I really need to keep fit but i have a problem (for me it's a problem anyways). My muscles get quite big, mainly in my legs (thighs and calf muscles) and above my hips. I end up bigger than when i started and the muscles above my hips stick out over my skirts making me look chubby. My thigh muscles are naturally (genetically) quite big, i don't want them any bigger!!

I don't see the exercise i do as being really strenuous either. For about 40 minutes every other day/3 days i begin with a stretch, workout my arms a bit, do press-ups, and use the ab-shaper. I do about 130 forward crunches in total, plus 80 on each side. To work out my legs i lift them whilst lying on the floor, 30 lifts each leg and 30 bends whilst lying on my side, 25 lifts each leg lying on my back (i split the crunches and leg lifts up so i'm not exactly doing 130 crunches all in one go). Then i do some jogging on the spot to get my heart rate going. I end with a stretch to relax the muscles.

My calf muscles were noticably bigger a few weeks ago, so i stopped doing the exercises and low and behold, they've shrunk back down to the way i like them!

Any suggestions on how i can keep fit without becoming a female body-builder? :)

I also have a tendency to build a lot of muscle so I really just concentrate on cardiovascular exercise. I like running and biking, though too much biking makes my thighs a bit big (so skip that haha! :) ). I’d suggest finding an aerobic exercise you enjoy since it would help tone everything but not cause you to bulk up. Keep up with your ab and arm routine as well. That’s what seems to work the best for me anyway. A lot of people seem to like yoga, so if that sounds more appealing, maybe incorporating something like that would help too.

I was thinking of yoga, but i'm not sure if it would actually keep me fit? Isn't it just a mind thing, for relaxation??

Go attend a yoga class if you think it won't keep you fit! The first few classes and every muscle you possess ACHES!! It takes a good deal of strength, balance and flexibility to hold the poses.

Yeah but she could do best with keeping fit generally first so as to build up to that in my reckoning, with little bits of easy yoga inbetween I'd say to begin, unless Starlass you think you are fit and able enough to do advanced Yoga (of sorts) already of course!? :)
I doubt it takes very much attonement to be able to practice it well, and the better you can be at balance and control,
and the more fitter and well poised you become, the more benefit you will get from something like Yoga, most probably and practically almost anything you set your mind to!....

Already as you are now, its good that you stretch and limber up, and allow your energies to flow and stimulate those muscle that are unavoidably used in everyday motions/situations. (unless you are sat at desk in work or otherwise sat on your butt the whole time, which would be no use).

Don't be afraid to exercise a lot. Aerobic or Cardio work when out and about,
will soon put pay to unwanted big muscle, so lots of doing just that is cool, or if you want to remain more static, and less energetic in movement there is as said yoga, and perhaps using your own body weight for exercises such as you are now in the home, less whatever else if you choose to keep things simple, which is no bad thing. :) whereas a routine that becomes complicated can quickly become tiresome and hence you give up with it.

Star Lass, Pilates is a great way to build muscle tone in a long, lean way. It doesn't feel like you're doing much at the time, just small, focussed excercises, but afterwords you realise you're exhausted and all the right muscles hurt. Also there are pilates excercises that work out the abs without having to do crunches. I've never been to a class but I follow a book: The Pilates Body by Brook Siler, at home.

I agree with the others that Yoga is really awesome too, and I think it would be enough if you don't have a lot of weight to lose. Plus it makes you feel relaxed, balanced and strong. They both do, they're fairly similar except yoga focuses more on aligning the energy in your body.

A great crunch alternative to keep your abs flat is this: lie with bent legs in the crunch position with your hands straight down your sides pointing at your feet, and instead of crunching up, lift your shoulders just off the floor and reach your hand towards the foot on the same side, so your shouders and upper body will curl sideways parallel to the ground. shuffle back to the middle then the other side. Make sure your abs are engaged and lower back touching the ground when you're doing this so you don't hurt your back. You should feel it right in the middle of the abs, under the top layer. I usually finish off with this to flatten my abs that are pumped up from crunches - it feels like it pulls them down from the inside.

Run.

it sounds like you're a classic endomorph with a lot of muscle in the legs.

anything cardio involving the legs will likely build leg muscle. definately avoid stair climbing, hill running, and probably biking.

my guess is that yoga will suit you well. you'll have to try a number of styles of yoga to find the right fit for you. You likely will build some leg muscle, but you'll also be balancing that out with stretching, cardio work, and upper body work (since yoga works that way).

pilates is essentially based on yoga, with a few minor changes (such as the equipment, the perspective--it's more western--and some of the positioning which comes from dance and/or western callistenics). so, practicing either one will pretty much give you the same results.

I prefer yoga because it is a more extensive system that tends to lead to more balance and flexability in the back muscles than pilates. pilates tends to use more forward motion.