Mini Step & Flex Exercises

Mini step and flex exercises can help shape your legs, including your hips, thighs, buttocks and calves. You will burn calories and excess fat because the exercises make for a good cardiovascular workout, so your endurance will improve. The exercises can be done with or without resistance bands. Because your metabolism and flexibility will increase doing these exercises, you might experience weight loss, too.

  1. Mini Step With No Extras

    • Do squats. Step onto your mini-step. Lower your buttocks while bending at the hips. According to Reebok, do not let your knees bend farther than the point where you cannot see your toes. Hold this position. Return to upright position. Step off mini-step. This mini step and flexibility exercises helps your quads, hamstrings, buttocks and lower leg muscles.

      Free stepping. Step onto the mini step. Swing your arms as if walking or jogging. Step back down to the ground. Repeat. This exercise will be the equivalent of walking briskly while using steps. It works all your leg muscles.

      Work your ankles and lower legs. Place the ball of your foot onto the mini step. Lift yourself up. Hold. Return to original position. Repeat. This also increases your hamstring flexibility, according to Virginia Mason Orthopedics.

    Mini Step with Extras

    • Increase your upper body flexibility while using tools such as tubes or bands.

      Alternate biceps curl. Attach your resistance band or tube to the base of your mini step. Extend your arms down with your palms facing up. Reebok states that while stepping down you need to curl your opposite arm up toward your chest. Alternate lifting arms back and forth with each step.

      Alternating shoulder press. Attach resistance tubes to base of your mini step, bringing each side up to your hands. Step onto your mini step. While holding onto the resistance bands, lift one arm up over your head. Step down and lift the opposite arm above your head. Repeat.

      Do a side deltoid press. Dietandfitnessresources.co.uk says to attach the resistance tubes to the base of your mini step. Bring each side up to your hands. Step onto mini step. With your palms facing down, lift up the bands until your arms are at waist length. Bend arms slightly at elbow. Lift arms with shoulder. Hold. Return to original position. Repeat with opposite arm as you step off the mini step.

    To Be Safe

    • Be sure to stretch for about 10 minutes, according to shapefit.com. This assures your muscles will be warmed up before exercising. Warmed muscles prevent injury. Also, check with your physician before starting any exercise program.