Women love to keep their bodies in shape, whether it’s their arms or legs, they never like to see those extra pounds over them. Besides beauty standards, there are some other factors like knee injury and early arthritis, most common in women which can be avoided if women keep their legs toned and muscles strong. In this article, we’ll tell you the workouts you can try to transform your untoned legs into toned ones.
Untoned vs toned legs
There is a misconception that the only difference between untoned and toned legs is their bulky appearance or fat. It definitely makes up one point but not the whole argument. Untoned legs usually lose shape due to excess fat accumulation, have poor muscle strength and joint issues. While toned legs are free of extra cellulite, have strong muscles, and free of joint issues.
How to get toned legs?
There are many exercises and dietary routines that are specially designed for you to achieve those desired toned legs. For starters, start with basic and simple daily tasks that can easily be followed.
1. Daily walk
What possibly could be a better way than walking to use your legs? Daily walk can burn those fats accumulated in your muscles really fast and the resistance you feel due to brisk walk, will make your muscles strong. After some point, you can upgrade yourself and can start running as well.
2. Cycling
Cycling is best known for improving flexibility and shape of the legs. The joints keep moving in this exercise, thus their mobility remains intact. The continuous pedalling causes the fat to burn fast.
3. Jumping rope
It might sound like a children’s play, but jumping rope can sculpt your calves muscles while improving your heart health as well.
4. Dance
That might be an interesting one for you. We all love to groove and dance to our favorite melodies. Then why not make it our power and dance your heart out while grooving on your favorite track. Dancing will keep you on your feet while maintaining your balance and toning your legs.
Exercises to get toned legs
Other than this basic exercise routine, you can add a few workouts to your daily routine as well to tone your legs as fast as you can.
1. Lunges
This exercise will work your butt and thigh muscles. The position of this exercise (which requires you to move both legs simultaneously) helps in strengthening legs’ muscles.
2. Squats
Squats are one of the famous exercises for toning your legs. The pressure exerted on the calves of your legs while you move up and down, sculpts your legs. The knee movement also improves by this exercise.
3. Step-ups
It’s like walking on stairs. You move one of your legs forward and keep it on the box ahead, and then while exerting pressure on the other leg, move both legs on the box. And then repeat it. This repetitive movement of legs works out the muscles of the thigh, butt and hips.
4. Hamstring curls
This is a gym based exercise, which targets the muscle and fat of your legs and hamstrings. The inward movement of legs increases muscle endurance.
5. Thigh adductor exercise
Thigh adductor machine is usually available in every other gym. The movement of your legs like claps works on the inner thigh muscles.
Other than these exercises you can also try out, yoga tree pose, single leg kick in pilates, eagle pose, standing calf raise, box jumps, stability ball knee tucks, resistance band leg presses and bridge exercise.
Health and nutrition
You can never get fit or slim without improving your diet habits. Eating a healthy and well balanced meal will provide you energy for exercises dedicated to your toned legs. It will also improve your metabolism. Eating enough calories will build muscles, repair damaged muscles and will supply carbs necessary for muscle strengthening. Staying hydrated is also necessary, as loss in water speeds up the process of glycogen storage in the muscles: a major cause behind muscle fatigue. Avoid soda, cold drinks and such unhealthy snacks which make your bones weak.
Conclusion
Every shape is beautiful. Legs whether toned or untoned, if they are healthy enough, then you might not need all those exercises. But eventually it’s your choice, if you feel like toning your legs for beauty standards, you should do that. It’s your body and your choice. Just follow the above mentioned exercises on a daily basis, and you’ll start observing the change in a week or two.
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.
