You may be searching for ways to tighten your legs if you want to feel more confident in shorts, skirts, or leggings or you want to improve your overall body structure.
But the fact is, there is no such thing as a quick spot treatment that can reduce the fats of your legs, and make your legs thinner and toned overnight.
You can follow a routine that gets rid of overall excess body fat. The routine includes a balanced diet and some effective exercise.
Choosing exercises that help tone your leg muscles can also make them appear more fit and tight.
How Legs Become Fatty
Body fat is normal and healthy to a certain limit. An average healthy man has 18-25% body fat and an average healthy woman has 25-31% body fat.
Although body fat is typically distributed perfectly, you may have more fat in certain areas than others. This is usually due to genetics and sometimes to your unhealthy lifestyle.
Leg fat can be made up of a variety of fat cells, including;
- Subcutaneous fat is found directly beneath the skin and is most common in the thighs area of a woman.
- Intramuscular fat is fat that is dispersed within the muscle itself, similar to the marbling seen in meat.
Because the majority of leg fat is subcutaneous, it poses fewer long-term health risks.
Some women have fats in the lower leg. The medical term for that condition is known as cankles. Women with cankles don’t feel confident wearing tight jeans, leggings, or skirts.
Here are three steps for losing body fat and toning your legs;
- Doing Exercise to burn fats.
- Doing Exercise to strengthen muscles and tighten your legs.
- Maintaining a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Let’s dive deep into these steps…
Exercises To Burn Fat
Aerobic exercise is the very first step in reducing overall body fat. Experts advise two and half hours of aerobic activity per week.
Whether you walk, swim, or cycle, it’s important to choose an exercise that you can do at a moderate intensity to raise your heart rate and burn calories.
Cycling is one of the best aerobic and beneficial exercises for the legs. The low intensity is especially beneficial for beginners, and it is gentle on your knees. Cycling also improves muscle endurance in the following body parts:
- Calves
- The hamstrings
- The gluteal muscles
- The quadriceps muscles
If you don’t want to commit to a cycling class, you could buy a home exercise bike. Better yet, get on your bike and ride outside for some stress-relieving fresh air.
Another exercise is recommended to do other than cycling is swimming. Swimming is an overall body exercise. Try to swim at least once a week.
Exercises To Strengthen Muscles
Losing fat alone can result in less toned legs, so you’ll need to spend some time working on muscle strength for getting toned legs.
Weights and rowing machines are useful tools for leg-strengthening exercises, but you can work on leg muscles just as well without them at home.
Lunges are considered one of the most comprehensive leg workouts because they tone the quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, and buttocks.
Steps of Lunges are;
- Place your feet hip-width apart and stand tall. Power up your core.
- Using your right leg, take a big step forward. Begin to shift your weight forward so that your heel hits the floor first.
- Lower your body(thigh) until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your right shin is vertical. It is acceptable for the knee to shift forward slightly as long as it does not extend past the right toe. If your mobility allows it, lightly tap your left knee to the floor while keeping your weight in your right heel.
- To return to the starting position, press into your right heel.
- Rep on the opposite side.
Some other Muscle Strengthening exercises for getting toned legs;
- Calf raises
- Leg lifts
- Squats
Healthy Food Habit
Exercise is the most effective way to lose extra fat and tone your leg muscles but you must also use the power of a calorie deficit.
The first step is to reduce your calorie intake, as your body will naturally use excess fat as its next energy source. Consider your calorie intake to be a budget, and try to stay within or under it most days of the week.
Just be careful not to go too far in your calorie deficit. Consult your healthcare provider for assistance in determining your calorie requirements, particularly if you have any underlying medical conditions.
The Takeaway
It is not possible to lose fat in just one area of the body, but losing weight, in general, can help with fat loss in the legs.
Overall, the best approach is to combine strength training, aerobic exercise, dietary changes, and other behavior modification to promote a healthier lifestyle.
There are numerous ways to modify the diet to include fewer calories and more nutrients. Anyone who wants to lose weight should consult with a doctor about the best way to do so.
Author
Jesus M Martinez