Inner Thigh Exercises For Women

Exercises like squats and lunges will decrease your risks of injury from activities of daily living like stepping out of a car or catching yourself on a slippery floor. The muscles of your inner thighs, the pectineus, adductors and the gracilis, are primarily responsible for stabilizing the thigh during movements such as lunges. The American Council on Exercise advises exercises such as squats and lunges will definitely shape and tone your inner thighs. Including adduction exercises, like ball squeezes, will add variety to your training program.
You will need dumbbells, medicine balls and a cable pulley with an ankle attachment to do the exercises below.

Dumbbell Sumo Squats

You can really feel the inner thigh muscles working with this exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine encourages weight-bearing exercises to help improve bone strength at the hips.
Grab a 20-lb. dumbbell. Stand with your heels three inches wider than shoulder-width, toes out at a wide diagonal. Hold one end of the dumbbell interlaced in the fingers of both hands, the dumbbell hanging down the center under your pelvis. Bend your knees till your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push back up to the starting position. Complete up to four sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Lateral Squats

Body weight is sufficient for beginners. Hold a dumbbell as you would for dumbbell sumo squats to increase resistance.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place one hand on each hip. Step sideways with your right leg into a squat position till your thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Place most of your body weight on the right leg. Keep a slight bend in your left knee. Push back up to a starting position. You can hold your arms out in front of you for balance if necessary. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions then switch legs.

Cable Adduction

Attach an ankle strap to your right ankle. Stand with your right leg adjacent to a low pulley, connecting it to the strap. Set the weight to 10 pounds. Step 12 inches to your left creating tension on the cable. Hold the pulley bar for support. Flex the toes of your right foot towards your head as you pull the cable across your mid-line, four to six inches beyond your left ankle. Bring your right leg back to starting position and repeat. Complete 12-15 reps then switch legs.

Seated Ball Squeezes

You will need a semi-soft medicine ball weighing six to 12 pounds.
Sit at the edge of a bench with a 6-lb. medicine ball between your knees, squeezing your knees together. Hold each squeeze for five seconds. Release the squeeze, though maintaining enough tension to keep the ball in position so it does not drop to the floor. Repeat for a set of 12-15 reps.