No matter what the weather, getting muscles toned is important for your overall health and safety. It can help functional fitness. It can help prevent falls and aid with getting up if you do, help with lifting things and reaching in high places. Here are workouts that can help you tone your legs quickly. You’ll look great, feel stronger and have more flexibility and endurance.
Bodyweight exercises are great for toning your legs.
You don’t need equipment for bodyweight exercises. One of the best to tone legs is squats. This versatile exercise can be modified to tone all the muscles in your legs. Traditional squats target the glutes, quads and hamstrings that support the body. Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width. Lower the body keeping the back straight, then raise it again. For a sumo squat that works the inner thighs more, feet are wider apart and toes pointed outward. You can do a walking squat, squat jump, split squat and a number of others to work other muscles for total toning.
Lunges are another favorite you can do anywhere.
Again, lunges are modified to work muscles in different ways. They improve functional fitness by improving your balance and hip flexibility. All lunges start with learning the traditional lunge. You put one foot forward with your knee bent and feet flat to the floor. The other foot remains behind and as you put weight on the forward foot, bending the knee, you lower the back knee to the floor with the heel lifted and toe touching. Then step back to starting position and move the other leg forward. There are dozens of modified ways to work different muscles and in different ways.
Plank leg lifts and a glute bridge are two of the exercises that work core and leg muscles.
Plank leg lifts build upper leg strength and so does a glute bridge. A glute bridge starts by laying on your back with knees bent and feet hip width apart and flat on the floor. Contract your stomach muscles to flatten your back, pushing your hips upward as you exhale and squeeze your glutes. Lower back to starting position as you exhale. Step-ups, single-leg deadlifts and box jumps are also good for toning leg muscles.
- Mountain climbers are excellent for the legs. Start in plank position, then alternate bringing one leg to your chest at a time, like you’re walking or climbing a mountain. Slowly increase your pace.
- Try a one-legged squat called a Belgium split squat. You simply put one foot on a coffee table or chair behind you as you lower yourself into a squat on one leg.
- Don’t forget your ankles. You can go up on toe and do calf raises, stair calf raises, plie squat while raising your heels and walking. Jumping jacks, jumping rope and riding a bike also help.
- Alternate leg days. You can spend one day doing regular exercises and another day doing fun things that work the whole body, like swimming, dancing and skiing. Challenge yourself more and record your progress.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym