CheekyChicago

As the leaves start to fall, we start rotating out our summer clothes for winter-wear. But before the snow flies, we still have time to enjoy our Cheeky fall wardrobe! Think knee-high boots, skinny jeans and a fitted long-sleeved shirt underneath your favorite fall jacket. Who doesn’t love fall clothes?! But if you find getting back into your jeans this year requires laying down and sucking everything in, start working these four exercises from fitness expert Lois Miller into your week.

1. Plie Squat with Heel Raise

Best for: Legs and calves

Step your feet apart into a wide stance with your feet turned out to a comfortable external rotation from the hip. Keep your abs strong and your knees over your ankles. Bend the knees into a low squat with thighs close to parallel to the ground. As you straighten your legs, lift your heels pressing through the ball of your foot and engaging your quadriceps. Keep moving for a minute or so. Soon enough, zipping up your boots will be easy!

2. Flutter Kicks and Outer Thigh Presses

Best for: Booty

In order to drop the hate from your love/hate relationship with jeans, Lois suggests buying a resistance ring (intensities vary). Put the band around your ankles and lie on your stomach. Engage your core to support your low back and press your legs out and in for up to a minute. From there, move into a flutter kick up and down for another minute. Don’t forget to keep your legs straight!

3. Super-Setting Your Core Work

Best for: Abs

“To get a strong midsection the real key is to piggyback exercises for intensity with no break in between, changing the angle ofthe moves and always draw the belly button to your spine,” says Lois. Her all-time fave exercise is to start on the floor with your feet off the ground and legs bent at a ninety-degree angle. Pull your belly to your spine and pull your elbows to your knees. Repeat until your abs start to burn!

4. Push-Up Into Shoulder Raise

Best for: Upper Body

If you hear push-up and think you can’t, you can! Place your hands on one- to five-pound hand-weights with your knees on the ground. “The knee position allows for full range of motion for the other exercise,” she says. Lower down into a push-up and as you come up raise an arm forward. Go back into a push-up and repeat using the opposite arm.

(Photo Credits: Fitness Formula Clubs)