When you need to strengthen and tone your midsection and inner thigh muscles, also called your hip adductors or groin, you do not need the assistance of heavy equipment or expensive machinery. If your problem areas include these two zones, effective exercises are possible with minimal equipment. Use your own body weight resistance to strengthen, tighten and reshape these areas that are prone to excess fat.
Standing Adductions
Using only a resistance band, you can strengthen and tone your adductor muscles of your inner thigh. Attach one end of the resistance band to a sturdy stationary object, or have a friend hold this end tightly. Wrap the opposite end of the band around the arch of your foot or ankle nearest the fixed object. With your weight on the opposite foot, lift the foot attached to the band and bring it slightly in front of your other leg. Pull until you feel a stretching or tightening sensation in the groin of this leg. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with each leg.
Side Lunges
Forward lunges work your quadriceps and hamstrings, but lunging to the side of your body targets your inner thighs. Step out with your right foot to the front right side of your body, bending at the knee and keeping your left leg straight. As you lunge onto your right foot, concentrate on feeling a stretch in your right inner thigh. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions on each leg.
Straight-Limb Crunches
Straight-limb crunches target your rectus abdominis, or the long muscle that stretches from your upper to lower abdomen. Lie on your back on the floor or on an exercise mat with your legs straight on the floor and your arms straight behind your head. Tighten your abdomen and bring your straightened arms above your head and your legs straight into the air until your body forms a U-shape. Hold this position for one count before returning to your original position. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Oblique Twists
Lie on your back on an exercise mat in position to perform a basic crunch. Cross your arms over your chest and bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor. For added resistance, hold a dumbbell with both hands and hold it to your chest throughout the exercise. Slowly lift your upper body off the floor and bring your chest toward your knees. As your chest approaches your knees, twist your torso from left to right, then back to the center. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
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