Get A Leg Up!

Get A Leg Up!

Does your beauty routine start with your face and end with your neck? Pay attention to your pins with these seven natural health and beauty tips.

1. Bend and stretch

Exercise your legs regularly to shape them, increase their stamina, and build muscle tone. Even if they're not model-slim, stong, toned legs are always sexy. Work every part of your leg by performing knee dips, squats, deep knee bends, hamstring curls, outer and inner thigh lifts, and calf raises with toes pointed straight ahead. To work aerobically and exercise the legs, run up stairs, do step-up routines, or buy or rent a Stairmaster.

2. Declare war on cellulite

This is the stuff that makes your thighs look like orange peel. Ninety-five percent of women have it, thanks to our hormonal make-up. However, losing excess weight, exercising, eating well, drinking plenty of filtered water, improving circulation and having regular massage will all help minimise its appearance. Try this circulation-boosting recipe:
Cellulite solution
1/2 cup ground cornmeal
1/2 cup coarse oatmeal
1 tablespoon sea salt
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
3 drops each juniper, lemon and cypress essential oils
Put salt in a bowl and mix in oils. Add the cornmeal and oatmeal and mix again. To use, moisten the skin and massage in small pinches of the scrub, using a firm, circular motion. Rinse off and pat dry. Repeat every day.

3. Massage relief

To ease tired limbs, relieve cramps, and improve circulation, massage your feet and legs regularly, with or without a circulation-boosting oil, made by combining 30 drops of geranium essential oil with 30ml of unscented vegetable oil. Sit comfortably on the floor, legs outstretched, back upright, hips straight. Take both hands over to the left thigh and massage down the outside along an imaginary pants seamline, palms side by side, rhythmically grasping the thigh with your palms and squeezing with the fingers. When you reach your knee, move hands to inside of thigh and work back up the leg to the groin. Now, lace fingers of both hands to the back of the thigh, thumbs resting on the sides for support. Massage down the back of the kneecap by pressing in a line with the fingers. Bend knee slightly, and place thumbs on either side of leg, just below kneebone, fingers and palms resting on side of legs for support. Massage down your legs to the ankle by pressing and releasing with your thumbs. Move hands to inside of ankle and massage up inside of leg to knee with thumbs. Place thumbs in front of knee, fingers behind kneecap. Massage down back of calf by pressing in a line with your fingers. Repeat on right leg.

4. Dry-brushing

You can improve circulation and keep legs buff and sleek by dry-brushing every day. use a dry loofah or a natural body brush, start at the feet and brush upwards to the hips with long, sweeping strokes.

5. Moisturise

Slather a good quality natural body cream all over your legs after bathing or showering. You can also make your own with this easy recipe.
Honey healer
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons wheatgerm oil
2 tablespoons glycerine
2 tablespoons witch hazel
1 tablespoon rosewater
Pour all ingredients into a tightly capped bottle and shake well before each use. Store in the fridge during hot weather.

6. Press the flesh

Sore, aching feet may be an external manifestation of an internal problem. Make an appointment with a qualified reflexologist for a healing session of this special foot massage.

7. Stop varicose veins

These form when the pumping action of the calf muscles is not sufficient to keep the blood flowing steadily back up through the veins of the legs and thighs. Blood flow slows, and valves stop working; pooling of the blood stretches the veins and creates the unattractive blue knots.
* Avoid standing or sitting in one position for too long; move around as much as you can.
* Don't take long hot baths - or at least splash your legs with witch hazel afterwards if you must indulge.
* Take the bioflavonoid rutin to strengthen capillaries.
* Improve peripheral circulation by including garlic and ginger in your diet.
* Try this compress for immediate relief of varicose discomfort. Combine 1 cup of chilled witch hazel with 6 drops of cypress oil and 1 drop each of lemon and bergamot oils. Soak a wad of soft gauze in the mixture and apply to sore legs. Relax with feet elevated and leave the compress on for as long as possible.