Getting thinner and toned thighs is a dream of most women who like to rock their skinny jeans, short dress and pencil skirts but most of us have no idea how to slim them down. The only secret to shapely and toned thighs is hard work and consistency. Here are 15 effective thigh-toning exercises that can give you thinner thighs within a few weeks.
The simplest way to make the most out of these toning exercises is to combine them with some cardio exercises and lower-body workouts or incorporate them into your daily exercise schedule as a part of warm up or cool down sessions.
Top 15 Exercises for Thinner Thighs
The thigh-toning workouts mentioned in this article not only tone and shape the muscles of your thighs but also burn stubborn fat deposited in the thighs that don’t seem to melt no matter what you do.
1. Side Lunge to Crossover Tap
The lunge is an amazing body weight exercise that targets the entire body. The Side Lunge to Crossover Tap is an amazing lunge variation and one of the best thigh exercises that is designed to hit the inner and outer thighs, quads, glutes and hamstrings – all at the same time. Begin in the standing position with feet together and arms resting at the sides. Now, take a big step to the side with your left foot, bend your left knee and push your hips behind you.
Reach both arms on either side of your left foot and touch the ground with your fingertips. Push off with your left leg and transfer your body weight to the right foot and extend both arms up to the ceiling as by bring your left leg across the front of the body and tap your left toes on the floor just beside your right leg. This completes one repetition; try to complete 15 repetitions on both legs.
2. Squat with Ball
This is a low-impact stability ball exercise that works the thighs and the butt at the same time. It is one of the effective thigh slimming exercises the combines the benefits of the squat and helps to cut out all the flab. Place a stability ball between the wall and your lower back and stand with your feet placed shoulder-width apart. Now, come down to a squat by bending your knees and keeping your hips and shoulders square.
Remain in this position for 5 seconds and stand up while rolling the ball between the back and the walls. Target 12 repetitions at one stretch, rest for 30 seconds and do another set.
3. Runner’s Lunge to Balance
This is one of the effective leg exercises at home that incorporates a deep lunge and balance combo which helps to tighten the thigh muscles in no time. Begin in the standing stance with your feet together. Take a big step in front with the right leg, reach towards the right foot with both hands by leaning forward from the hips. Bend both the knees into a low lunge.
Now press your weight into your right leg and push down with your right foot as you stand up from the lunge. Your upper body should stay in the hinged forward position as you stand up with your back straight and abs tight. Stay in the balancing position for 1 count and then return to the lunge. Repeat this workout 15 times and then switch sides.
4. Flamingo Balance
This is yet another balancing exercise for legs that involves arm curling, torso tightening and leg kicking. You need to go slow with all the postures in order to tighten the thighs as well as the other muscles. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and place your left hand on your hip. Lean forward and lift your left foot off the floor at hip height and bring your right arm forward simultaneously.
Do a biceps curl by bringing your arms up. Touch the raised foot back to the floor for balance and repeat 12 to 15 repetitions. Switch sides and repeat.
5. Scissor Power Switch
This is one of the power-packed exercises for slimmer thighs that burn loads of calories as you work the fast-twitching muscle fibres present in the thighs. Begin standing with your right foot forward and left leg placed back into a runner’s lunge reaching your left arm towards your right foot and stretching the right arm behind you.
Push off the floor with both feet and jump up while scissoring the legs mid-air and landing back in a runner’s lunge with your left leg forward and right arm reaching across. Do 15 switches in total. Start slow and then notch up the speed as your fitness level increases.
6. Plyometric Squat
A squat is by far the best exercise for legs that that not only makes the leg muscles stronger but also helps to speed by the calorie burn. It tones and shapes the thighs and increases flexibility. Begin in a standing posture with your feet placed shoulder-width apart. Squat down and bend your knees to 90 degrees.
Jump up and land softly into a squat position. Use the explosive power in your legs and butt to jump up. Remember to land as gently as you can with your knees bent, keeping your weight on your heels. Target 8 to 10 jumps in one stretch.
7. Diagonal Lunge
The Diagonal Lunge is the best exercise for legs and thighs that helps to build coordination and control and aids in toning and tightening the quads, glutes, hamstrings and inner thighs thanks to its multi-directional moves. Begin in the standing stance with your feet together and both arms stretched overhead.
