Before beginning any exercise regimen, consult a medical professional and consider utilizing the expertise of a certified personal fitness trainer. According to American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer Shelby Young, "It's a myth that working out one body part will reduce fat in that area. You have to think about losing overall fat and not think that only working the hips, thighs and stomach. If you lose fat all over the body, that includes hips, thighs and the stomach, which tend to hold a lot of the body's fat reserves. Working those areas is a good thing and should be done, but fat can't be spot-reduced so you should work other areas, too."
Squats
Squats target the muscles of the hips, thighs and buttocks and are highly beneficial in slimming and toning legs and thighs. Squats can be done at the gym, at home, indoors or outdoors, with or without weights, making them versatile and simple to adhere to high or low levels of fitness. Begin from a standing position, with feet at hip distance. If using weight, hold dumbbells or rest a weighted bar behind the base of the neck. Lower the torso, mimicking the movement of sitting into a chair, and return to standing. In their textbook "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance," Dr. William D. McArdle and professors Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch illustrate that focusing on keeping the knees centered causes the abdominals to engage, along with the hip adductors and abductors.
Walking Lunges
With dumbbells or plates in each hand, or without any weight, walking lunges engage hip and thigh muscles and work the abdominal and core muscles. "It strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals," Young said. "When you add in the walking motion, your core muscles work even harder to keep you balanced. The lunge is highly effective for slimming the hips and waist but a lot of people overlook it because it's been around so long." Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart and walk the right foot forward, landing with the heel first. Note that the knee should be at 90 degrees and should not extend beyond the toes. Continue the move until the back knee nearly touches the floor. Bring the left foot to meet the right and move forward with a lunge on the left side.
Sumo Lifts
The sumo lift is a variation on a standard squat and is designed to target the inner thighs and hips. Standing with feet wider than hip-distance, point the toes outward. Holding a dumbbell with both hands or each hand, let arms hang along the center of the body between the legs. Lower from the center of the body until knees are at a right angle, engaging the abdominals to prevent leaning forward or back. "It's like you're in a horse riding stance or a ballet plie. Your knees go outwards and your feet are in a wide stance to work the inner thigh muscles the most. This is also a great move to work the core, too, because the wide stance causes more instability and you need to use your core to prevent that," Young said.
References
- "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance"; William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch; 2006
- Shelby Young, ACSM Certified Athletic Performance Specialist; Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness Club; Milford, New Hampshire
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