How to Get Skinnier Legs
Walk daily., Go running., Use a stationary bike or go biking., Do a simple floor exercise., Try leg rolls., Try rebounding on a trampoline., Do lunges., Include squats., Go swimming!, Use a stability ball., Use an elliptical trainer without an...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Walk daily.
This is the simplest exercise for legs.
Use a step counter.
You should try to walk about 10,000 steps each day.
To make walking seem less tiring, try slipping on some flat shoes or sneakers when you get around.
If you keep this up, you'll see results in a month. -
Step 2: Go running.
Running will use more energy and in turn help burn fat.
Try to do this at least three times per week.
However, make sure to start slow and gradually increase your running time.
When running, choose a route that is particularly flat.
Up-hill helps build the muscles of the legs and buttocks. , Bike riding provide a shockingly high caloric burn of about 500-600 calories an hour, making it one of the best exercise for reducing body fat.
However, you will only burn this many calories if you work up a sweat and get your heart rate into the range of 70 to 85% of your maximum. , Lay flat on your back with your legs on the floor.
Put your arms out beside you on the floor.
Bring your knee up to where the highest part of your profile is.
Then, with your other leg, kick it as high as it will go.
Return it to the floor.
Do 60 of these kicks, then switch sides and do 60 more. , Lie on your right side and place your left arm on the floor in front of you for support and balance.
With your left leg, raise it at hip level.
Pretend your leg is in a barrel and with your toes, lead the rest of your leg to trace the inside of the barrel.
Do 60 circles and then switch and do 60 more. , Rebounding uses a lot of calories and you have fun at the same time.
It also exercises your muscles leading to a more toned appearance. , Lunges are a great way to tone your legs.
Try to include lunges into your strength training routine twice per week.
To do a lunge:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and take a big step forward.
As you step forward, bend your knees and lower yourself down until your front knee is at about a 90 degree angle.
Make sure that the knee of you front leg stays over your ankle.
Hold for a second and then step back into the starting position.
Repeat the exercise on your opposite side.
Do three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions on each side. , Squats will tone your buttocks and legs, so this is another great strength training exercise to include.
Include squats into your strength training routine twice per week as well.
To do a squat:
Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart.
Then, slowly lower your buttocks towards the ground as if you are going to sit down.
Extend your arms out in front of you as you do this to help you balance.
You can even place a chair behind you to help you practice.
Do not allow your knees to go past your toes as you do this exercise.
Hold for a few seconds when you reach the deepest squat you can comfortably achieve.
Then, slowly raise yourself back up.
Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times and do three sets. , Go to a public pool when it's not too crowded.
If you are a newbie to swimming laps, start out small.
As you get better, do more laps.
Try to do this 1-2 times a week.
Swimming helps you gain muscle and burn fat. , While lying on a mat or bed, place the ball in front of you.
Place your legs on top of the ball, lift your hips up, and slowly roll the ball in towards your hips.
Do this until you can no longer go anymore and make sure your hips don't fall to the floor. , Using an incline can build calf muscle.
Keep the resistance low. , Protein is filling and good for maintaining muscle tone.
Make sure to include fish, chicken and turkey in your diet. , Fruits and veggies provide you with dietary fiber, which can help reduce the amount of fat that your body stores. , You should be drinking 8-10 glasses per day.
Water not only helps flush out accumulated toxins in your body, but also keeps your skin hydrated, smooth and glowing in summer. , Foods like cookies, ice cream, cake, and chocolate are not only full of empty calories that don't provide you with energy, but will simply store themselves in your legs. , These types of foods prevent your skin from remaining hydrated.
Examples include peanuts, potato chips, popcorn, and most microwaveable foods. , The body converts fat into energy when it's exercising or low on food.
Unfortunately, the body converts fat from wherever it wants, and not always where you want it to.
Spot-training, or working one area of your body at a time, has its advantages (toning) and disadvantages (frustration when fat doesn't magically disappear).
Don't expect leg exercises to give you suddenly-skinny legs without seeing a reduction in your overall body fat levels. , A lot of people who want to lose weight make this mistake.
Their reasoning:
Calories get stored as fat when the body doesn't use them; calories come from food; if I starve myself, I'll get fewer calories; if I get fewer calories, there will be less fat to store.
This is a misconception.
What happens when a person starves him/herself? The body realizes it is getting less food, your metabolism slows down to save energy, and you start consuming lean tissue instead of fat reserves because the body wants to prepare itself for a while without food.
If you do manage to lose weight by starving yourself (you did it the hard, painful way!) your body will gain all the fat back as soon as you begin eating again, and you should eat again.
Why is this? Because your metabolism is still hibernating, and it needs to be kick-started.
How do you kickstart it? By eating the right types of foods in the first place. , A lot of people with really good intentions and strong discipline quit just before they start to see results.
They work like crazy for a month, don't see any results, and throw their hands up in the air in despair.
Try to remember that slow and steady wins the race.
It is reasonable to lose one to two pounds per week.
At this pace, your muscles will begin to be visible at around eight weeks into your program.
Go slow and try to embrace any changes you make as lifestyle changes. , Some people have bigger legs because of genetics and you cannot change that.
Whatever exercise, diet, or fad you do cannot change you because that's the way you were born.
Instead of fighting the world and running after a fool's errand, accept who you are and embrace it.
It sounds cheesy, but you'll be happier in the end.
Anybody who genuinely cares about you won't care one bit if you have skinny legs or not. -
Step 3: Use a stationary bike or go biking.
-
Step 4: Do a simple floor exercise.
-
Step 5: Try leg rolls.
-
Step 6: Try rebounding on a trampoline.
-
Step 7: Do lunges.
-
Step 8: Include squats.
