Jean size got you down?
With summer around the corner, you might wonder what happened to your perfect beach body?
You're not the only one.
Our body size fluctuates for many reasons. Stress, poor nutrition, and inconsistent workouts all contribute to these fluctuations. Whether we store fat in our hips or our thighs, we can struggle to lose weight.
Studies show losing hip and thigh fat is more difficult than losing belly fat.
Subcutaneous fat, like the fat around your hips and thighs, lives under the skin. Visceral fat, like fat around your abdomen, reduces more quickly with regular exercise and improved diet.
To burn subcutaneous fat and slim your thighs you'll need to balance cardio with resistance training. Cardio burns fat. Resistance training tones muscle.
Let's break down the best exercises for slimmer thighs.
But Wait - Exercises For Slimmer Thighs Alone Are Not Enough
There's no replacement for regular exercise but regular exercise alone will not help you reach your goal in a healthy and efficient manner.
Eating clean will arm your body with the nutrients it needs to help you along the way.
Make water your go-to drink. Studies show that overweight women lost an extra 2 kilos in a year by drinking an extra liter of water every day. Aim for 2 liters of water every day.
Cut down sugary drinks like soda and alcohol to speed up your weight loss.
The Best Exercises For Slimmer Thighs
Now, let's get to work. Here are the best types of exercise for trimming your thighs.
Squats
Squats engage every muscle from your waist down. They are the holy grail of toning hips and thighs. They also strengthen your hamstrings and slim your legs.
The best part?
You can squat anywhere. Make watching a movie more productive by squatting. Squat while you move your laundry from the washer to the dryer.
If you're beginning to familiarize yourself with this exercise begin with 2 or 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
Once you're comfortable add a pair of Ironmaster adjustable dumbbells to your practice or use a squat rack.
Yoga
Practicing yoga boosts weight loss while improving your flexibility and muscle tone. Yoga also helps to ease anxieties that can contribute to weight gain.
Die-hard yogis and beginners alike practice specific asanas (or poses) to target the lower body.
Need a few example of yoga poses that act as exercises for slimmer thighs?
We've got you covered:
1. Chair Pose helps strengthen legs and arms while stimulating the heart and diaphragm.
2. Deep squats engage your entire lower body. They help you build muscle and lose fat at the same time!
3. Ananda Balasana or Happy Baby Pose releases tension in your lower back and hips.
4. Warrior Pose strengthens your thighs, back, arms and shoulders.
5. Three-legged dog opens your hips and ribs while strengthening your thighs. It also improves balance.
6. Bridge Pose strengthens your back and eases your mind. This move reduces the stress that leads to anxiety, depression and weight gain.
HIIT
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It operates according to the philosophy that pushing your body for a few minutes equals a 45 minute to an hour session at moderate intensity.
HIIT consists of short spurts of physical activity and intervals of short rests. It works toward weight loss, cardio fitness, cholesterol reduction and healthy blood pressure.
This type of exercise can result in injury for overzealous beginners. If this sounds like you, ease into it. Try a lower-intensity aerobic workout before jumping in.
Pilates
Pilates exercises work to stretch and tone the thigh muscles without bulking you up. Using only your own body weight protects against growing your muscles. Instead, it increases flexibility and lengthens your muscles.
Good Old-fashioned Running
Feeling overwhelmed by new trends like HIIT?
Try going back to basics. Any compiled list of exercises for slimmer thighs should include running.
Endurance exercises affect your body much differently than strength exercises. Running prevents bulk and promotes muscle tone and, you guessed it, slimmer thighs.
New to running? Start walking and mix in jogging intervals. Soon, you'll be running the distance or most of it.
Looking For A More Specific Exercise Routine?
While the exercises for slimmer thighs listed are helpful, they aren't exactly prescriptive. Having a starting point of specific exercises will help you grow comfortable as you work toward slimmer thighs.
What You'll Need:
- Yoga mat or a soft surface
- An interval timer app (there are plenty of free interval timer apps available for you to use)
- Free weights
Perform the following exercises in different manners depending on your level of experience.
For beginners, perform each exercise for 30 seconds with no rests in between. Do this three times with a 1-minute break after each set.
For intermediate, perform each exercise for 45 seconds taking 10 second rests between each. Complete 3 sets with 30 seconds of rest after each set.
Advanced? Perform each exercise for 1 minute with 10 seconds of rest between each. Complete 3 sets with 30 seconds of rest following each set.
Do this three times per week on non-consecutive days no matter your experience level.
Exercises For Slimmer Thighs:
- Walking Dumbbell Lunge
- Wall Squats
- Single Leg Pushup
- Mountain Climbers
- Kneeling Side Kicks (make sure to do both legs before advancing)
- Split Squat with Side Leg Raise (make sure to do both legs before advancing)
Conclusion
Dreaming about slimmer thighs? Make it your reality.
Now you're ready to put these exercises for slimmer thighs into action. Remember to mix-up your workout every once in a while and ease into it. Pushing your body to extremes as a beginner can result in injury.
Don't let being a beginner discourage you.
Most important, don't forget that healthy weight loss involves a combination of regular exercise and clean and healthy eating. As you apply this practices to your daily life more and more, they'll soon become healthy habits!
With these effective exercises for slimmer thighs in your arsenal, it's time to dive in and achieve your fitness goals!