7 Best Exercises to Tone Your Legs

If you are worried about flabby thighs that might affect your summer appearance, this is the right time to get started. When you tone your legs it not only helps to get rid of fat from the thighs but also helps to tighten the core as well as calf muscles. Toning exercises for your legs can be combined with weight loss exercises to have more effect.

[ Read: Best Exercises to Get Strong and Toned Arms ]

7 Best Exercises to Tone Your Legs

1. Classic Lunge

How to do?

• Stand with legs shoulder length apart or slightly closer.
• Put one leg forward and bend at the knee, bringing the other leg bent below you at the toes.
• Maintain form and return to the standing position.
• Repeat on the alternate leg in the standing position or when moving forward.
• Ensure that you form 90 degree angle with the leg that lunges forward.

Variation: To make the exercise more effective you can hold hand weights on both hands. This helps to add more challenge to the exercise.

Number of Repetitions: This can be done 10 to 15 repetitions on either leg.

How it Benefits: The classic lunge is an exercise that has proven effective in tightening and toning muscles in the legs as well as tightens the core area as well.

2. Lateral Lunge

How to do?

• Stand with feet slightly apart with hands on the hips.
• Maintain balance and stretch out one leg on the side.
• Bend the other leg and hold with the outstretched leg.
• Bring both legs back to the standing position.
• Repeat with same leg or another leg.
• Ensure that you maintain posture and not bend forward when doing this exercise.

Number of Repetitions: Do at least 10 on each side for the effective feel of stretch on the under thigh region.

How it Benefits: This is a variation of the classic lunge and helps to tighten the lateral plane or the underside of your thighs. If you make fast repetitions it also helps to build up the intensity, reduce fat and better balance.

3. Squats with Weights

How to do?

• Stand with feet slightly apart, holding a kettle-bell or any other weight between your hands.
• Hold it near the chest.
• Bend knees and drawback body weight.
• Use core to balance as you go down, pushing out the bum instead of leaning forward.
• Keep knees aligned to ankles and extend no further.
• Come back to standing position and then repeat.

Number of Repetitions: The exercise can be done at least 15-20 times to feel the effects.

How it Benefits: The exercise helps to tone the thighs and the butt. Holding the kettlebell helps to increase resistance and work the muscles as well as burns fat.

4. Curtsy Lunge

How to do?

• Stand in an upright position, legs slightly apart.
• Hold hand weights on either hand.
• Bend one leg behind the other, bending the other in front, as performing a courtesy.
• Keep the upper body aligned to hips and do not lean back or forward.
• The front knee should not extend too far.
• Come back to standing position and repeat with another leg.

Number of Repetitions: This exercise can be done 10 times on each leg.

How it Benefits: The exercise helps to strengthen core muscles and works the thigh muscles as well. Adding hand weights makes it more effective as a toning exercise.

5. Squat Jump

How to do?

• Stand with legs apart, about the width of the shoulders.
• Start with a regular squat, bending the knees but pushing back and maintaining equilibrium by tightening the core muscles.
• Jump up from this position.
• At the time of landing get back to the squat position and on full feet.
• Control the jump and squat and repeat again.

Number of Repetitions: Three sets of 10 repetitions each would be effective for tightening your thigh and core muscles.

Variation: To make it more challenging hold hand weights as you do the exercise.

How it Benefits: This is a high-intensity exercise that helps to elevate heart rate and tightens leg muscles considerably.

6. Tuck Jump

How to do?

• Start by standing with feet shoulder length apart.
• Bend your knees and go down, pushing out from the back instead of leaning forward.
• From a half squat position, prepare to jump up.
• As you jump tuck in knees to the chest.
• Jump up and tuck in knees.
• Land back softly and in half squat position.

Number of Repetitions: The movement can be repeated 20 times continuously and with rest in between, two or three sets will prove effective.

How it Benefits: The exercise is high intensity and helps to elevate the heart rate. The exercise moves against gravity and helps to tighten core and thigh muscles. It is a strength training exercise that leads to slow and persistent fat burn over time.

7. Calf Raises

How to do?

• Start by standing with feet slightly apart, mostly together.
• Raise your feet till you are standing on your toes.
• Holding weights will increase resistance and make the exercise more effective.

Number of Repetitions: This can be done 10 times to help loosen up the calf muscles as well as maintain equilibrium of the body.

How it Benefits: This can be an effective way to warm up your calf muscles. It acts as a good stretch to begin or to add on to your cool down session.

If you are planning out a comprehensive workout session, leg exercises will help add the extra edge or finesse to your regime. It will help to sculpt your legs into long and lean ones. If you are in your thirties or beyond, these exercises help to counteract the sagging muscles that come on with age. These will help to make your legs shapelier and increase your confidence, whether you are planning to hit the beaches in bikini wear or attend parties in sizzling cocktail dresses.

These exercises also act as core strengthening exercises and will help to keep abdominal fat at bay. Combine these with other resistance exercises for the core to make a complete comprehensive workout regime for summer.

Ensure that your posture remains right, especially when trying out high intensity exercises. It would be right to get a personal trainer to work with you.

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