If you catch glimpses of some skin bulging over your knees and on your thighs, you're not alone. The upper legs are a common "problem zone" where fat seems to gather, especially as you age. It is possible to get muscle definition back in your thighs, but you'll need to stick to a dedicated routine of toning exercises and cardio to do it.
Lunge
The lunge is a simple exercise that works the quadriceps on the tops of your thighs and the hamstrings on backs of them. To do it, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or at your sides. Take a giant step forward with your right foot and bend both your front and back knee to about 90 degrees. Be careful not to let your front knee extend over your toes. Hold the move for a second and then pulse back up, repeating with the other leg. MayoClinic.com physician Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., remarks that it's especially important to keep your back neutral in a lunge. To make the move more challenging for muscles and to burn more calories, hold a barbell at your shoulders, dumbbells at your sides or a weighted medicine ball at your chest.
Squat
You can do squats at the gym, at home or anywhere there are a few feet of clear space. The exercise tones the quadriceps as well as muscles in your midsection, and it encourages greater balance and stability. Think of the squat as sitting back into an imaginary chair. Start with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and your hands in front of you with elbows bent. Sit back and down, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel with the ground or as close as you can get them to that position. Make sure your knees don't extend over the front of your toes. Hold for a beat and then return to start. Again, to add challenge to the exercise, hold dumbbells or a barbell at your shoulders.
Stepup
A stepup is an ideal group exercise because it's easy to adjust to an individual's fitness level. If you're just beginning, set up your step a few inches off the ground; if you're more advanced, set it at a foot or higher. To do the move, step onto a bench, chair or platform with one foot followed by the other. Keep your spine straight and your chest high, as EXRX.net recommends for safety. Step down, one foot at a time, and repeat the move, leading with your other leg. Add resistance by holding dumbbells at your sides.
Cardio
Strength and toning exercises for any body part don't burn off enough calories on their own to "spot reduce" fat, but they are very effective at building and defining muscle. To burn the fat on your thighs and upper knees add cardio exercise to your routine to slim down and make those muscles visible. The American Council on Exercise suggests doing at least 45 minutes of cardio on five or six days per week for weight loss.
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