- Getting toned legs requires time and consistency.
- Exercise is the best way to get toned legs.
- Consuming fewer calories will also help you lose leg fat.
If you’re looking for ways to tone your legs for whatever reasons, here are some routines that can get rid of your leg fats.
How does leg fat develop?
Before anything else, keep in mind that having body fat. Men of average weight have a body fat of about 18 to 25 percent, while women of average weight have about 25 to 31 percent. Your genes can make you have more fat in certain areas of your body than others.
The different types of fat cells that comprise the legs include:
- Subcutaneous fat located right beneath your skin, most common in the thighs
- Intramuscular fat spread within the muscle
Leg fat is mostly subcutaneous, which is not very harmful to health. Here’s how you can reduce body fat and achieve toned legs.
1. Do aerobic exercise.
Doing aerobic exercise is the first step to burning overall body fat. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends aiming for 150 minutes of aerobic activity weekly. You can either walk, swim, or cycle, as long as you can complete the exercise at a moderate intensity, and get your heart pumping for calorie burn. Cycling is an excellent aerobic exercise for toning the legs, especially for exercise beginners. The exercise also increases muscle endurance in the calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. You reap the same benefits from a home exercise bike.
2. Strengthen your muscles.
When you just work on losing fat, it may not give you the toned legs you’re working for, so you’ll also need to strengthen your muscles.
Good leg-strengthening exercises include lifting weights and rowing machines, but you can also strengthen your leg muscles without any special equipment. For example, you can tone your quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, and buttocks, with lunges.
Here’s how to make a proper lunge:
- Stand up straight with your hands on your hips for extra balance.
- Step one leg forward and one leg back. Bend your front leg to create a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knee doesn’t extend past your ankle.
- Put your weight in your heels.
- Go back to the starting position, then complete your desired number of reps.
- Do another set, but this time bend your other leg.
You can also do calf raises, leg lifts, and squats.
3. Eat less.
Exercise is the best way to get toned legs, but consuming fewer calories can also help you lose body fat. When you’re in a calorie deficit, your body will use your stored fats for energy. Make sure not to go on an extreme calorie deficit, and consult your doctor to determine how many calories you need per day to stay healthy, especially if you have an illness.
Via Healthline