Improved physical appearance often motivates people to begin and stick to a regular leg exercise program. The promise of strong, slim, toned and chiseled leg muscles allures even the most exercise-phobic person. Exercise might improve the appearance of your legs, but you will only appreciate the results if you have realistic expectations.
Aerobic Exercise
Spot reduction is a myth that prevails despite evidence to the contrary. While even hundreds of size leg raises will not shrink your thighs, aerobic workouts burn body fat all over. When you reduce your body fat level, you develop muscle tone and definition. Aerobic exercises, such lateral and slide board training, hill running, stair stepping machines and elliptical trainers, actively engage your hamstrings, inner and outer thighs, facilitating muscle tone along with fat burning. Aim to do at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Exercise longer if you have a considerable amount of weight to lose.
Cellulite
The word "cellulite" refers to the dimpled fat pockets that appear on your thighs and buttocks. Cellulite develops when excess body fat pairs with inadequate muscle tone, says Dr. Wayne Westcott, author of "No More Cellulite." Dr. Len Kravitz, exercise physiology professor at the University of New Mexico elaborates on the subject in an article featured on the department's website. The fat involved in cellulite sits on top of your muscles. A lack of muscle tone contributes to the skin's bumpy appearance. Both Kravitz and Westcott agree that aerobic exercise, resistance training and weight-bearing exercises, such as squats and lunges, improve the appearance of cellulite.
Muscle Balance
Muscle imbalances in your legs destroy muscular symmetry and distort the appearance of your legs. Common imbalances involve the quadriceps and hamstrings and the inner and outer thighs. Quadriceps/hamstring imbalances often result from using significantly more weight on the leg extension machine as compared to the leg curl. Inner and outer thigh muscle imbalances occur when you use more weight on the the abductor setting of the abductor/adductor machine, leading to overdeveloped outer thighs and flabby inner thighs. Correcting these imbalances improves the appearance of your legs.
Proportion
When you want to make your hips and thighs look smaller, you wear a jacket or blouse with shoulder pads. So, while it might sound counterintuitive, working your upper body might dramatically improve the appearance of your lower body. Upper body exercises, such as the lateral raise, build your shoulders, and upper back exercises, such as the lat pull-down, create a V-shaped upper torso, sculpting it into proportion with your lower torso. Abdominal and core exercises improve posture and help you stand upright. Your entire body looks slimmer when you stand up straight.
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