Whether you're looking for a quick beauty fix or must-try fitness tips, we've rounded up the ways to get gorgeous gams.
Do a Serious Scrub
Sloughing off dead skin cells is vital to snagging a glowing complexion (plus, alligator legs are pretty unsightly). Just be careful not to scrub too often or too hard. Stick to two to three times (every other day) for oily skin and no more than once a week for sensitive skin.
Make Your Shower Do Double Duty
It is the perfect place to squeeze in a few calf raises while you suds up. Switch the stream to cool water and your body will work overtime to maintain your normal temp. You could lose about 100 extra calories!
Fight Off Cellulite
While there's no magic cure to get rid of cellulite, you can reduce its appearance. Deal with the dimples on the cheap with a daily dose of firming cream, which contains ingredients like caffeine and seaweed that are said to tighten and moisturize the skin. Amp up the effects by using a rolling pin to smooth over pesky bumps.
Sequester Your Saddlebags
Feeling hippy in your jeggings? Try a resistance band step touch. Loop a resistance band around your ankles and stretch the band to the side in a step-touch motion- Your hip and saddlebag areas will appear tighter and smoother instantly.
Remove Your Stubble
When there's no time for waxing or laser, revert back to your hair removal ABCs and give your bod a good, old fashioned shave.
Get Toned
While tanned legs may be at the top of every gal's summer to-do list, toned legs are just as important for rocking cut-off shorts. The side leg lift specifically targets the outer thighs, glutes, lower abs, and obliques. This supplemental leg exercise, when practiced regularly in conjunction with a healthy diet, will tone your hips and increase hip flexibility.
Do A Wall Sit
If you feel like your inner-thighs are looking less than toned, place a book or a yoga block between your knees as you sit with your back up against a wall, with your knees bent and the back of your legs parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 1-5 minutes. Your legs will definitely feel less jiggly.
Get Glowing
Our favorite way to get news-anchor, star-quality glowing legs-without using oils or shimmery lotions-is to apply one of the new gradual-build self-tanning moisturizers daily. Use them in place of your regular body lotion (i.e., after showering), and after a few days a subtle glow will appear.
Shape Up
Thinking about wearing a mid-thigh shaper with pants? Don't. I recommend that people go with a style that doesn't stop on the thigh. It's always better to create a line by wearing footless pantyhose instead.
Contour
When wearing short skirts, add a little highlighter up the center of each leg to contour. This trick reflects light to the middle of the leg and recedes over the outer leg, making your gams look leaner and longer.
Tighten Up
Not loving you legs in that mini-skirt? For instantly tighter-looking skin, rub baby oil on your stems (especially along the shin bone) to create the illusion of longer legs.
Reverse and Prevent Damage
To prevent scars and stretch marks from getting darker with sun exposure, slather them with sunscreen. At night, apply a scar-minimizing topical to repair damaged tissue.
Tighten Your Thighs
Stand up straight, with your feet hip-width apart and try to lift your right leg hip-level high. Attempt to hold this for one minute, then switch sides. Your thighs will feel leaner, pulled in and tighter.
At-Home Moves
You can even exercise, while watching TV! Try this simple move: Lay on your chest with your hands under your forehead and your feet flexed, so your heels are in the air. Press your heels together like frog legs, and squeeze your gluts to lift your legs off the floor, so that your knees are lifted (continue for 20-30 reps).
Do Extra Cardio
Have five minutes to spare before going out? Do 500 jogs in place for five minutes.
Fix Uneven Tanner
Having a subtle glow is sexy, having weird streaks on your legs isn't. First, exfoliate the blotchy area with a sugar and lemon juice scrub. When your skin is completely dry apply a gradual sunless tanner directly on the clean area and finish off with a blow dryer (on the cool setting) to get the tanner to dry completely.
Take The Stairs
Wear your stilettos up the stairs to add an extra calf-tingling element (20 sets of stairs will stomp down about 100 calories).
