Although exercises such as side lying leg lifts and using the inner and outer thigh machines at the gym will not magically melt fat from your thighs, doing cardio exercise to burn calories will help you shed pounds, including those on your thighs. Cardio exercise that burns calories and also recruits the adductors and abductors of your inner and outer thighs is best, though. Shape magazine says in an article called "Walk Your Way to Leaner Legs" that you can "lose some of the extra padding on your thighs without running a single step" by following a treadmill routine that targets the thighs with a side shuffle. Be prepared to get some funny looks if you do this in the gym, but try to focus on how great your legs will look instead.
Step 1
Jump on a treadmill and warm up by walking slowly for four minutes at a 1 percent incline.
Step 2
Side shuffle for the next two minutes at a 2 percent incline. Turn your body sideways to the left and hold the handrails for balance. Lead with your right foot and crossing over your left. Stand up straight and pull your stomach in. Turn to the right and side shuffle by leading with your left foot for two minutes.
Step 3
Walk normally for one minute. Aim for an exertion level of a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being sitting comfortably in a chair and 10 being sprinting as fast as you can. You can increase your speed or incline to get to the correct exertion level.
Step 4
Do push-ups against the handrails of the treadmill for one minute. Put your feet on the sides of the treadmill off the moving track toward the back of the treadmill. Lean forward with your arms straight. Bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the treadmill display. Push yourself back up and straighten your arms.
Step 5
Walk for another minute and aim for a six on the exertion scale. Then repeat this pattern two more times with four minutes of side shuffling (two minutes per side), one minute of walking, one minute of push-ups and one minute of walking.
Step 6
Cool down by walking for five minutes at a low intensity. Aim for a three on the exertion level.
Tips and Warnings
- Eating less will also help you lose weight off your thighs. The University of Maryland's Medical Center says in an article called "Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss" that "a reduction of 500-1,000 calories could result in weight loss of about 1-2 pounds per week."
Things You'll Need
- Treadmill
References
- Shape magazine; "Walk Your Way to Leaner Legs;" September 2009
- Common-Sense Strategies for Long-Term Weight Loss
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