, Nicole Richie and Kylie Minogue at Studio Soma in West Hollywood. "It's important to strengthen your legs so your joints have support when being taxed by heels."
But, rest assured, you don't have to retire your favorite pair of Jimmy Choos anytime soon. "Women should work on strengthening their quads and hamstrings since building muscle in your leg will strengthen the feet so one can support the pressure the heels have on the foot."
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Of course, there's also the added bonus of scoring long, lean gams to make all that hard work worthwhile. "Building muscle in your leg will also burn fat and reduce the appearance of cellulite," says Thomas. "Doing leg work will also tighten the VMO muscle that peeks out when wearing a dress or a skirt."
Incorporate these 3 strength-building moves into your regular routine 3 to 4 times a week for strong, sexy legs!
Plie in First Position: Stand with your heels together and toes apart. Bend your knees outward with your knees over your big toes. Bend as far down as you can without raising your heels. Hold for 5 counts. Straighten your legs, squeezing your inner thighs and glutes and hold the squeeze for 5 counts. Do 20 reps.
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Calf and Achilles Stretch: Lunge forward while holding onto a wall (or a barre, or counter). Keeping the front leg bent (knee directly over ankle), straighten the back leg and bring the heel of your back leg to touch the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. This will stretch the calf muscle, which gets very short and tight from wearing heels. Return to your start position and repeat on the other side. Repeat 3 times.
Tennis Ball Stretch: Take a tennis ball and curl your toes over the ball, hugging it with the ball of your foot. Roll the tennis ball along the ball of your foot to stretch the foot and reduce the pain of bunions and hammertoe associated with wearing heels. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds then return to your start position and switch sides.
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