TONE UP IN JUST 10 MINS

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Jun 14, 2009 | by SHARON VAN GEUNS

SUMMER'S here and the time is right for... casting aside all those protective layers and giving the world a glimpse of the beautiful body you've kept under wraps all winter long.

So are you ready to let everyone see your true shape? Or are there wobbly bits you'd really rather keep hidden? We all know that sticking to a gym routine pays off, but membership fees can be sky- high- and it's not always easy to find the time to fit in regular workouts.

Which is the clever idea behind a new series of exercise DVDs that are flying off the shelves all over the world. In fact, The Ten Minute Solution Series - there are 25 DVDs on sale in Britain - has become the country's best selling exercise DVD.

The series of exercises, already a huge hit in the US, show how just 10 minutes of cleverly targeted exercise really can work wonders, from pilates and yoga to dancing and workouts with weights. So we show you how you can be just 10 minutes away from thinner thighs, a flatter tummy and a perter behind.

To get you started, we've selected a few essential moves you can try out before you go out and buy any of the DVDs - see the three sections on the right. And below there's an exclusive Sunday Mirror competition which gives you a chance to WIN one of the DVDs.

Five hundred lucky readers will be able to get themselves in trim for the beach.

IN THE MAG:

WIN swimsuits that make you look 10lbs lighter

CELEB bikini secrets.. Melinda tells how she stays fit

20% OFF at Simply Yours, Swimhut, George and Figleaves

WIN THE FAB 10 MINITUE Solution DVD

WE'VE teamed up with 10 Minute Solution to give away 500 copies of their top-selling fitness DVDs, worth pounds 9.99 each.

The exercises are designed to fit into your busy schedule... breaking down larger workouts into smaller segments of 10-15 minutes to exercise throughout your day to deliver significant health benefits.

Each DVD has five customisable workout segments, each complete with its own warmup and cooldown. The spring-summer titleswe're giving away are:

Blast Off Belly Fat - for a flat stomach fast, and Pilates perfect abs (200 copies). Quick Tummy Toners - for a firm, flatter stomach (100 copies).

Pilates Perfect Body - for arms, bottoms and thighs (200 copies).

HOW TO ENTER

SIMPLY answer the following question correctly: Where abouts on your body would you find your abs?

A ........................CHEST

B ..................STOMACH

C ..........................ARMS

CALL 0901 154 3900 and follow instructions OR Text SMIRROR2 followed by a space and then your answer (a, b or c), name, address & postcode to 84080. To receive details of goods and services which may be of interest to you, start your text entry SMIRROR 2 IN .

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Lines close at 6pm on Friday June 19, 2009. BT landline calls cost 50p per call. Other networks/mobiles/payphones may vary. Text entries cost 50p each plus standard network rate.

2. Five hundred winners selected at random after lines close from all correct entries received.

3. Winners will receive one of either Blast Off Belly Fat, Quick Tummy Toners or Pilates Perfect Body DVDs within 28 days of competition closing date. Prizes not transferable, no cash alternatives.

4. Standard MGN Rules apply - see www.mirror.co.uk/rules Service Provider: Eckoh UK Ltd, PO Box 206, HP3 9FT. Tel: 01442 450707

HALF SQUAT

GET LEANER LEGS

START with both feet parallel, separated from each other by the width of your hips. Bring your hands together and clasp them in front of you. Rest your body weight on your heels, push your shoulders back and suck in your abs as tightly as you can. Bend your knees into a squat but don't go all the way down. This way you should feel extra strain in your thigh muscles. Repeat eight times.

SLOW REPEATER

START with one leg a metre in front of the other, bring your fists together in front of your chest, forming a triangle (right).

Slowly raise one leg with your toe pointing downwards. Lower your leg and tap the ground. Then step back so your feet are together flat on the floor. Swap legs and repeat the move eight times.

LUNGES

Stand with one leg forward and the other leg back with your weight on the ball of the front foot. Push your back and suck your abs in. From your hips, lunge straight down and then come up again (above right). Repeat eight times. Switch to other leg and repeat - again eight times. You can always hold weights

to make this exercise more challenging.

PLIE

STAND with your legs wide apart, bend so your knees are as near to your toes as you can get them, all the time trying to keep your back as straight as you can. Move your tail-bone straight down and straight back up again (shown right). Exhale as you lift. Repeat this move eight times. Then repeat it again, but more slowly this time, going down to the count of three and back up to the count of one.

HIP FLEXOR STRETCH

THIS is a very simple, but highly effective move.

Put your left foot forward about a metre in front of your right foot. Raise your weight on to the ball of your right foot. Then lace your hands together over your left thigh (right), stretch and lunge forward.