One of the most common complaints women have about their bodies is heavy thighs. While our genes determine our shapes, dedicated exercises can tone specific body parts. Thigh exercises should address the hamstrings -- the muscles at the back of the thigh; adductor or inner-thigh muscles; quadriceps at the front of the thighs; and the hip flexors in front of the pelvis.
Sitting Leg Raise
The sitting leg raise tones the quads, the muscles on the front of your thighs. Sit on the floor and press your back against a wall with your legs in front of you and your toes pointed upwards. Lift your right leg off the floor, raising it as high as you can. Lower your leg without touching the floor, working up to 20 repetitions. Repeat with the left leg.
Scissors
The scissors exercise tones the adductor muscles in the inner thighs. Lie on your back on the floor with your arms at your sides and your legs stretched out flat. Lift your legs about 2 feet off the floor, keeping your toes pointed. Open your legs and close them, crossing one over the other in a scissoring motion, then reversing. Continue up to 15 repetitions.
Quad Toner
To do a quad toner, stand with your back against a wall and your feet shoulder-width apart and brace yourself with your hands against the wall. Bend your knees. Straighten and extend your right leg with your toes pointed up. Repeat 10 times, then switch to the other leg.
Dumbbell Lunge
Lunges work glutes as well as all the thigh muscles. This exercise requires dumbbells weighing 5 or 8 lbs. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet apart. Lunge forward with your right leg and your left knee nearly touching the floor, then straighten the right leg. Keep your upper body straight with your front knee directly over your toes. Return to the starting position. Continue for 10 repetitions, then switch sides.
Dumbbell Lunge 2
An alternate lunge involves holding dumbbells above your shoulders with the palms of your hands facing forward. Lunge forward with your left leg, then bring your feet back together and repeat with the right leg. Continue alternating legs for 10 to 20 repetitions. You can also do dumbbell lunges across the floor, lunging forward with one leg and bringing the other forward to meet it.
Squat Jump
To do a squat jump, stand with your feet apart at shoulder width. Squat, then jump up and land gently in the squat position. Keep your upper body as still as possible, using your legs and butt to propel you up. Work up to three sets of eight repetitions.
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