10 Easy Exercise Tips On How To Get Slimmer Thighs

by Riya Roy · November 17, 2015

Are those ads for skinny jeans stressing you out? Are you wondering why, in spite of your rigorous workout regimen, you seem to still have large thigh muscles? Moreover, are you confused whether it is muscle or fat that is making your thighs look larger than you’d like? Before we get into the exercises, talk to a doctor or personal trainer to determine your body fat percentage and to set a realistic exercise and weight loss goal. A woman’s thighs start getting slimmer at a body fat level of about 18%. For tight and toned thighs, you have to determine the type of thighs you have so that you can choose the right exercises.

Keeping in mind that not everyone is gym-savvy, we have divided this article into two parts with tips on how to get slimmer thighs:

A: For the home-bods

B: For the gym rats

Try these out, but keep in mind that there are no miracle tricks that will help you get thinner thighs. If you are ready to put in the extra effort and work out hard, then a healthy and fit body, along with slimmer thighs is awaiting you. Exercise never gets easier; you only get stronger!

A: How to get slimmer thighs at home

1. Slimming skaters

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Begin with your feet together, making sure your toes point forward. With your arms by your sides, keep your head and neck upright. Now take a large skate step towards your right with your right foot. Then drag the left foot towards it, and swing your left hand forward and right hand behind you. Remember, you are mimicking a skater. Repeat the same exercise in the opposite direction. Continue the workout for over a minute, while changing directions continuously. This is a double-duty move involving both your thighs and your arms, so it will not only sculpt your thigh muscles, but also burn off the unwanted bulge.

2. Scissor kicks

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Scissor kicks allow you to target your inner thigh fat. The best part about this exercise is that you can do it practically anywhere, without any special gym equipment. Lie down on your back and rest your hands by your side. Raise your feet and start kicking in the air. Make sure you kick with hard but short and controlled movements. Your toes must point out. Also when you are kicking, one leg must be back and the other forward. You can even place your hands below your glutei, if placing them on the sides makes the workout too intense.

3. Side to side plies

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Look ahead and stand with your feet about 3 feet apart. Your knees and toes must be pointing outward and your hands must rest on your hips. This is a four-count move. Bend your knees in such a way that your hips are lowered towards the floor, as low as possible. Remember to keep your back straight. Dip down and hold the position for at least 30 seconds. Then, gently straighten your legs. Slide your left heel over the right and press your inner thighs together. Hold this again for around 30 seconds. Repeat the plies and squeeze in for the right leg. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times.

4. Frog

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Lie down on your back and relax your arms beside you on the floor. Now bend your knees and bring them to your chest. Flex your feet while turning your knees outward. Make sure your heels touch. Press both your legs out, squeezing the inner thighs together. Bend your knees close to your chest again. Remember to maintain the 45-degree line while drawing them in too. Repeat the move 15 times.

5. Butterfly stretch

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To cancel out the next day’s soreness and also improve your flexibility, complete this exercise routine with a butterfly stretch that is relaxing yet effective. Seat yourself comfortably. Sandwich the bottoms of your feet together and relax your knees. Hold onto your ankles. Now slowly lean forward and lower your chest toward your feet. Keep lowering your chest until you feel a stretching sensation in your thighs. Hold on to the stretch pose for about half a minute and then relax. Since this is a stretch movement, you can do it only once. No repetitions.

Suggested read: 10 belly busting ab workouts for women

B: How to get slimmer thighs at the gym

1. Treadmill

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A treadmill is the most effective piece of gym equipment to help you tone your thighs. To blast that extra plumpness and burn more calories than usual, you should include interval training when you are on the treadmill. By interval training, I mean warm up with a moderate walk for four or five minutes and then accelerate. In case you are a beginner or have some physical restrictions, keep walking briskly for four minutes. If you are an advanced runner, push the envelope and jog at a running pace for this four minute gap. After this, increase the pace by a half a mile per hour for around a minute. Now return to your initial pace. Keep alternating between these three paces and finish with a very slow five-minute walk to cool down and bring the heartbeat to normal.

2. Elliptical

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When you are focusing your workout on slimmer thighs, you are likely to exert force on your knee joints. An elliptical trainer can serve as a good option to reduce the pressure on your joints. Sliding the legs and giving the arms a back and forth movement can provide an amazing cardio workout to get thinner thighs. The low-impact property of an elliptical trainer is what makes the equipment ideal to use for a proper aerobic workout without feeling knee and joint pain the following day. Just like the treadmill, you can follow interval training for the elliptical machine too. These intervals give the body shocks, which allow the fat to burn faster. Along with the elliptical trainer, the cable pulley machine also helps you work your inner thighs, the adductors, and also your outer thighs called the abductors. Perform at least four sets for best results.

3. Cross-country Ski Machine

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On days when you cannot go out for a run, a cross-country ski machine is your best friend. It blasts almost 500 calories every hour without the stress on your joints that comes from jogging and running. These are the best alternatives to treadmills and stationary bikes. They engage the abs and the thigh muscles at the same time. Until you hit the snow-capped trails, the cross-country ski machine will steal the ‘thunder’ from your thighs! 😉

4. Stair Climber

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This equipment is known to work wonders on both the inner and outer thighs, as well as benefitting the tummy area. You will be building your muscles and your body will transform into an extremely efficient fat-killing machine! When you are at work with a stair climber, make sure to draw your belly button inwards to keep the core as tight as possible. However, do not forget to breathe! 😀

5. Exercise ball

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Similar to the back muscles, the hamstrings tend to get ignored because they are not very visible. You can use an exercise ball to reduce the extra fat on your thigh muscles. All you need to do is lie down on your back, place your calves on the exercise ball, and squeeze your abs to lift your body up off the floor while keeping both your head and feet in a straight line. Slowly bend the knees and press the ball with your feet. Now raise your hips off the floor with your feet pushing into the ball. Do at least 3 sets of 10 moves each. According to Nick Clayton, who is a training program manager at the National Strength and Conditioning Association, this workout targets the hamstrings and helps you shape your legs.

If you follow these workouts, both at home and at the gym using equipment, you are sure to flaunt those sexy and toned legs very soon. Whether in a bikini, a pencil skirt, or even a tight-fitted pair of jeans, your legs will make you the talk of the town. However, remember that the genetics and the bone structure of each individual also play a role. Also, losing weight varies from person to person. A healthy diet is also necessary in order to see results. So, choose the right workout routine and give it some time, usually about 3 months, to see your hard work.