If you want to slim down your thighs, simply stimulating them is not enough. On the contrary, if chosen poorly, certain exercises can lead to muscle gain. This Slim Thigh Workout guide by a-to-z-fitness presents 12 exercises and sports activities to help effectively slim down your thighs.
Front lunges
Front lunges work your thighs, hips, glutes, and abs. Stand with your legs apart, take a step forward, and bend forward until your knee almost touches the floor. Stand back up as you exhale and repeat with the other leg. The closer your legs are together, the more your thighs will work. A session consists of 5 sets of 20 lunges per leg.
Slim Thigh Workout: Open lunges
Open lunges are a variation of forward lunges and work the hips, buttocks, and thighs. Stand with your legs hip-width apart, toes pointing outward. Bend your right leg to the right, return to a standing position, then bend your left leg to the left, and so on. A session consists of 3 sets of 25 bends on each leg.
Doing standing kicks
Standing kicks tone the quadriceps (front of the thighs) and adductors (inside of the thighs)1. Stand sideways to a wall, lean lightly on the wall with your hand, and lift the leg that is not against the wall until it is parallel to the floor. Lower your leg, repeat several times, then turn around and do the same with the other leg.
Doing cross-legged kicks
Cross-legged kicks mainly work the adductors (the inner thighs)1. Lie on your right side, leaning on your right forearm and placing your left hand flat in front of you. Cross your left leg over your right leg, place your foot on the floor, then slowly raise and lower your right leg. A session consists of 3 sets of 15 repetitions on each side.
The chair exercise
The chair exercise works the hamstrings (back of the thighs) and quadriceps (front of the thighs). As its name suggests, the chair exercise involves positioning yourself as if you were sitting on a chair: standing against a wall, arms relaxed and feet together, lower yourself along the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then hold the position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Take a rest period of about 1 minute and repeat.
Slim Thigh Workout: Fast walking
Fast walking, outdoors or on a treadmill, helps slim the thighs by stimulating the quadriceps (front of the thighs) and hamstrings (back of the thighs), as well as increasing metabolism. The best results are achieved by walking continuously and on an incline, either outdoors or on a treadmill: the thigh muscles are worked harder, provided you maintain your walking speed.
Slim Thigh Workout: Squats
Squats work the thighs and glutes. Stand with your arms stretched out in front of you, bend your knees while pushing your buttocks back, as if you were sitting on a chair, keeping your chest upright. Then push back up through your heels and repeat. Two or three sets of 10 to 20 squats per week are sufficient. To slim your thighs, focus on doing a large number of squats without adding any weight.
Open squats
Open squats are a variation on traditional squats. They work the inner thighs more than traditional squats. Stand with your legs wide apart, feet turned slightly outward, bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, stand back up, and repeat. The wider your legs are apart, the more your inner thighs will work. A session consists of 3 sets of 20 movements.
Jumping rope
Jumping rope works most of the muscles in the lower body. Using your body as resistance not only burns calories but also increases muscular endurance. To optimize fat burning, it is best to alternate periods of very intense exercise with periods of more moderate exercise: for example, one minute of maximum intensity exercise followed by three minutes of moderate intensity exercise.
Slim Thigh Workout: Leg lifts
Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you and lean back slightly, supporting yourself with your hands. Bend your right knee so that your right foot is flat on the floor, then slowly lift your left leg to a height of about 15 cm. Hold it in the air for a few seconds, then lower it and repeat with the other leg.
Take the stairs
Climbing stairs or using a stepper does not specifically target the thighs, as it works all the muscles in the lower body, but it does help to slim and tone them, especially as it is a cardio exercise: it therefore also burns calories1,2. To slim your thighs, you need four 45-minute sessions of stair climbing or using a stepper, according to the American Council on Exercise2.
Slim Thigh Workout: Cycling
Cycling can slim your thighs, but make sure you do it the right way! You need to cycle at a relatively high speed (between 80 and 110 pedal strokes per minute) and on flat ground—if this isn’t possible, set your exercise bike to a low resistance level. Finally, sessions should last at least 30 minutes without interruption and should not exceed 60 minutes. If this is too difficult at first, you can take breaks every 10 minutes.
Important
Exercise alone is not enough to achieve a slimmer figure. To lose fat, you also need to eat a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in sugar and fat and do more cardio exercises, as these are effective at stimulating fat burning.
