Linda Shelton - The Ultimate Body Book: 4 Weeks to Your Best Abs, Butt, Thighs, and More!

Also Available from Shape Magazine

SHAPE YOUR LIFE: 4 Weeks to a Better Bodyand a Better Life!, by Barbara Harris, with Angela Hynes

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BODYCHANGE: The 21-Day Fitness Program for Changing Your Body and Changing Your Life, by Montel Williams and Wini Linguvic

FRANK SEPE'S ABS-OLUTELY PERFECT PLAN FOR A FLATTER STOMACH: The Only Abs Book You'll Ever Need, by Frank Sepe

THE RIGHT WEIGH:
Six Steps to Permanent Weight Loss Used by More Than 100,000 People, by Rena Greenberg

SIMPLY WOMAN:
The 12-Week Body/Mind/Soul Total Transformation Program, by Crystal Andrus (includes a DVD)

ULTIMATE PILATES: Achieve the Perfect Body Shape, by Dreas Reyneke

THE WAY OF THE BELLY: 8 Essential Secrets of Beauty, Sensuality, Health, Happiness, and Outrageous Fun, by Neena & Veena, with Nancy Bruning (includes a DVD)

YOGA PURE AND SIMPLE:
Transform Your Body Shape with the Program That Really Works, by Kisen

Kits by Jorge Cruise

8 Minutes in the Morning:
A Simple Way to Shed Up to 2 Pounds a WeekGUARANTEED!

8 Minutes in the Morning to a Flat Belly:
Lose Up to 6 Inches in Less than 4 WeeksGUARANTEED!

8 Minutes in the Morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs:
Lose Up to 4 Inches in Less than 4 WeeksGUARANTEED!

All of the above are available at your local bookstore, or may be ordered by visiting:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa: www.hayhouse.co.za
Hay House India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Copyright 2005 by The Philip Lief Group, Inc., and Weider Publications, Inc.

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Editorial supervision: Jill Kramer Design: Amy Rose Grigoriou

Shape is a registered trademark of Weider, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews without prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Shelton, Linda

Shape magazine's ultimate body book : 4 weeks to your best abs, butt, thighs, and more! / Linda Shelton with Angela Hynes; produced by the Philip Lief Group, Inc.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4019-0708-2 (hardcover)

ISBN-10: 1-4019-0708-3 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4019-0709-9 (tradepaper)

ISBN-10: 1-4019-0709-1 (tradepaper)

1. Exercise for women. 2. Physical fitness for women. I. Title: Ultimate body book. II. Hynes, Angela. III. Shape magazine. IV. Title.

GV482.S54 2005

613.71082--dc22 2005009176

Tradepaper ISBN 13: 9781-401907099 Tradepaper ISBN 10: 1401907091

12 11 10 09 6 5 4 3

1st printing, November 2005

3rd printing, October 2009

Printed in Singapore by Imago

This book is dedicated to the millions of Shape
readers in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Your earnest quest for greater well-being has
provided a continued source of inspiration.
May this information contribute to your
wholeness and joy for life.

what defines
the ultimate
body?

Do you exercise at least three to five times per week?

Do you follow an eating plan that contributes to your being lean and full of vitality?

Are you happy with the way your body looks, given whats healthy and realistic for you?

Are you happy with how your body performs?

Do you feel as strong as youd like to be?

Do you have the energy you desire?

Do you feel physically comfortable in your own skin?

Do you appreciate your body?

If you didnt answer yes to every question (or even if you did), youre in the right place to start making some changes that will get you fit and healthy, and put you on the path toward your Ultimate Body.

But what exactly does that mean? When you hear the words Ultimate Body, does an image come to mind of a leggy supermodel or a buff athlete? So many of us look at celebrities as role models. But if your ideals are simply images of women gleaned from the pages of the glossies, youre setting yourself up for unrealistic and hard-to-sustain goals. The people you see in those pictures are usually young, and often gifted with exceptional physiques and rare metabolisms that allow them to sustain their looks effortlessly. Many photographs have been retouched to make the subjects look flawless, and the super athletes work tirelessly to get those lean and toned bodies. Its often part of their job! They characteristically spend more time than most of us can realistically devote to the pursuit of physical perfection.

When we at Shape think Ultimate Body, we think of you. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average American woman is 53.7 tall and weighs 152 pounds with a body mass index of 26.3. Thats a far cry from the average model, who stands 511 and weighs in at 115 pounds. We want you to take a realistic look at your body and accept itbetter yet, value and be grateful for it, including its imperfectionsand then focus on whats reasonable and possible for you. Set your personal fitness goals accordingly: They might be to lose weight; to target trouble zones like hips, thighs, or abs; or to shake up your workout routine to reach a new level of fitnessin other words, to achieve your Ultimate Body.

Thats where this book comes in. First, were going to get you up and moving. According to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, 86 percent of people dont exercise at all. In a study of nearly 7,000 people, the top three ways in which those 18 and older expend energy are driving (11 percent of daily activity), doing office work (9 percent), and watching television or movies (8.6 percent). In comparison, the top leisure-time physical activities are moderate walking (1 percent), swimming (0.8 percent), and aerobic exercise (0.6 percent).