"tone up". That's one of those nondescript terms that means something slightly different to everyone. I'm going to assume that you mean look firmer - that means build some lean muscle and burn some body fat. Here are some easy pointers - there are multiple ways to do it, but here are the ones I've found to be easiest. Since you want to "tone up", you will have to do mass building exercises. Don't worry about accidentally becoming a muscle bound freak by accident, it's not likely. I've been trying to become one on purpose and it still hasn't happened.
Step one: Control you diet.
Diet is key to any fitness endeavor. Whether that is building muscle, burning fat, powerlifting, marathon running - you have to have the right fuel for what you are planning to do.
Start with a balanced diet with protein sources, complex carbohydrates, and natural healthy fats. The amounts will vary based on your needs. To begin, gradually increase your protein intake and reduce your carbohydrate intake until you see body fat begin to dissappear - make sure you include plenty of green vegetables. Even a thin layer of body fat can make us look "soft" and "un-toned". Eat enough calories for your needs - again how much depends on your body, you'll have to experiment. Eat frequently - at least 4-6 times a day. Many of us eat 10-12 times a day. Do not go hungry. If you are hungry it tells your body to eat your muscle and store fat.
Step 2 weight training.
There are many ways to do this - from full body workouts to varying beginner to advanced splits. In my opinion, the simplest way is to work out each day. Do one body part each day. Work with the heaviest weights you can handle for your chosen sets/reps range - don't mess around with lightweight stuff. Heavy is of course relative. Heavy for my child is light for me. Heavy for me may be light for you. Choose what is heavy for you.
here is one example
Legs - squats,
stiff legged deadlifts, calf raises
Arms - BB curls, Skull Crushers, DB curls, Tricep pushdowns
Shoulders - shrugs, military press, upright row
Back - conventional deadlift, bent over row, lat pulldowns
chest/abs - flat bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press, crunches, cable crunches.
Take a day or two off each week.
I prefer to do 3 sets of each exercise, 4-6 reps each set. Start with a weight you can move cleanly 4 times. Increase each week until you can do it 6 times. Increase the weight when you can do 3x6 without assistance.
You can also work in the 6-8 rep range, 8-10, 10-12...whatever.
Step 3 -
Cardiovascular training - to complete the package, you've got to train the heart. This also leads to fat burning. Do something simple like go out and walk for an hour. Or you can run a half hour, ride a bike. One thing that is very popular and seems to be quite effective is to do a recumbant bike for 16 minutes as hard as you can go. This raises the metabolism and causes you to burn fat all day.
Well there you have it, the plan to tone up with. Now just adapt it to your specific body and situation and you'll do fine.
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