Your inner thighs can be notoriously tough to tone, admits New York City fitness trainer Evelyn Nunlee in "Good Housekeeping" magazine. Unlike your outer thighs and your rear, which respond well to a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training, your inner thighs require a little extra effort. But since swimsuits, shorts and skinny jeans all require toned thighs, it's worth the extra effort to get the results you want.
Work the Surrounding Muscles
One effective way to tone your inner thighs is to work those muscles in conjunction with the surrounding muscles, which are easier to target, says Matthew Hurst, owner of Training Zone, a gym in Atlanta, in "Real Simple" magazine. Hurst says squats are the best way to do this, and he recommends a mix of wide-leg squats, ballet-style squats and squats with a medicine ball to tone inner thighs.
Lace Up Your Skates
Inline skating can be one of the best ways to tone your thighs while getting fat-burning aerobic exercise, says Nunlee in "Good Housekeeping." While strength training can tone and tighten the muscles in your inner thighs, you need to burn the layer of fat that lies above your muscles to really see the improvement. Inline skating is a great way to do both, but if you're not a skater, try running, walking or biking in addition to strength training to trim your thighs.
Don't Rely on the Scale
Weighing yourself is one of the worst ways to determine the progress of your workout regimen for your inner thighs, says Beverly Hills trainer Gunnar Peterson in "Allure" magazine. In some cases, working out can actually add pounds, even while you're losing fat and gaining muscle tone. Instead of obsessing over the numbers on the scale, Peterson recommends using measurements to gauge your progress instead. Seeing positive results will motivate you to stick with your workout.
Try Ball Squeezes
If you want to specifically target the muscles in your inner thigh, try ball squeezes. Sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and your arms relaxed at your sides. Position a medium-sized ball between your thighs, just above your knees, and use your legs to hold it lightly in place. Use your inner thigh muscles to squeeze the ball, then relax again. Start out with 10 repetitions and increase as you build strength.
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