Toning your legs effectively takes hard work and patience, but can produce effective results to improve your confidence. Many women dislike their lower bodies and legs and wonder what exercises can tone and improve their appearance. In combination with a healthy diet and consistency, exercises for the legs can be effective in targeting specific areas of concern. Depending on your workout preferences, you’re sure to find at least one of these exercises you enjoy to help you start targeting your legs!
Cardiovascular Activities
As a general rule of thumb, any type of cardiovascular activity that burns fat can help you tone your legs. However, some cardio specifically targets your legs and glutes. Aim for at least 30 minutes to one hour of cardiovascular activity at least 3 to 6 times a week for optimal results.
It is important to be consistent week after week to see the results you’re looking to achieve. Some examples of cardio to tone legs include: running, walking, hiking, cycling, yoga, and many more.
Cardiovascular activity should be combined with other types of exercises for best results.
Leg Exercises
Alongside cardio, it is important to incorporate specific leg exercises into your workout routine. For beginners, each of these exercises can be modified accordingly to match your individual preferences and exercise abilities.
Start by performing each exercise for one minute, with a 15-second rest break in between. After rest, begin another round, followed by another rest period. As your muscles adjust to these exercises, work your way up to more sets, working up to 3 to 5 sets for intermediate abilities and advanced exercises.
Squats
A classic yet effective exercise to begin with to help target your legs. For beginners, no weight is needed other than your body weight. Start by standing hip distance apart and keep your upper body as straight as possible. Bend at the knees, push your butt back, and begin a squat motion as if you’re about to sit on a chair. For beginners, this can be a very effective exercise to see results from. Over time, as these begin to seem too easy, start slowly incorporating weights at chest level.
Forward and Backwards Lunges
You’re likely to have seen someone performing lunges in the gym before. This common exercise is effective at targeting leg muscles, either with or without weights. A combination of both a forward and backward lunge engages many leg and glute muscles all at once. This exercise can be done by standing hip-distance apart and taking a big step forward while lowering yourself to a 90-degree angle.
Pushing the hips forward, begin to rise back up and return to the starting position. This can be repeated in the backward position. Over time, you will gain balance and strength in your leg muscles to improve your stabilization. This exercise is also great at targeting core strength too!
Bridges
This simple exercise targets both your hamstrings (the muscles on the backside of your legs) and your glutes for a double whammy! Begin by lying on the floor with your back down. Placing your feet hip-distance apart, begin by lifting your knees up and your heels close to your butt on the floor.
This can be done with or without added weight, depending on your ideal challenge. If you’d like to add weight, simply add a weight on top of your lower abdominal area when performing this exercise.
Pushing your hips as high as you can, aim to hold this position for several seconds before returning to your original position. There are a variety of modifications and variations of this exercise, which can be done with one leg as well.
Bridges are great for an all-around killer leg workout. Even better, these will also tone your core at the same time!
To complement your newly toned legs from these exercises, give your legs some extra love with Hygieia’s organic hand and body lotion. This 100% natural and organic nutrient-rich moisturizer will help leave your legs feeling soft and beautiful. Comprised of a number of organic essential oils, this lotion is a great daily lotion to use to keep your legs looking smooth and soft!