If you're like many women, you don't like your flabby thighs and you wish you had more muscle tone in you lower legs. Not having shapely legs is one issue, but having weak leg muscles can also reduce your ability to power up a hill or perform well in athletic events. Fortunately, the muscles in the legs respond to training faster than any other muscle, according to Fitness Health Zone.
Lunges
Doing lunges on a regular basis can help you add muscle tone in your buttocks as well as the front of your thighs. Standing with at least a few feet of space around your body, step forward with your left leg so that it's about 2 ft. ahead of your right leg. Keep your feet parallel and facing front. While keeping your back posture straight, bend your left knee to lower your upper body closer to the ground and allow your right knee to drop down to nearly a 90-degree angle. Return to standing and switch legs. Go back and forth until you do about three sets of 12 per side. Reduce your risk of injury by keeping your legs a comfortable distance apart and keeping your front knee behind your front toes.
Squats
Squat exercises will help you gain muscle in your buttocks and the fronts and backs of your thighs. To do squats against a wall, lean your upper body against an empty wall. Your head and shoulders, all the way down through your back and buttocks, should be in contact with the wall, but your feet should be approximately 18 in. ahead of you, according to "Good Housekeeping" magazine. With your knees split about hip-distance apart, slide down on the wall until you appear to be sitting on an invisible chair. However, keep within your limits; don't go down to a 90-degree angle if it is uncomfortable. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat until you are fatigued.
Calf Raises
Including calf raises in your leg workout will help you shape the lower back part of your legs, which you can show off when you wear a knee-length skirt. Begin calf raises standing about 6 in. to 1 ft. away from a wall with your feet spread about hip-width apart. Face your feet forward and reach both arms out at about shoulder-level to place both palms on the wall, recommends the American Council on Exercise. With the balls of your feet planted on the ground and your arms supporting you from the front, lift both heels without bending your knees or turning your feet. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and lower back down. Repeat about 15 times.
Stair Climbing
Most activities that require you to travel by foot will tone your legs, but climbing stairs intensely works all the major muscles in the legs, up through your buttocks. Climbing stairs on a regular basis rather than relying on an escalator is one step to building strength and stamina, but incorporating stairs into your workout session can also help you get results faster. To do a stair climber exercise, stand with the left side of your body at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Cross the right leg over to reach the first step and then cross your next foot under to reach the second step. Continue up in a scissor-like pattern. Descend normally after you reach the top, but alternate sides when you go back up the stairs. Do one to five flights per side, depending on your stamina.
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