Spot reduction is a myth: Doing hip or thigh exercises does burn calories, but it won't automatically melt fat away from those specific areas. Exercising your hip and thigh muscles will, however, create a sleek, toned shape to be revealed as you burn any extra body fat away through regular aerobic exercise. You don't need a gym membership to do these effective exercises, although you can improvise your own hand weights for extra resistance at home.
Squats
Squats are one of the simplest home thigh and leg toners to learn. But if you do squats wrong, you can hurt your knees or back. Master proper technique by sitting down in a chair. Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle when you're seated with your feet flat on the floor. Stand up without moving your feet -- you might an extra push from your arms. Then sit back down, but stop just before your buttocks touch the chair. Squeeze your abs to keep your back straight, and keep your shoulders centered over your heels throughout the motion. Your knees and toes should both point in the same direction. Straighten back up and repeat. Once you feel comfortable, remove the chair and continue squatting as if it were still there. Squats work your glutes, quads and hamstrings, with some involvement from your hip adductors.
Lunges
Like squats, lunges also work your glutes, quads and hamstrings. But you're more likely to feel sore inner thighs when doing lunges, because lunges place strong emphasis on your hip adductors. Lunges also work your calves, a muscle group that squats barely involve, and challenge your sense of balance. Because of this, you might want to do lunges near a wall until you're confident of your stability.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a large step forward. Bend both knees, allowing your back heel to come up off the floor. Drop your hips straight down until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Push off with your front leg to return to the start position. Then step forward with the other leg. Continue lunging, alternating lead legs until you've completed a full set on both sides.
Straight-leg Deadlifts
The deadlifts exercise homes in on your glutes and hamstrings, toning your buttocks and the back of your thighs. Straight-leg deadlifts also work your erector spinae, the large muscles that help keep your back straight. Once you've mastered proper form, you need a source of resistance. If you don't have hand weights or a light barbell handy, fill milk jugs partway with water and use them as hand weights. As you get stronger, you can fill the jugs with more water or use sand instead.
Stand with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly as you hinge forward from the hips. Keep your chest up, letting both hands hang very close to your thighs as you hinge forward. Stop when your shoulders are level with your hips or when you feel tightness in your hamstrings. Return to the start position, careful to keep your back flat throughout the motion.
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