Have you ever thought about the main reason why strengthening and shaping thighs is a good idea? The first thing that usually pops into the minds of people is the attractive appearance of toned thighs. Yes, toned thighs is a good indicator of a sportive physique. However, it’s not only about the alluring looks. Strong thighs contribute to faster running, higher jumping, and improved stability. Squats and other exercises that focus on legs and the endurance of other areas in your body can strengthen and tone your thighs. You need to understand that there is no special training only for thighs. Performing physical activities and following a healthy diet can give you the desired results. This article answers the question of how to slim thighs: top exercises to give your thighs a better shape.
How To Slim Inner Thighs?
There is no better way to slim your inner thighs besides the proper training and diet. In this case, keeping tabs on your caloric deficiency, and immersing in intensive workouts can make a big difference.
Firstly, you’re going to learn about the top exercises to slim thighs. The following activities lead to stronger, more sculpted thighs.
-
Squats
Squats are a compound movement during which multiple muscle groups are engaged at the same time. Squats are effective when it comes to strengthening leg muscles. Plus, there are different variations that are applicable to both beginners and advanced. Over time, you can add more intensity by using weights during squatting (3).
Instructions:
- Stand with feet a little wider than hip-width, your toes should face front.
- Get your hips back, bend at the knees and ankles, and press your knees slightly open.
- Sit into a squat position keeping your heels and toes on the ground, chest up, and shoulders back.
- Keep your knees bent to a 90-degree angle.
- Press into your heels and straighten your legs to return to a standing upright position.
-
Deadlift
One of the best exercises to slim inner thighs because it builds strength in the lower body and perfectly tones your buttocks and thighs.
Instructions:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
- Engage the core and pull the shoulder blades down and back.
- Keeping arms straight, send hips back, and slightly bend knees to lower both dumbbells down to the floor in front of legs.
- Lower your hips until they are fully pushed back and the weights are as close to the floor as far as possible.
- Keeping the chest up, push through feet to return to standing positions, squeezing glutes at the top.
Read More: 8 Upper Thigh Exercises That Will Reduce The Appearance Of Cellulite
-
Reverse Lunges
The reverse lunge is another best exercise to slim thighs. This activity can activate your glutes, core, and hamstrings. Reverse lunges put less stress on your knees and give more stability in the front leg.
Instructions:
- Step one foot backward and gently bend both knees to lower your body toward the floor.
- Stop when your front knee is at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knee does not go out past your toes.
- Slowly rise back to start to complete 1 rep.
Inner Thigh Raise
This low-impact option directly targets the inner thighs. The inner thigh raise exercise requires a ton of focus and control.
Instructions:
- Lie down on your left side. Prop yourself up on your left elbow so your head, hips, and heels create a straight line.
- Place your right-hand fingers on the floor to stabilize the body.
- Bend your right leg over your left so your right foot sits on the floor. Engage your core and glutes.
- Keeping your bottom leg straight, lift your bottom leg up 3 inches and then lower it back down 3 inches.
- When you finish the reps, repeat on the other side.
Diet is the second crucial point in reducing thigh fat. Only by having a proper diet will you speed up your thigh transformations. Note that you can’t lose weight only in your thighs but your whole body.
Losing extra weight in the hips, thighs, and buttocks may reduce the risks of heart disease (5).
Note down the top 5 essential dietary tips that may contribute to a healthier weight and better-shaped thighs:
- Stay hydrated. Try to drink a lot of water, especially before your meals and during your training. Drinking enough water flushes out the excess fluids and salt from your body, reducing bloating.
- Maintain a calorie deficiency. You need to consume fewer calories than you burn during the day. Only in this way can you lose weight healthily. There are two ways you can raise the caloric deficit: change your eating habits and exercise (2).
- Focus on healthy products. Remove refined sugar and cut back on carbs. Instead, incorporate fruits, veggies, eggs, seeds, whole grains, and nuts into your daily diet. Load up on fiber and protein because it can make you feel fuller for a longer time and pack with essential vitamins and minerals.
- Remove alcohol. Alcohol is not only a source of empty calories, but it is also connected to major health risks, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, immune system weakening, mental health problems, and social disturbances (1).
Overall, the combination of a balanced diet and physical training can help you feel better, look better, and obtain attractive thighs.
Dropping pounds by the dozens without putting yourself through the wringer is everyone’s weight loss pipe dream. But what if we told you that the BetterMe app can make that happen? Keep yourself in prime shape with our fat-blasting workouts, delicious budget-sparing recipes, and body-transforming challenges with our app!
How To Slim Thighs In A Week?
The short answer to this question is no, you can’t slim your thighs in a week. Our human body is not capable of fast transformations even with massive efforts.
Nonetheless, with the proper diet, caloric deficiency, and physical activities you can trim fat and tone your thighs in a few months.
Be aware that results depend on the person.
You may also incorporate other effective ways to tone thighs and your overall body:
- HIIT the cardio. High-intensity interval training will help you reduce the total body fat within a shorter amount of time, especially in your abdomen and the stomach area (6). No matter what cardio you choose you need to do it regularly if you want faster results. Running and burpees are the most powerful HIIT cardio training.
Burpee
You might be familiar with running but burpee is the best cardio to slim thighs. The powerful mix of jumping, push-ups, and squats will work many of the major muscle groups in your body. By doing burpees you may:
- burn more calories
- enjoy a full-body workout
- lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes
- improve brain function
How to do burpees:
- Get in a squat position with your knees bent, your back straight, and your feet at shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your hands to the floor in front of you.
