The miniskirt work-out

Rod Stewart's girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, signalled the start of the miniskirt season last week with an impossibly short black number that barely seemed to cover her bottom. But with the unusually mild spring weather, thoughts inevitably turn to the long-forgotten mini, which fashion experts believe will be the summer's must-have.

Don't fret if your legs aren't as pencil-slim as the stars', there are a few health tips you should know that can help you tone your legs by Easter. Fitness expert Sarah Maxwell says: "Without doubt, high-intensity strengthening exercises are the surest route to fit-to-be-seen pins, and making a deal with yourself to put them to good use every day can make the difference between wanting to flaunt them or hide them.

"If your legs are short and stocky, it's no use hankering after legs that reach up to your armpits, but on the bright side, they can be easy to get in shape if you're prepared to work them. Walking, cycling and swimming are all good daily leg toners as these activities burn fat and tone the thighs and bottom without adding bulk. In-line skating is a good work-out too: muscles in the hips, thighs and shins get a better work-out on skates than from running.''

To tone your legs in as little as three weeks, add these moves to your routine three times a week. Make it more effective by working muscles until they are fatigued - as in you couldn't possibly do another repetition - instead of striving to complete a certain number of sets.

Goal: shapelier calves

Pliés with calf raises. Stand with your legs three feet apart, toes turned out, hands on your hips. Bend your knees until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Raise heels up and down as many times as you can. This one is great for the thighs and has the added bonus of killing the calves.

Goal: slimmed-down inner thighs

The inner-leg lift. Lie on your right side with your left leg crossed over the right and resting in front of you. Extend your right leg (but keep the knee slightly bent) and slowly lift it about one foot off the floor, using the inner-thigh muscle to initiate the movement. Slowly lower your leg back down. Flab often hits here first because these muscles aren't generally exercised during normal daily activity. For extra "bite" add 3-5lb ankle weights when you feel able comfortably to lift them. Alternatively try ball squeezes: lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place a six-inch-diameter ball between your knees. Using your inner-thigh muscles, squeeze the ball for seven counts, then release for three counts.

Goal: toned knees

Long lunges. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips. With your left foot, step forward as far as you can go and bend your knees so your left thigh is parallel with the floor and your left knee is directly above your ankle.

Return to starting position. Repeat with your right leg. Front lunges help tone the knees by diminishing stubborn fat deposits in this area. Most lunges do not require such a far step, but it's what makes this move a lengthening exercise for the rest of the leg in addition to a strengthening one.

Goal: work off those "saddlebags"

Outer-thigh raises. Begin by lying on your right side with your bottom leg bent at a 45-degree angle. Extend top leg out in front of you with the foot flexed. Keep your weight forward by leaning on your left hand (hips should not roll backwards). Slowly lift the leg for a count of two, then lower for two counts. Repeat as many times as is comfortable. Toning the muscles on the outsides of your upper legs will help diminish any unsightly bulges.

Goal: sleek and muscular thighs

Wall squats. Stand about two feet away from a wall with arms by your sides. Sit back as if you were lowering yourself into a chair until your back is flat against the wall and your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold until your legs become fatigued. This hat-trick of an exercise has the bonus of working the quadriceps (front of thigh muscles), hamstrings (back of thigh muscles) and buttocks.

Sarah Maxwell can be contacted on 020 8542 3754.