Target Practice: Trouble Spot Toning Exercises

Honing Hinge

Trouble Zone: Thighs
Why it hits the spot: Turning your toes out in a plié shifts more of the focus to the inner thighs, and the forward bend challenges your legs to work that much harder to stabilize you.

Targets: Shoulders, back, butt, quads, and inner thighs

• Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, arms by sides.
• Lower into plié, knees bent 90 degrees, and extend arms overhead, palms forward. Make it easier: Keep hands on hips.
• Slowly hinge forward from hips until torso is nearly parallel to ground, keeping back flat and stretching arms forward.
• Slowly raise torso back to plié position, then return to start.
• Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, July/August 2011.