-
Step 9: Go swimming!
-
Step 10: Use a stability ball.
-
Step 11: Use an elliptical trainer without an incline.
-
Step 12: Eat more protein.
-
Step 13: Add daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
-
Step 14: Drink lots of water.
-
Step 15: Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
-
Step 16: Avoid overly salty foods.
-
Step 17: Don't expect to lose the weight from just your legs.
-
Step 18: Don't starve yourself.
-
Step 19: Remember that results will take time.
-
Step 20: Accept yourself.
Detailed Guide
This is the simplest exercise for legs.
Use a step counter.
You should try to walk about 10,000 steps each day.
To make walking seem less tiring, try slipping on some flat shoes or sneakers when you get around.
If you keep this up, you'll see results in a month.
Running will use more energy and in turn help burn fat.
Try to do this at least three times per week.
However, make sure to start slow and gradually increase your running time.
When running, choose a route that is particularly flat.
Up-hill helps build the muscles of the legs and buttocks. , Bike riding provide a shockingly high caloric burn of about 500-600 calories an hour, making it one of the best exercise for reducing body fat.
However, you will only burn this many calories if you work up a sweat and get your heart rate into the range of 70 to 85% of your maximum. , Lay flat on your back with your legs on the floor.
Put your arms out beside you on the floor.
Bring your knee up to where the highest part of your profile is.
Then, with your other leg, kick it as high as it will go.
Return it to the floor.
Do 60 of these kicks, then switch sides and do 60 more. , Lie on your right side and place your left arm on the floor in front of you for support and balance.
With your left leg, raise it at hip level.
Pretend your leg is in a barrel and with your toes, lead the rest of your leg to trace the inside of the barrel.
Do 60 circles and then switch and do 60 more. , Rebounding uses a lot of calories and you have fun at the same time.
It also exercises your muscles leading to a more toned appearance. , Lunges are a great way to tone your legs.
Try to include lunges into your strength training routine twice per week.
To do a lunge:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and take a big step forward.
As you step forward, bend your knees and lower yourself down until your front knee is at about a 90 degree angle.
Make sure that the knee of you front leg stays over your ankle.
Hold for a second and then step back into the starting position.
Repeat the exercise on your opposite side.
Do three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions on each side. , Squats will tone your buttocks and legs, so this is another great strength training exercise to include.
Include squats into your strength training routine twice per week as well.
To do a squat:
Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart.
Then, slowly lower your buttocks towards the ground as if you are going to sit down.
Extend your arms out in front of you as you do this to help you balance.
You can even place a chair behind you to help you practice.
Do not allow your knees to go past your toes as you do this exercise.
Hold for a few seconds when you reach the deepest squat you can comfortably achieve.
Then, slowly raise yourself back up.
Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times and do three sets. , Go to a public pool when it's not too crowded.
If you are a newbie to swimming laps, start out small.
As you get better, do more laps.
Try to do this 1-2 times a week.
Swimming helps you gain muscle and burn fat. , While lying on a mat or bed, place the ball in front of you.
Place your legs on top of the ball, lift your hips up, and slowly roll the ball in towards your hips.
Do this until you can no longer go anymore and make sure your hips don't fall to the floor. , Using an incline can build calf muscle.
Keep the resistance low. , Protein is filling and good for maintaining muscle tone.
Make sure to include fish, chicken and turkey in your diet. , Fruits and veggies provide you with dietary fiber, which can help reduce the amount of fat that your body stores. , You should be drinking 8-10 glasses per day.
Water not only helps flush out accumulated toxins in your body, but also keeps your skin hydrated, smooth and glowing in summer. , Foods like cookies, ice cream, cake, and chocolate are not only full of empty calories that don't provide you with energy, but will simply store themselves in your legs. , These types of foods prevent your skin from remaining hydrated.
Examples include peanuts, potato chips, popcorn, and most microwaveable foods. , The body converts fat into energy when it's exercising or low on food.
Unfortunately, the body converts fat from wherever it wants, and not always where you want it to.
Spot-training, or working one area of your body at a time, has its advantages (toning) and disadvantages (frustration when fat doesn't magically disappear).
Don't expect leg exercises to give you suddenly-skinny legs without seeing a reduction in your overall body fat levels. , A lot of people who want to lose weight make this mistake.
Their reasoning:
Calories get stored as fat when the body doesn't use them; calories come from food; if I starve myself, I'll get fewer calories; if I get fewer calories, there will be less fat to store.
This is a misconception.
What happens when a person starves him/herself? The body realizes it is getting less food, your metabolism slows down to save energy, and you start consuming lean tissue instead of fat reserves because the body wants to prepare itself for a while without food.
If you do manage to lose weight by starving yourself (you did it the hard, painful way!) your body will gain all the fat back as soon as you begin eating again, and you should eat again.
Why is this? Because your metabolism is still hibernating, and it needs to be kick-started.
How do you kickstart it? By eating the right types of foods in the first place. , A lot of people with really good intentions and strong discipline quit just before they start to see results.
They work like crazy for a month, don't see any results, and throw their hands up in the air in despair.
Try to remember that slow and steady wins the race.
It is reasonable to lose one to two pounds per week.
At this pace, your muscles will begin to be visible at around eight weeks into your program.
Go slow and try to embrace any changes you make as lifestyle changes. , Some people have bigger legs because of genetics and you cannot change that.
Whatever exercise, diet, or fad you do cannot change you because that's the way you were born.
Instead of fighting the world and running after a fool's errand, accept who you are and embrace it.
It sounds cheesy, but you'll be happier in the end.
Anybody who genuinely cares about you won't care one bit if you have skinny legs or not.
About the Author
Amanda Wilson
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: