Toning your inner thighs can be achieved by two type of exercises: muscle-strengthening activities that help tone muscles; and cardio activities that help burn fat all over your body, including around your thighs. Muscles in your inner thighs include adductors, pectineus and gracilis, and there are few exercises that target these muscles. Cardio exercises help you burn fat, and there are several that are easy to do without the need of expensive equipment or memberships.
Calisthenics
You do not need to hit the gym to target the muscles in your inner thighs. Calisthenic exercises use your own body weight as a resistance and can be easily done at home. Do lunges, side lunges, squats, wide squats and leg raises to tone your thighs. Use dumbbells to add resistance.
Exercise Equipment
Use a resistance band or a stability ball to target your inner thighs. Place the resistance band around your ankles and do leg adductions either standing or lying on your side. Using a stability ball, do leg curls and knee tucks that target the muscles in your inner thighs.
Yoga
Yoga is another excellent muscle-strengthening activity you can do at home or by taking a class. Buy a yoga book or DVD to get you started and concentrate doing poses that target your legs such as warrior, chair pose and downward-facing dog. (ref4 and res 1)
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a powerful cardio exercise that helps you burn fat and also tone your muscles. Do kicks that target your inner thighs such as the roundhouse, side kick, back kick and sweep.
Walking
Walking is an excellent moderate-intensity exercise that helps burn fat and is easy to do. Get more out of your workout by using ankle weights and walking uphill. Walking is a good cardio workout for beginners due to its low impact. However, do not underestimate its effect on fat burning and leg toning.
Stair Climbing
Stair climbing is another accessible exercise that burns fat and tones your legs. Hit the stairs at your work, at a local sport stadium or at a parking garage. Wear a heavy backpack to add resistance and boost your fat burning.
Stepups
If you do not have time to go stair climbing or cannot find a place to do it, do stepups using a bench. This is an exercise you can adjust according to your own fitness level. Jump to the bench, incorporate leg extensions or knee lifts or use dumbbells to increase your resistance.
Swimming
Swimming is another great cardio exercise that burns fat and tones your legs. Use a flotation device for your hands and move forward by kicking only. This will get those muscles in your thighs working. Add water aerobics to your routine to boost your fat burning and to target your inner thighs.
Running
Running is accessible to everyone and do not require an investment besides good shoes. Running burns calories and tones your legs.
Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is an excellent workout you can do even without the rope. Do 50 to 100 jumps three to five times a day at work, home or during your walking workout. You will burn fat and get those muscles in your thighs working.
References
- “Anatomy and Physiology”; Gary Thibodeau, et al.; 2007
- MayoClinic.com; Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories; October 2009
- ExRx.net: Thigh Exercise Menu
- American Council on Exercise: Upper Leg Exercises
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