Along with belly fat, excess weight in the hips and thighs is a common problem, particularly for women. Most women seek to lose weight in this area because it's unattractive and can make it difficult to find clothing that fits properly. But losing thigh and hip weight should not be done just for aesthetic purposes. Carrying extra fat increases your risk of health problems including heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Losing the weight requires a combination of a healthy diet and exercise.
Step 1
Perform 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity five days a week. Choose exercises that not only get your heart rate up, but also use hip and thigh muscles, such as running, bicycling and hiking.
Step 2
Do lunges and squats. Lunges can be performed forward, backward and to the side. You can vary a traditional squat by doing a plie squat, which targets the inner thigh. Increase the work load by using a resistance band, weights or a body-bar. Protect your knees by keeping them behind your toes as you lunge and squat.
Step 3
Perform side-lying hip abduction. Also known as leg lifts, side-lying hip abduction works the hips and outer thigh. Lay on your side with hips stacked and raise your leg. Do eight to 15 repetitions. Add resistance by holding a dumbbell or body-bar on your thigh or use ankle weights.
Step 4
Do hip adduction exercises to target the inner thigh. Plie squats target this area, as do side-lying hip adduction. Laying on your side with hips stacked, extend the top leg forward about 30 degrees. Lift the lower leg using your adductors. Perform eight to 15 repetitions. You can hold a dumbbell or body-bar on the inner thigh or add ankle weights to increase resistance. Or add a stability ball between both legs to work the core as well.
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