Exercises can get boring and can also feel pointless at times. There are people who are addicted to working out who have to do it regularly but then there are the rest of us who prefer lazing around on the couch binge watching our favorite shows. But we want the rewards of working out too so here’s a solution. You can always do at home work outs that focus on the areas you want to tone.
The legs are an area that really need the work but are often ignored. The legs need to be strong enough to support the body through all the walking and running we do and slim legs look amazing. Exercising the legs will also help shed weight overall. Check out these simple exercises that you can do at home:
1. High-Knee
This exercises focuses on everything between and including your core muscles to your calf muscles. It helps you stay more balanced and speeds up your metabolic activity. To do a fairly basic high knee exercise, raise a leg, pull your knee into your chest and hold it there a few moments before bringing it down. Do this with your other leg and keep repeating the movement. Keep your back straight throughout.
Once this becomes easy for you, you can try more complicated exercises.
2. Squats
A fairly common part of every workout, it is best to go for a deep squat if you wish to see great results. It will be difficult to get your buttocks to go below your knees but it will be worth it. They activate your glutes; make your ligaments stronger and your lower body more flexible. These two exercises require you to stand and that can be a slight turn off.
But there are workouts you can do just before going to sleep, and maybe even in bed. If you’re going all out and doing all of these exercises, do the aforementioned two in the beginning.
3. Oblique leg raises
This exercise can make you stronger because it activates a variety of muscles. It doesn’t look hard but if you don’t do it right, you can injure yourself. Ensure that one of your sides is touching the floor, especially your lower body. Your body should be in a straight line. Raise the leg on top at a 45 degree angle and bring it back down smoothly.
4. Inner thigh lifts
If you’re just trying to get toned legs, this is the right exercise for you. Lie down on your side with the leg at the bottom stretched out. Cross the upper leg over it and let either the foot or the knee come into contact with the floor. Don’t move your upper body and focus only on the inner thigh.
This exercise can be modified in a multitude of ways. You can raise the leg below while you are exhaling and bring it back to rest as you breathe in. You can even rotate that leg while it is raised. But stay steady throughout so that you don’t injure yourself.