Take a big step forward with your right foot and bend the right knee and bend forward over your right thigh and try to touch the floor and either side of the right foot. Push off with the right foot and return to the starting position. Repeat 15 times with one leg and then switch sides.
8. Single-Leg Circle
This is one of the simple and low-impact exercises for thighs that work the entire leg right from the thighs to the calves. Lie down on the floor with your arms resting at your sides and palms facing down. Raise you your left foot and point the toes towards the ceiling.
Now, inhale and trace a clockwise circle in the air by moving the entire leg but keeping the hips fixed. Trace 5 clockwise circles and 5 anti-clockwise circles. Switch legs and repeat the same with the other leg. Don’t lift your hips off the floor during the exercise.
9. Plié Slides
This ballet-inspired exercise is the ultimate solution to the question of how to get slimmer thighs. It helps to tone both the inner and outer-thighs. Begin in a standing pose with your hands placed on your hips and heels joined and toes rotated to the sides. Step your left foot out into a deep plié by bending both the knees out over the toes and lowering your body close to the floor.
10. Toe Squat with Overhead Reach
This is a yoga-inspired leg exercise that is very similar to the Utkatasana. It is undoubtedly the best exercise to slim thighs that works all the muscles of the legs at the same time. Begin in a chair pose with your abs engaged and inner knees and ankles touching and hips lowered into a half-squat.
Lift the dumbbells overhead and balance on the balls f your feet. Keep your lower legs controlled and your body steady and then come back to the standing position. Do 10 to 15 squats at one time.
11. Kneeling Roundhouse Kick
This is a power-packed kickboxing inspired move that is an amazing way to tone and shape the thighs and outer hips without using any equipment. Begin by kneeling on all fours with arms placed under shoulders and knees bend under the hips. Raise your left knee off the floor bending your left heel close to your body. Then lift the left knee out to the side of your body and try to raise it to hip height.
From this position, stretch your leg straight out, pointing your toe forward. Bend the knee back and lower it down without touching the floor. Repeat 15 kicks on the left and 15 kicks on the right.
12. Outer and Inner Thigh Kick Stretch
This is a simple and easy move that targets the thigh muscles from each and every angle and helps to cut out the excess flab and toning the muscles in no time. Stand grabbing the back of the chair with your shoulder blades pressed back and down. Get on the balls of your left foot and lift up the right leg. Bring your right leg across the body and place it in front of the left leg.
Next, swing it back to the right keeping your toes turned out and flexed. Do 10 repetitions from right to left using the right leg and then 10 repetitions from left to right using the left leg. Use the momentum to swing your legs.
13. Hip Extension and Cross
This a soothing back stretch exercise that not only tones the thighs, glutes and core but also helps to relieve lower back and hip pain. It is a powerful isolation exercise that must be included in an exercise regime for improving lower-body strength. Kneel down with your elbows bend on the floor and hands clasped.
Bend your left knee and draw in your left leg while gently tapping the back of your right knee with your left kneecap. Extend the left leg back out. Repeat this movement 15 times and the switch legs and repeat 15 times.
14. Pick-Up Squat
This is a wonderful front-thigh stretch that helps to tone both the inner and the outer thighs to perfection without putting much stress on the joints. Stead with your feet placed shoulder-width apart grabbing a 5 to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees 90 degrees while keeping your chest straight and place the dumbbells down in front of your feet.
Immediately stand up and then squat down again and pick up the dumbbells from the floor. Continue this exercises for 1 minutes by alternating between lowing the weights and picking them up.
15. Plank to Stand Up
This is a tough move, but you can definitely master it with daily practice. It helps to improve the flexibility of the hamstrings and hips while toning the back, legs, thighs and core at the same time. Begin in a full-plank position with your core drawn in and the right foot placed in between your hands with your knee bend so that the right thigh is parallel to the floor and the back leg extended. Move the weight to your right foot and slowly stand up from the lunge, leaning slightly forward with your upper body.
Tap you left foot on the floor behind you. Now, bend your right knee and return to a lunge placing the hands on the floor on either side of your right foot. Step back to the plank position and repeat the whole exercise with your left leg. Do 15 repetitions with alternate legs.
So, what are you waiting for? Prepare to get into those skinny jeans soon by performing at least 15 repetitions of each of these exercises in a circuit at least 4 days a week.