Football fit leg moves

Strong, toned legs are how Team GB women's football player Steph Houghton powers her way round the pitch


Posted: 10 July 2012
by Nicola Davenport

Stephanie Houghton
Team GB's Steph Houghton

Arsenal Ladies footballer Steph Houghton is representing Team GB in the London 2012 ladies football tournament. It's the first time the GB women have played at an Olympics.

The midfielder made her international debut for England Ladies in 2007, playing against Scotland. Here she tells us how she keeps her legs fit for action.

Running: Playing football means I do a lot of running on the pitch, but I also do regular runs outside of games (between 20-30 minutes) as part of my daily training programme.

Running is the perfect way to keep your legs toned and looking healthy but not becoming too muscular. You can gain a little bit extra toning to your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and also your bum with short but regular runs.

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Squats/Lunges: Doing squats and lunges will help to keep your legs looking healthy and toned. I do these exercises 2-3 times a week and they can be done with additional weight or just using your body weight.

They can be tough but you really feel the benefit and can see a difference within a few sessions. You should do four sets of 10 squats and four sets of 8 lunges per leg.

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Stephanie Houghton
Steph off the pitch

Calf Raises: I have quite small calves so have had to work hard to keep them looking toned.

I aim to do three sets of 10 calf raises approximately 2-3 times a week, and feel that it has made my legs look better and more toned.

My essential leg products: There is no better feeling than having hair-free legs, so I would recommend using the Gillette Venus Razor. This teamed with the Gillette Shaving Foam definitely keeps my legs smooth and looking healthy.

I also could not live without my Palmer's Cocoa Body Butter. I moisturise my legs 2-3 times a day, mostly after showering. This moisturiser prevents my legs looking dry and keeps them looking and feeling smooth.

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