Keeping Your Legs Lean
No matter your shape, lean and healthy legs matter! If you stand on them all day or use them to get from point A to point B, you want them looking and working their best. Right? Show off your sexy stems and improve your physical abilities with these moves for leaner legs.
Hope For Your Hot Legs
While many products claim they can help give you a boost in your fight with fat on your legs, topical solutions alone will never be enough to get you back to your sexy, lean legs. Here are the top 10 exercises you can perform to promote leaner and meaner legs, much sooner than you ever thought possible:
Move No. 1:
Sideways Leg Lifts. This routine can be deceptive. It looks easy when you’re watching someone else do it! Lie to one side, legs on top of each other. Slowly lift the leg on top, hold it, then bring it down without letting your toes touch. Repeat this 15-20 times. Switch sides and do the same for your other leg.
Move No.2:
Sumo Squat. To start, stand up straight with legs straightened and wide apart, arms crossed over your chest. Bend both knees, going as far down as you can without sitting, just squatting. Aim your butt behind your heels so you don’t hurt your knees.
To make it more challenging, add weights to your arms (bar, soup cans, dumbbells, whatever you have).
Move No. 3: 
Glute Raises. Go down on all fours with your elbows and knees on the ground. While keeping your back flat, kick one leg up, stretching it straight out towards the ceiling. Bring it back down without letting your knee touch the ground. Repeat 15 times before switching to the other leg.
Move No. 4:
Plank Leg Lift. This pose requires you to be on all fours again, but this time keep your elbows straight so your palms are on the floor. Your toes/balls of your feet should be against the ground, with your knees straight and legs together.
Start by lifting one leg up, momentarily holding the pose before bringing your leg down — don’t let your toes touch the ground! And keep your back flat. Repeat 15 times before doing the same for the other leg. While you can’t target cellulite reduction, this exercise will tighten your leg muscles to give you lean legs.
Move No. 5:
Lunge Knee Hops. Skipping is one of the best ways that you can get your legs back into shape. There’s no glory without sweat! So, get on this combined lunging and skipping to target your legs while also pumping up your heart rate.
You’ll be in a typical lunge pose: one knee up at 90 degrees from the hip, foot on the floor; one knee bent below your other hip, without touching the ground. Pull up the knee facing the ground in a brisk skip, ending in a standing position. Switch the dropped knee and keep going.
Move No. 6:
Jumping Jacks. These can be done anywhere you have room enough to flail your arms and legs. Try them first thing in the morning and do another set before bedtime just to get those leg muscles flexing.
Add this to your wake-up and bedtime routines — you’ll be surprised how much 10 minutes worth of jumping jacks each day helps you!
Move No. 7:
Ladder Drills. With or without the gadget, you can always get these ladder drills done easily. Imagine a flat ladder drawn on the floor (or build one using chalk or tape). Just like playing as a kid, you are going to challenge yourself to move your feet in and out of the ladder quickly.
Skip in and out of each hollow space, with one or two legs; do crossovers or grapevines; try using your hands and feet! Anything goes as long as you’re moving. Sounds simple enough, right? Now, get working! Try it for 10 minutes the first time and see where you get from there.
Move No. 8:
Burpees. Also simple to do at home. Assume the pushup position, but with your hands more directly below your shoulders. Keep your arms and legs as straight as possible. This is your first position.
The second and third positions happen quickly. In the second position, you are going to ‘jump’ your hands and feet together as fast as you can. The second you are crouched down, you are in the third position. From here, stand up with your head held high and arms outstretched above you. If you want more of a challenge, jump as high as you can here and reach for the sky. Return to the start position and repeat 15 times.
Move No. 9:
Skipping rope. Do as a boxer would and tackle your ropes! You should always start with easy, relaxed moves to warm you up, though. This is one move you will need to practice to get better at. Just keep skipping, gradually increasing your speed as you get more acquainted with this routine. You’ll be doing tricks in no time!
Skipping is a great cardiovascular workout and it tones your legs, from calves to butt!
Move No. 10:
Stair Climbing. You can always opt for the stair master in the gym, but it’s nice to catch a bit of fresh air if you can. Find a grand, old-fashioned building with several flights of stairs out front or some other long staircase outside. Or, you can walk up and down several floors in your office or apartment building. Just mind your safety and make sure the stairs are well-kept so you don’t trip.
To start, try doing 10 flights of stairs. If you’re at the gym, try for 10 minutes on the stair climber!
Wrap-Up
It’s time to flex those leg muscles and get ready to sweat. As you get more fit and flexible, these moves will become easier. To boost your results, make sure to complement your routine with a healthy diet. Now get working on those lean legs!
- Top 10 “Leg Slimming” Moves - October 1, 2017
