To get smaller, leaner legs its important to understand that it takes more than just a few simple leg exercises.
While having skinny, toned legs is everyone’s desire it’s not as easy as it seems, for starters, there is nothing like spot reduction, this means that the exercise routine you chose to adopt is more likely to result in an overall fat loss rather than the targeted fat loss.
How to make them smaller
According to get fit, Jillian Michaels, you can get small legs through cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and a healthy diet.
In other words, to get skinny legs consider exercises that foster total body fat reduction- this is the only guaranteed way to get rid of the pesky fat in your problem areas. Oh, as well as incorporating a healthy eating habit.
Exercise for smaller legs
Ensuring that your exercise routine directly uses your legs such as walking, running, using a step machine, aerobics or spinning classes will promote getting lean, skinny legs as well general fat burn.
- Walking– this is among one of the simplest exercises routines and the best thing about it is you can do it anywhere. All you need is a step-counter, comfy shoes and try to get at least 10,000 steps in a day for the best results.
- Running-running for at least 2-3 times a week uses a lot more energy hence will burn more fat. however, start slow and gradually increase the time spent on running.
- Bike rides- bike riding is one of the most effective fat burning exercises. However, it is not as easy as it sounds, to burn the most number of calories you need to work up a sweat and your heart rate to 70-90% of your maximum.
- Simple workout routines- there are numerous exercises you can do at the comfort of your home to help tone your legs, these include; squats, leg rolls, lunges.
Alternatively, you can opt to hit the gym once in a while and incorporate the;
- use of a stability ball
- swimming
- using an elliptical trainer without an incline-however, it’s important to ensure that you use it properly in order to avoid building huge thigh muscles.
Eating a healthy diet
- Proteins (fish, chicken, turkey) are bodybuilding foods therefore good for building and filling muscle tone.
- Fruits and vegetables provide dietary fiber which promotes the reduction in the amount of stored body fat.
- Drink plenty of water: staying hydrated by drinking at least 8-10 glasses per day, ensures your body flushes out accumulated toxins.
- Avoid sugary and high-fat foods: cookies, ice cream, cake, and chocolate contain empty calories that do not provide any energy but instead contribute to fat deposits in your problem areas.
Tips for slim leg workouts
- Start with moderate-intensity cardio exercises and generally build up to high intensity to ensure maximum fat burn. Ensure the exercise routine you choose to adopt includes activities that you enjoy doing to make sure that you are able to stick to it.
- Ensure that you select a program that targets the muscles in this area in order to promote fat loss and toning. Squats, leg rolls, lunges, hamstring curls, step-ups, deadlifts and wall squats are some you could try out.
- Additionally, do about 10-12 repetitions of the workout routine at least thrice a week for best results. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, “in order to maintain weight loss or lose weight, an input of 60-90 minutes of physical activity, for 5 days a week may be required.”
- Decrease your daily calorie intake by 500-1000 calories in order to reduce weight effectively.
Sources
- https://getfit.jillianmichaels.com/smaller-legs-1137.html
- http://www.superskinnyme.com/how_to_use_elliptical_trainer.html
- http://www.acsm.org/
