Are leggings making you fat?

Want a covetable beach body in time for summer? Then ditch your leggings as they could be making you fat...

They're the must-have fashion item of the year, but trendy leggings could be counterproductive if you’re trying to tone up in time for summer.

GET OUR TOP TIPS FOR TONED LEGS!

Experts warn that leggings encourage women’s muscles to become lazy, resulting in flabby abs and legs.

‘They hold in and support the quadriceps, buttocks and core muscles in your tummy, and do the job the muscles are supposed to do,’ says physiotherapist Sammy Margo. ‘As a result the muscles are allowed to relax and switch off, so when we reveal our bodies for the first time as summer approaches, they are not as svelte or firm as they otherwise would be.’

But the craze of leggings has engulfed womenaround the world, with celebrity advocates including Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckhamand even Michelle Obama. So perhaps all is not lost?

‘Leggings hide the bits of our bodies we don’t like, such as the cellulite on our legs or our ‘muffin tops’, so we are able to ignore the problem,’ continues Sammy.

There are some simple daily exercises to help tone up before you don that bikini, such as walking with ankle weights, as well as clenching and releasing the stomach and buttock muscles throughout the day.

'As comfy as they are, leggings are not every girl’s friend,' says Marie Claire's beauty assistant Jessica Hough. 'It’s all well and good to be ‘held in’ but now bikiniseason is looming, we might get a reality shock when we strip off.

Jessica suggests investing in a good cellulite cream that contains essential oils to reduce dimples and use a body brush daily. And with the glorious sunshine Britain has been experiencing recently, there's no excuse not to swap your leggings for a bit of leg.

TOP TIPS FOR TONED LEGS!

READ JESSICA HOUGH'S BEAUTY BLOG HERE!

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