Lose 1st in a month, Lose 2st in 2 months, Lose 30lb in 3 months
by Sally ann Voak, Slimming Editor

Yesterday we told you how to eat your way to a sizzling body with three delicious diet plans. The amount you will lose depends on the time you have before your holiday. If you have just a month to shape up, you can shed a stone, in two months you can lose 2st and you can slim down by as much as 301bs if your break is three months away. Today, David Marshall, the famous Bodydoctor, takes you through the Florida Beach exercise programme. He got Kate Moss back in shape after her pregnancy and helped Sophie Dahl to drop three dress sizes. He has also trained Hollywood actress Rachel Weisz.

For the routines you will need two bottles of water, two cans of fruit or baked beans and, if you have two or three months before your holiday, it is worth buying an inflatable Swiss ball.

David says: “Choose the right size ball. When sitting on it, your thighs should be parallel to the floor.” Before attempting the exercises, warm up with a brisk 15-minute walk. After the first couple of days do ten minutes walking, alternated with five one-minute bursts of running.

After your first month, increase warm-up time to 20 minutes and introduce more running. After two months, increase it to 30 minutes.

A MONTH BEFORE YOUR HOLIDAY: Your daily routine should consist only of Floor Exercises.

TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOUR HOLIDAY: Do the Floor Exercises only for four weeks, then add the Ball Exercises. If you find the routine easy, repeat the Floor Exercises.

THREE MONTHS BEFORE YOUR HOLIDAY: For the first month, do the Floor Exercise routine. For the second month, include the Ball Exercises. During the third month you should be capable of managing two sessions of each exercise routine.

REPEATS: Try ten repeats of each exercise and work up to 25, unless otherwise stated, as fitness improves. For all the exercises, you must work with your stomach pulled in and ribcage closed – don’t slump. Exhale as you perform each movement and inhale as you return to the starting position. If you suffer back problems or any other disability which might make it unsafe for you to do the exercises, consult your doctor before attempting the routines.

1 BICYCLE TWIST
FOR TUM AND LEGS: Lie on your back, bring knees to chest, hands under neck. Curl shoulder blades up. Pause, relax. Bring left knee closer to chin, twist right elbow to left knee. Twist torso so right knee touches left elbow. Repeat 30secs, work up to 2.5mins.

2 SWISS BALL CRUNCH
FOR TUM, BALANCE, STAMINA:, Lie on your back over the ball so it supports your lower spine, feet flat on the floor. Leave a gap between your chin and chest. Then place your hands flat on your thighs and curl chest towards them as you reach forward with your hands extending them towards your knees. Do not lift your hands. Relax back to starting position. Start with five repetitions and build up to 20.

3 BOTTOM SQUEEZE
FOR BUM AND TUM: Lie on your back, arms by your sides. Bring knees to chest, let feet drop to the floor. Tilt pelvis up, bend right leg and put foot on left thigh. “Squeeze” pelvis upwards. Lower a little, then squeeze up again. Repeat in pulsing movement, 5-20 to each side. Do not let body drop sideways.

4 CRAB PRESS
FOR CHEST, SHOULDERS, STOMACH, ARMS, BACK: Kneel with hands flat on floor in front of you. Extend right arm forward, left arm back, keeping hands flat. Turn right foot out to side, pull in tummy. Lower yourself until face is 5in off floor. Raise body to start position, lower again. Swop sides, repeat. To make it harder, move bent knee further down. Start with three and work up.

5 PELVIC LIFT
FOR BOTTOM, THIGHS, ABS. Lie on floor, arms outstretched, palms of hands on the floor. Lift your legs and place your calves on the ball. Lift your pelvis off the floor. Hold the position briefly ,then lower pelvis. You will find you will wobble, but the exercise works the central core muscles of your body so you will improve! To make this exercise harder, place heels on ball, bring your hands in closer to your body. Start with 5 reps, build to 25.

6 SWISS BALL PRESS-UP
FOR CHEST, SHOULDERS, ARMS, BACK: With thighs resting on ball, pull tum in, put hands flat on floor in front of you. Bend elbows, lower chest slowly as far as comfortable. Straighten elbows, raise chest. To make exercise harder, place ball under shins. Ensure hips do not dip to floor. Build to 20-25 reps from five.

7 LUNGE WITH A LATERAL RAISE
FOR LEGS, BUM, TUM, SHOULDERS AND ARMS: Stand with feet hips width apart a full bottle of water in each hand. Inhale. Take a big step forward with your left leg, then stop in this position with both knees relaxed and your right heel lifted off the floor. Bend arms at right angles to body. Then, in “downward lunge” position, curl arms upwards, exhale, then curl them outwards until parallel to floor at shoulder height. Lower arms, inhale, then raise body. Start with one or two repeats, and build up to as many as possible. Then change legs, so right leg is forward, left leg back, and repeat.

8 REVERSE LEG LIFT
FOR STOMACH, LEGS, THIGHS: Lie flat, knees up, Swiss ball between feet: Place hands under bottom, to support spine. Pull in lower tummy muscles, raise ball with feet towards chest by curling up “tailbone”.

9 FIGURE EIGHT LUNGE
FOR BACK, CHEST, STOMACH, THIGHS: Can in each hand, assume classic lunge position (exercise above). Raise cans in front of your body, hands 4in apart. Move hands out to left of your body, then up, then down in an arc to right, making figure of eight movements from side to side. As many reps as possible, then swop legs, repeat.

10 SWISS BALL CHEST FLIES
FOR BOOBS, THIGHS, POSTURE: Sit on ball, feet flat on floor with heels directly below knee-level and can of baked beans in each hand. Keeping upright with tummy tucked in, raise your hands in front of you. Return to starting position and repeat 20-25 times. Then, arms straight, push the cans out to the sides of your body, but not too far. Return to starting position and repeat 20-25 times.

For information on the Bodydoctor go to www.bodydoctor.com