If you want to lose inches off your hips and thighs, you don't need expensive gym equipment or complicated workout routines. Easy fat-burning exercises, combined with a low-calorie diet, will help you lose inches off your thighs and hips. However, you can't "spot reduce" a specific area of the body, so you'll need to use both cardiovascular activity and toning exercises to accomplish your goals.
Fat Burning
If you want to lose hip and thigh fat, focus on burning fat. This is accomplished through calorie-burning exercises. For 1 lb. of weight loss weekly, you need to burn 3500 calories. For 2 lbs. of weight loss weekly, shed 7000 weekly calories. If burning 1000 calories daily through a workout seems too difficult, combine calorie-burning exercise with a low-calorie diet. For example, burn 200 calories through physical activity and reduce calorie consumption by 800.
Easy Cardio Activity
Cardio activity can be either moderate or vigorous. Moderate is the easiest type of cardio activity. During moderate activity, you break a sweat; however, you can still talk without taking a break. Examples of moderate activity include walking, which burns 277 calories an hour for a 160-lb. person. Water aerobics is another option, which burns 292 calories an hour. Discuss the right activity level for your situation with your doctor.
Hip Toning
The standing sidekick is an easy and effective way to tighten your hip muscles. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Extend your right leg to the side, at about hip height. Hold the contraction for three counts. Slowly lower your leg to the floor. Complete 15 repetitions on each side of your body.
The side jump is another exercise that tones your hips. Start in a standing position with your hands positioned on your hips. Jump 3 feet to your right, landing with your right foot slightly bent. Then jump 3 feet to your left, with your left knee slightly bent. Repeat this exercise 15 times on each side of your body.
Thigh Toning
An easy and effective exercise for toning your thighs is leg circles. Lie on your back and extend your left leg toward the ceiling. Point your left foot and reach with your toes. Make five circles in the clockwise direction, then switch and make five counterclockwise circles. Complete this rotation five times on each leg.
Another exercise for easy thigh toning is ball squats. Position a ball between your lower back and a wall. Lower your body into a squat position and hold the contraction at the bottom for three seconds. Return to your starting position and repeat five to 12 times.
References
- Weight-control Information Network; Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity; February 2010
- "Fitness" Magazine; Our Top 10 Thigh Exercises; Lexi Walters
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 2009
- MedlinePlus; Tips for Losing Weight; David Zieve, MD, Linda J. Vorvick, MD; October 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Physical Activity for Everyone; February 2011
- "Fitness" Magazine: 10-minute Hips Workout
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