- Putting pressure on your hands, kick your feet back so you’re on your hands and toes, and get in a pushup position.
- Do one pushup, keeping your body straight. Don’t let your back sag.
- With a frog kick, jump your feet back to their starting position.
- Stand, reach your arms over your head, and jump quickly into the air.
- Get into a squat position and do another repetition.
Read More: Thigh Stretch Marks – Causes And How To Get Rid Of Them Fast
How To Slim Muscular Thighs?
The vigorous leg training can sometimes lead to larger, more muscular thighs than one would like. Luckily, you can convert your thighs from muscular to skinny by changing the way in which you exercise.
The first thing you might want to do is to limit the number of intense workouts focused on the lower body, specifically the thighs. It doesn’t mean you need to give up on your lower body training. Instead, do enough full-body workouts to maintain your health, but put less pressure on your thigh muscles.
Another way to make your thighs more presentable is to exercise the lower body with activities that focus on ligaments, lengthening muscles, and other soft tissue. Yoga and Pilates are beneficial for improving endurance and flexibility.
Rather than trying to slim your inner thighs, quickly set attainable goals, such as regular exercises that target all your body muscles. Challenging other groups of muscles with higher-intensity activities can prevent the increased muscle mass in your thighs.
How Long Should I Run To Slim Thighs?
You probably noticed runners jogging around your area. What did they all have in common? Exactly, thin thighs. Jogging is an excellent full-body activity that sheds calories within a shorter time. This means you reduce the fat from all over your body including your thighs. This is an easy exercise, quick to learn, and requires no equipment.
Slimming thighs with running is a good idea only when you get the hang of the proper technique.
The amount of jogging time depends on the performance and stamina of a person. Here is a good running recommendation to get toned thighs:
- Walk for 5 minutes to prepare your body for the run. Start slow and gradually increase your speed.
- Run for 10 to 20 minutes at a comfortable pace which allows you to carry on a conversation. Slow down your speed if it gets harder to talk.
- If you’re new to running then jog for one minute and walk for four minutes. Continue to run and walk for 20 minutes.
- As your endurance improves, increase the duration of your running intervals and decrease the duration of your walking intervals.
When you get the hang of running, you can prolong your distances for better results. People usually need to run from 30 to 100 miles a week to slim down their legs including their thighs.
Within a few months, you should notice changes in your thighs. In case you don’t see any changes you should implement other types of training along with running. Plus, always take caloric deficiency into consideration.
Want to build an attention-grabbing bubble butt, blast away fat that’s stored in all the wrong places, spring-clean your diet, turn back the clock on your skin, skyrocket your self-confidence and shatter your insecurities? Check out the BetterMe app and set this plan in motion!
How To Slim Thighs Without Bulking?
Many vigorous workouts to slim inner thighs can bulk up your muscles which can make your thighs look too muscular. Bulking is a phase during which you gain more muscle. You intentionally consume more calories than your body needs for a set of periods. These calories become your fuel to boost muscle size and strength while strength training (4).
In simple words, if you want to become a bodybuilder you bulk.
But most of us don’t want to end up with muscle-massive legs. That’s why you should focus on safe ways to tone your thighs.
Here is what you can do to slim thighs without bulking:
- Understand your body type so you can learn the top exercises and diet for you.
- Focus on long-distance running on a flat surface.
- Take fast walks – This low-intensity cardio burns fat and is an effective exercise for slimming down legs.
- Switch to cardio – this activity can reduce your muscle size and body fat percentage quicker.
- Follow a low-carb diet and provide your body with a calorie deficit.
- Pick up a sport: volleyball, cycling, dancing, golf, swimming, or running.
- Increase resistance training. This includes lower-body exercises, such as lunges, wall sits, and inner and outer thigh lifts. The key to strengthening legs without bulking up is to keep the repetitions high (at least 15 reps per set).
Is It Hard To Lose Inner Thigh Fat?
Some areas that accumulate fat are difficult to slim down and the inner thighs is one of them. The process of losing fat on the thighs is hard because exercises target the area of building muscle more slowly and gradually. That’s why weight loss is more visible in areas like the stomach or arms.
To tone thighs, you need to stay patient and incorporate proper nutrition, caloric deficiency, HIIT, cardio, and running into your sportive routine. The combination of the following factors can help you reap attractive and strong thighs.
The Bottom Line
The thighs are the strongest part of our body that contributes to versatile ranges of motion. Consistent physical activities, such as exercises, cycling, running, dancing, and other sports are the best ways to strengthen your thigh muscles.
Besides workouts, it is recommended to follow a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, and cut down on sugary and refined products.
Caloric deficiency helps trim extra fat in the whole body, including the thighs.
This article covered the answer to the essential question of how to slim thighs: top exercises to give your thighs a better shape.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.
You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.
SOURCES:
- Alcohol Use and Your Health (2022, cdc.gov)
- Caloric Deficit: What to Know (2021, webmd.com)
- How to strengthen and tone the thighs (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review (2019, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Relationship Between Changes in Fat and Lean Depots Following Weight Loss and Changes in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Markers (2018, ahajournals.org)
- The Effect of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Body Composition of Overweight Young Males (2012, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)