Who doesn’t want toned thighs? There’s a lot you can do to get them. Developing shapely thighs all comes down to lifestyle changes, effective cardio, and resistance training.
Requiring nothing but five minutes of your time, this routine is one you can do in the workplace during downtime. It consists of three 40-second bursts, with five-second breaks between them.
1. Ski squats
- Stand straight
- Bend all the way down with your legs together, exhaling on your way up
2. Sumo squats
- Assume a ski-squat position
- Spread your legs wide apart
- Squat
3. Pop squats
- Squat widely
- Touch down in the middle with the opposite hand each time
- Jump back up to starting position
- This is followed by the squat hold, in which you sink down with your hands toward your chest, going down as low as you can.
Repeat these exercises until five minutes are up.
All About Cardio
Low-to-moderate intensity cardio is key for achieving thin, fit thighs. This is because it burns fat. Walking is the best kind of cardio for getting rid of excess fat on your thighs. As a bonus, walking burns lots of calories, But it’s not the most effective type of cardio for losing weight. To lose weight and tone your thighs, you want to engage in both low and high-intensity cardio exercises. You should incorporate both walking and
While cardio — walking, for example — works any time of the day, you should walk first thing in the morning before eating breakfast for best results. Known as fasted cardio, this approach results in higher fat burn since your glycogen levels are depleted. For even better results, try to eat a low carb dinner the night before you do
In addition to engaging in low-intensity cardio, you should also engage in high-intensity, such as running. Running burns a large number of calories while building muscle strength in your legs. However, if your goal is to burn fat and get lean legs, then you’re better off walking than slow running.
Other cardio activities that shape your thighs include swimming, stair climbing, cycling, and kickboxing. All these activities sculpt muscles in the upper and lower body, engaging your quadriceps, hamstrings and other muscles in your legs.
Strength Training
Strength training, otherwise known as resistance training, is an important component of achieving strong, lean and toned thighs. While some resistance training exercises that utilize weights can bulk up your thighs, exercises such as squats actually build muscles in your legs, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, while promoting body-wide muscle building. Thus, squats not only tone and shape your thighs, they also improve both your upper and lower body strength. It’s important to eat ample protein while strength training, in order to achieve rapid muscle growth.
Getting perfect thighs doesn’t require a huge time commitment. If you incorporate walking into your daily routine and engage in just 15 minutes of strength training exercises a day, you’ll be well on your way to beach-ready thighs. Here is a five-minute squat exercise regimen that you can do on your lunch break:
References
- “8 Lunch Break Workouts To Make The Most Of Your Work Day,” Bustle, March 10, 2016.
- “10 Lunch Break Workouts You Can Do In Just 10 Minutes,” Self, April 11, 2016.
- “The Lunch-Break Workout,” Women’s Health, May 17, 2013.
- “The Ultimate Lunch-Hour Workout,” Fitness, February 4, 2009.
