If you want to achieve leaner thighs, you need more than spot reducing exercises. That’s because it’s not possible to spot reduce a specific area of the body, like the thighs. Instead, you need to combine cardio activity and thigh toning exercises to achieve slimmer thighs. A few changes to your exercise routine will help you accomplish this.
Fat Burning
Use cardio activity to create a calorie deficit. For each pound of fat you want to lose, burn 3,500 calories a week, recommends MedlinePlus. This means, for a 1-lb weekly fat loss, you’ll need to burn 500 calories daily. For a 2-lb. weekly fat loss, burn 1,000 calories daily. If this is difficult to do with just exercise, combine fat burning cardio with a reduced calorie diet. For example, burn 700 calories with daily exercise and eat 300 fewer calories for a 2-lb. weekly fat loss.
Cardio Activity
For the fastest thigh fat loss, select vigorous cardio activity. You’ll burn more calories per minute, resulting in leaner thighs. For example, if you walk at 2 mph, you’ll burn only 183 calories an hour for a 160-lb. person. However, if you rollerblade for an hour, you’ll shed 913 calories an hour, according to MayoClinic.com. Other high calorie burning cardio for leaner thighs include swimming laps, jogging and running. All of these activities burn over 500 calories an hour.
Circuit Training
Circuit training allows you to combine fat burning cardio with thigh-toning exercises to get leaner thighs. Start out with an intense cardio activity, such as climbing stairs for a few minutes. Alternate to a thigh-toning exercise like leg lunges. Continue to rotate between climbing stairs and a new thigh-toning exercise for at least 30 minutes.
Thigh Toning
If you use a circuit training approach to burn thigh fat, you might wonder which toning exercises to select. Try the plie exercise, which tones your thigh muscles. Start out with your feet positioned a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a squat position. Return to standing and repeat this exercise for a minute, recommends “Fitness” magazine.
Another effective thigh toning exercise to use with circuit training is leg circles. Lie on the floor with your left leg extended to the ceiling. Point your toes and trace five small circles in the clockwise direction. Change direction and trace five small circles in the counter-clockwise direction. Repeat this rotation five times on each side of the body.
References
- “Fitness” magazine; Our Top 10 Thigh Toning Exercises; Lexi Walters
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 2009
- “Fitness” magazine; Circuit Training Workout: Burn 30 Percent More Calories
- MedlinePlus; Tips for Losing Weight; October 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; How Much Physical Activity Do You Need?; March 2011
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