To tone and strengthen the thighs, you may opt for a variety of exercise moves to do at home. While you can use ankle weights to offer more resistance to such exercises, you can also perform thigh exercises using your body's own weight and resistance. In combination with aerobic activity, you can also focus on legs and thighs utilizing calisthenics, isometric or weight-bearing exercises. Your choices should keep you interested, your thigh muscles challenged and your workouts fun.
Lunges
Lunges offer effective toning and strengthening for the thighs and buttocks. You can hold onto dumbbells while performing lunges or place your hands on your hips. Standing with your feet about hip distance apart, take a large step forward with your left leg. Keeping your back straight, lower your body, making sure your left knee does not extend forward past the foot. The rear or back leg should bend, bringing the knee as close to the floor as you can and still maintain good posture and form. Keep your back and neck tall while performing this exercise. Switch and lunge forward with the other foot. Try five to 10 lunges on each side to start.
Plies
You can tone not only the outside and front of the thigh with a plie move, but also the inner thigh, which helps get rid of that annoying jiggle on the inside of the legs near the groin. Stand with the feet wider than shoulder distance apart, tows pointing outward. You can extend your arms out in front of you or place them on your hips. Keeping the abs tucked inward and the pelvis tucked slightly under, slowly lower the body into a deep squat, hold and then raise yourself upward, pressing upward with your heels and tightening the inner thighs as you rise. Try 10 plies to start, increasing repetitions and depth as you grow stronger.
Sideways Scissors
Really work the entire thigh muscles, including the stubborn inner thigh muscles by performing a lying down side scissors move. You can do this by lying on your back, hands tucked under your hips for lower back support. Raise your legs to a 45-degree angle, or higher if your stomach isn't strong enough to maintain this position. Open your legs to the side and then bring them back together, crossing the right leg over the left one. Spread the legs apart again and then repeat, crossing the left leg over the right this time.
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