By Dave Patania
Enquirer contributor

A reader from England asks how to tighten her "bum" or as we Americans say, butt, for the summer.

With some hard work, consistency and a splash of passion, you really can tighten up your lower body. The genie lunge is a very effective exercise because it puts a lot of resistance on the butt, legs and inner thighs yet doesn't add a lot of bulk. I call it the genie lunge because you hold your arms out in front of you like a genie for balance.

Primary muscles involved: Glutes (buttocks), quadriceps, hamstrings and adductors (inner thigh)

Getting started: Stand with one foot in front of the other with your back leg slightly bent and resting on the ball of your foot. Be sure to have your whole front foot in contact with the floor for stability and balance. With your front leg slightly bent, cross your arms and hold them in front of you. Hold your chest up and out, keep your abdominal muscles tight and place your head and chin in a firm/upright position. This will keep your back straight and prevent you from bending forward as you do the exercise.

Slowly lower yourself down until your front leg is at 90 degrees and/or your back knee is an inch or so from the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat. Be sure to breathe as you exert and concentrate on performing the exercise with excellent form, technique and slow speed of movement. Perform one to three sets of 15-20 or more repetitions. Advanced exercisers can perform 20-100 repetitions for outstanding burns and muscle endurance.

Be sure to support all training with proper nutrition, aerobic work and stretching.

Tip for beginners: If you have trouble balancing, perform the exercise near a wall, countertop or chair in case you need a stable surface as support.

Tip for intermediate/advanced exercisers:

• To place extra resistance on your quads, use a short-distance stance.

• To place extra resistance on the glutes, use an extra long stance and really push off of the heel for a great burn.

• Perform this exercise while holding dumbbells for additional resistance.

Contact personal trainer Dave Patania by e-mail: davpatania@aol.com.