11 Exercises for Toned Thighs and Healthy Legs
Exercising is one of the best ways of leading a healthy lifestyle. Apart from working out to keep your belly in shape, you should also exercise to keep your legs toned and strong.
Strong, skinny legs help you to walk or run faster and help you achieve the desired figure. There are various different types of exercises to tone your legs and calves.
If you have leg disorders or pains, a good combination of mild exercises and regular checkups with the podiatrist will help you immensely. Read on to know a few leg exercises.
1. Squats
Squats are one of the best ways to keep your legs toned. It also sculpts your buttocks, hips, and abs. Squats are also ideal if you suffer from back problems since you don’t need to put any extra pressure on your back while squatting up and down.
If you’re a newbie or you need some form of support, perform the squats next to a wall or a table, but do not pull or push on it for support.
2. Lunges
Lunges make you move both your legs one at a time. So it makes a great exercise if you want to have strong legs. The average time for each lunge should be about 3 seconds. Make sure not to overstrain yourself; perform a maximum of 4-5 sets of lunges per day.
3. Plank leg lifts
Regular planks are meant to shape the upper half of your body, core, and hips. But you can upgrade this form of exercise by doing leg lifts. Leg lifts will tone your buttocks and upper legs.
4. Speedskater jumps
Speedskater jumps or lateral jumps engage your leg muscles a lot. It also tests your agility and lunging power. If you’re new to this, it’s better to start with small jumps. Over time, you can gradually move on to bigger jumps.
5. Box jumps
If you have a plyometric box, you can perform box jumps. This is an intense form of workout meant to keep your core and legs in shape. When you land on the box, make sure to drop your hips in order to absorb the force and not injure yourself. Also, don’t lock your knees or quads as this can hurt your knees.
6. Downward-facing dog
This is a form of yoga posture that strengthens your legs. It is a form of full-body stretch that stimulates blood flow and keeps your hamstrings, calves, and ankles in shape.
7. Seated toe touches
As the name suggests, this is a form of yoga performed while sitting. It strengthens your calves, shin, and thighs. This posture helps to relieve back pain and is a great way of warming up before a vigorous exercise. But be sure to not strain yourself too much right at the beginning. Start with small stretches first. You can deepen them after some time.
8. Walk more
Simple exercises like brisk walking are also a good way to tone your legs and thighs. Walk as much as possible, for example, taking the stairs instead of the lift. As you keep progressing, start jogging or running in the morning or evening. Or you can even add more steps by walking up a hill or steep slope.
9. Indoor cycling
Indoor cycling is also a great way to work out. It is a high-intensity workout and goes easier on the joints as compared to running or jogging. Buy an indoor bike and adjust it the way you want. The biggest advantage of indoor cycling is that you can do it almost anytime you want at home.
10. Hill sprints
If you have a hill near your house, you can try this out. This powerful exercise builds your muscle strength and improves your running speed. Do 4-6 sets of 10-second sprints and take a minute or two of a break after each set.
11. Dancing
Dancing is a fun way of keeping your thighs and legs healthy. You don’t need any fancy equipment for this. Just plug in some music and start showing off your moves! You can even try Zumba for extra physical activity.
Over to you…
In today’s world, exercise is hardly performed by anyone. Less than 5% of adults participate in physical activities per day. This is why lifestyle diseases are increasingly rampant. Therefore, perform these exercises to keep yourself healthy and fit, and to have toned legs and thighs.
