Top 10 Thigh Exercises

With swimsuit, shorts and dress season here, now's the time to
focus on toning and shaping your thighs. Thighs can be a
trouble spot for many women, but with these 10 exercises,
you'll be able to tone and strengthen your legs and feel
confident to head outside in a cute new summer dress or short
shorts! The best part about these exercises is that you don't
need fancy equipment - just yourself and a set of 5- 8-pound
dumbbells. You'll notice results in only 4 to 6 weeks if you
perform these exercises at least twice a week.

Wall Squat

    * Stand against a wall, with your legs extended out. Your feet
should be about 2 feet away from the wall. If you have knee
pain or an injury, adjust your feet out so that when you bend
and straighten, you feel no pain. You should not feel pain or
discomfort in your knees at any time during this exercise.

    * As you exhale, bend your knees to slide your back down
the wall. Ideally, you will come to a level almost as low as
sitting. If you experience pain, move back up until you are pain-
free. Check to see that your knees do not come any more
forward than your ankles. Try to line them up with the area
between the big toe and the 2nd toe. This will protect them
from injury.

    * If you need to, adjust the distance between the wall and
your feet to accomodate good knee alignment and the level of
challenge to your muscles.

    * Hold the position for 5-10 seconds. Breathe evenly. If this
position feels challenging to your muscles, pay attention to your
breath -- that should help you get through your 5-10 seconds.
Eventually, you can work up to holding the position for 1-2
minutes.

Lunge with Dumbbells

    * Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a 5- or 8-
pound dumbbell in each hand.

    * Lunge forward with your left leg, then straighten your leg.
When you lunge, your right knee should come to about an inch
above the ground without touching it.

    * Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor, with your weight
evenly distributed between your legs. Align your front knee over
your front ankle, keeping the weight in your heels instead of on
your toes.

    * Try doing 2 sets at 8-12 reps for each leg.

Dumbbell Squat

    * Stand up straight while holding a dumbbell in each hand
(palms facing the side of your legs). Position your legs shoulder
width apart with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head
up and maintain a straight back.

    * Slowly lower your torso by bending the knees as you
maintain a straight posture. Continue down until your thighs are
parallel to the floor. Tip: If you performed the exercise correctly,
the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line
with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees
are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you
are placing undue stress on the knee.

    * Begin to raise your torso as you exhale by pushing the floor
with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and
go back to the starting position.

Seated Leg Raise

    * Sit on floor with your back pressed against a wall, legs
extended in front of you with feet flexed.

    * Raise right leg off floor as high as you comfortably can,
keeping foot flexed. Lower to floor without touching

    * Do 20 continuous reps. Repeat with left leg.

Outer & Inner Thigh Kick

    * Stand holding the back of a chair. Press your shoulder
blades back and down.

    * Come up onto the ball of your left foot, and lift your right
leg.

    * Keeping your abs pulled in, bring your right leg across your
body, in front of your left.

    * Now, swing it back out to the right, keeping your toes
flexed and your toes turned out. Use momentum to swing
through your leg.

    * Do 10 reps. Be sure to keep both hips facing forward.

    * Repeat with the right leg.  Do two sets of 10 reps for each
leg.

Single-Leg Circles

    * Lie back on the mat with your arms by your sides and your
palms facing down.

    * Begin by pointing with your left foot, as if reaching out with
your toes toward the ceiling, and rotate your leg slightly
outward.

    * Inhale, and trace a circle on the ceiling with your left leg,
moving your whole leg, but keeping your hips still. Don't lift your
left hip off the floor.

    * Trace the circle on the ceiling 5 times in a clockwise
direction. Repeat in a counter-clockwise direction.

    * Switch legs and repeat 5 time

Plyometric Squat

    * Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down,
bending your knees to 90 degrees.

    * Now jump up explosively and land softly in the squat
position.

    * Remember to land as softly as you can with your knees
bent; keep your weight back, over your heels.

    * Do 3 sets of 8 reps.

Scissor Kick

    * Lie faceup on mat with arms at sides, palms down and legs
extended straight out. Lift legs about 45 degrees, pointing toes.

    * Quickly open and close your legs, crossing the right thigh
over the left and then reversing the movement. Continue
scissoring legs

    * Do 12 to 15 reps per side.

Plie

    * Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width
apart and your toes pointing out.

    * Bring your arms out straight in front of you and lower into a
squat. Come back up and repeat. Go as low into the squat as
you can without letting your knees move past your toes.

    * Be sure to contract your glutes as you lower and lift. Keep
your torso tall, and don't let your knees move past your toes or
you risk injury.

    * Do for 1 minute.

Pick-Up Squat

    * Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 5- or
8-pound dumbbell in each hand by your sides.

    * Bend your knees 90 degrees, keeping your chest lifted as
you place the dumbbells down, outside your feet.

    * Stand up and immediately squat down again, picking up the
weights at your feet.

    * Do 2 sets of 10-12 reps, alternating lowering the weights
and picking them up.