Most Americans who exercise are trying to achieve a basic level of fitness and a specific "ideal" body type. The key to reaching your goals is an all-encompassing program that includes cardiovascular exercise for weight loss and strength training for muscle tone. If your personal goals include flat, strong abdominal muscles and toned hips and thighs, however, you will make greater strides if you incorporate exercises specific to those areas. The best exercises are compound movements that stress the entire muscle group you want to target to yield the greatest benefit. Beginners should always consult a trainer before attempting new exercises.
Exercise Ball Crunch
An exercise ball gives you the ability to engage all of the muscles of your core while protecting your back. Because the ball is an unstable surface, you use your obliques (side body muscles) for stabilization as well as your upper and lower abdominal muscles to crunch. You get additional bang for your buck by engaging the muscles of your hamstrings and glutes (upper thighs) to hold your hips up high.
Start with the ball at your lower to middle back, arms crossed at your chest, feet flat on the floor, knees at 90 degrees and hips high. Your body should be flat like a table top. You'll pull your belly button to your spine and contract your abs to lift your shoulders to form a 45- to 60-degree angle between your torso and the ball. Make sure to maintain space between your chin and your chest. Release slowly and repeat 20 to 25 times.
Exercise Ball Exchange
In this exercise, you lie supine on the floor with your arms and legs extended. By extending your arms above your head, you engage the hard-to-reach muscles of your upper abs and intercostals, activating the entire length of your front torso.
Hold the exercise ball in your hands, and pull your belly button to your spine and reduce the space between your lower abs and the ground. Using your abs, lift your shoulders and legs simultaneously to bring the ball to your feet or shins. Grab the ball with your feet or shins and extend to the start position. Knees can be slightly bent or completely straight for advanced exercisers. Repeat the sequence 15 to 20 times.
Deep Squat with Abduction
The deeper you squat, the greater your quadriceps and hamstrings activation. When you turn your toes slightly outward and widen your stance, you engage your inner thigh muscles. Combining all of this with a side-leg raise to work your outer thighs creates an all-encompassing lower-body exercise.
Start with a wide stance with your feet wider than shoulder width and toes pointed slightly out. Keep your weight on your your heels, and make sure your core is engaged and your chest is tall. Sit back and down, as if into a chair, until the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Press up through your heels and lift your right leg out to the side as you reach standing position. Place your right foot down with control, then squat and repeat with your leg lift on your left side. Complete this sequence 10 times.
Forward & Reverse Lunge
The lunge exercise incorporates all of the muscles of the lower body, targeting the hips and thighs. A forward lunge focuses more on the front part of your thighs, while a reverse lunge works your hips and hamstrings. Combining the two adds a cardio component and increased calorie burn.
Start standing with feet hip-width apart. Step forward with your right leg and bend your knee until the right thigh is parallel to the floor. Immediately press through your heel to step backward to starting position. Kick your right heel toward the back wall and bend your left knee until the top of your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Come back to the standing position, and repeat for eight to 10 repetitions with the right leg before exercising the left leg.
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