Many women wish they could have a firmer, tighter butt and shapelier thighs. Especially as you age, these are the areas that tend to sag and get soft. Having a nice firm butt and thighs is possible, but it takes some hard work. In addition to a well-rounded fitness plan, including diet and cardiovascular exercise, there are some targeted toning exercises for the butt and hamstrings that can help you achieve the lower body of your dreams.
Squats
Squats are the best all-around toning and tightening exercises for the butt and hamstrings. Best of all, they can be done almost anywhere. You can start by doing squats without weight at high repetitions--until maximum muscle fatigue--then work to weighted squats using free weights or a barbell. The most important thing to remember when doing squats is to have your feet a little wider than shoulder width and squat down as if you are sitting back in a chair so the weight is in the heels of your feet, not the toes. Come all the way down so that your thighs are parallel with the floor, then push back up through the heels, contracting the glutes and hamstrings.
Dead Lifts
Dead lifts are a great classic butt and thigh strengthener that you mostly see Olympic weightlifters doing. But they are great for the average exerciser, too, and work well with hand weights or barbells. Start with a lighter weight at higher repetitions and progress up to a heavier weight, lowering the repetitions. Always bend the knees and brace the back when picking up heavy free weights or a dumbbell to protect the lower back. Keep the weight evenly spaced between the heel and ball of the foot and keep the weights close to the front of the legs as you lengthen all the way up to standing. You should finish the movement with the weights resting right around your hips. As you push up, contract the glutes and hamstrings. Lower down with control the same way you came up.
Bridge
Bridge is a yoga posture, but it is a great exercise for the butt and hamstrings and offers many opportunities for variations to increase challenge. For the beginner pose, lie on your back on the floor with your feet flat on the floor and your heels close to your butt. Your knees and feet should be shoulder-width apart. On an inhale, raise the hips up toward the ceiling and hold for 10 seconds to one minute and release. Do about five to six sets with a 30-second rest in between. To add difficulty, lift one leg up in the air when your hips are off the ground, replace that leg and then lift the other leg, alternating between the two.
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