Targeting trouble spots

While all-over fitness is the ideal, the majority of us have at least one trouble spot that seems to remain resistant to our best efforts to tone up. The good news is that there are simple things you can do in your everyday life to target these areas

Wobbly bum

Genetics will have given you the bum you've ended up with in adulthood, but no matter what its general shape you can tone it up considerably with a couple of straightforward exercises:

Chair squats

Stand in front of a dining chair with your feet facing forwards about hip distance apart. Lower yourself down to the chair seat by bending your knees slowly.

Allow your buttocks to just touch the seat, then slowly return to standing, squeezing your buttock muscles and keeping your feet still. Do a set of 10 and repeat often throughout the day. You can increase the intensity by hovering over the seat rather than touching it.

Wii Fit Plus

The new Wii Fit Plus features, among other exercises, three new muscles poses, allowing you to tone effectively, yet discreetly in the comfort of your own living room.

Pendulum exercise

Stand straight with your feet hip distance apart. Hold on to the top of a chair or a door handle and, with your foot facing forward and flexed, swing your right leg out to the side and raise it as high as possible, then swing it back to the starting position.

Repeat 10 times, then do the same with the other leg, holding on with your other hand. Repeat the whole exercise as often as possible.

Saggy tum

Many women have saggy tums, especially after having children. You may never regain your pre-pregnancy tum, but the following exercises will certainly help to tone it up and flatten it a bit:

Lying step

Lie on your back with arms by your sides, your knees bent and your feet a few inches apart. Raise both your legs together so that they make a right-angle with your knees and your calves are parallel to the floor.

Slowly lower your right leg, moving from the hip, flexing your foot downwards until the toes just touch the floor, then bring it back slowly to meet the other leg. Do the same with your left leg and repeat the whole exercise 10 times.