Expert-Recommended Exercises for Slimming and Toning Thighs Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Fitness Expert-Recommended Exercises for Slimming and Toning Thighs By Bobbi Leder Reviewed: November 15, 2017Fact-CheckedSome women are born blessed with slim thighs. Then there are the rest of us that have to work hard to achieve results with thigh exercises. Read on for useful tips about leg exercises you can do to look your best in shorts... Athletes make it look easy, but they didn’t roll out of bed one day looking fit and ready to tackle the world of professional sports. They train hard, and one benefit of their hard work is toned legs. But you don’t need to spend tons of time at the gym to slim down your thighs. You’ll just need a bit of dedication. By following the thigh exercises described here, you’ll be on your way to slimmer legs in no time. These leg exercises can be done at the gym or at home. Aim for three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. If you’re working out at the gym, have a professional trainer show you how to use the equipment there. That way, you won’t risk injuring yourself by using the machines incorrectly. A trainer can also measure body fat with a caliper every week; this will help you track your progress.But don’t rely on the scale to see how you’re doing. That’s because muscle weighs more than fat, according to the Mayo Clinic. So don’t worry if you gain a little weight. That’s to be expected – as long as it’s from your new muscles and not from eating donuts to reward yourself for how toned and slim your legs are looking now. Gym Exercises for Your LegsAlways warm up your legs by doing something to warm up your muscles and prepare them for weight training. Walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary cycle for 10 minutes are great warm-up exercises.1. Leg PressLeg presses work both the front and back of your thighs, so they’re great exercises to start with. Leg press machines come in different varieties. If you’re a beginner, start on a horizontal or seated leg press. It has an upright seat (like a regular chair) and is attached to a weight stack. Here’s how it works:Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the crosspiece – the bar you rest your feet against to activate the weight resistance – with your toes pointing forward. Push until your legs are almost extended, but don’t lock your knees.Return the weight slowly until your knees are again at a 90-degree angle.According to the experts at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), locking your knees can result in an injury to your joints. So always keep a slight bend in your knees when extending your legs. Once you’ve mastered the horizontal leg press, challenge yourself on the angled leg press. This machine works the same way, except your back is now parallel to the floor. On the angled leg press, you add your own weight plates, which can provide even better results. Here’s how the angled leg press works:Position your legs according to your trainer’s instructions and push up until your legs are fully extended.Release the safety bar and bend your knees so your thighs are perpendicular to your lower legs. Do the number of reps your trainer advises, then re-secure the safety bar after completing a set of leg presses. 2. Leg Extension The leg extension is a must for toning your thighs and it’s an easy exercise for beginners. But adding weight makes it plenty challenging even for body builders, ACE says.This exercise tones your quadriceps (“quads”), the muscles at the front of your thighs. Here’s how the leg extension works:Sit on the leg extension machine with your knees bent.Place your ankles behind a padded bar connected to a weight stack.Extend your legs until they’re straight by lifting the padded bar with your legs. This engages your quads as the muscle flexes. Your quads are quite strong, so be sure to push yourself a little harder each time.3. Leg Curl A leg curl machine tones the back of your thighs, the hamstrings muscles.Leg curl machines come in various types: the seated leg curl, the standing leg curl and the lying leg curl. The seated leg curl is good for people of any height, so it’s the best place to start. If your gym has all three machines, try them all out to see which you like best.Here’s how the leg curl works:Sit on the leg curl machine with your legs straight out in front.Place your ankles over the padded bar, attached to a weight stack.Push your legs down instead of up to engage the hamstrings.Stretch your legs out between sets. Home Exercises for Your Legs4. Wall SquatThe easiest way to do a squat is to lean against the wall. Here’s how a wall squat works:Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart about 2 feet away from the wall.Slide down until you’re in a sitting position, thighs parallel to the floor.Hold this position as long as you can, but aim for at least 20 seconds before rising back up5. Traditional SquatSquats can be done with or without weights, making them a perfect at-home exercise. These thigh exercises take only a few minutes and can work wonders when you’re trying to slim down your legs. If this is your first time doing squats, you may want to stand in front of a mirror to check that you’re using the correct form, ACE advises. Here’s how a squat works:Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.Inhale deeply and bend your legs slowly until your thighs are parallel to the floor (squat down as if you are about to sit in a chair).Keep your back and shoulders straight and stick out your butt as you squat.Exhale, keeping a slight bend in your knees.Come back up by straightening your legs.You can squat with your arms straight out in front or while holding weights down at your side. If you don’t have dumbbells at home, use full plastic water bottles or cans of soup for a little added weight. 6. Plié Squat Here’s your chance to do a ballerina move called a plié. It strengthens and tones your inner thighs – that hard-to-tone area that tends to jiggle and rub together. The plié squat is also a great way to improve your coordination. If you have trouble at first, try holding on to something like a countertop.Here’s how the plié squat works:Stand with your feet spread at least shoulder-width apart; the farther apart your feet are, the more you’ll work your inner thighs.Turn your feet so your toes face out.Move your hips back and stick out your buttocks.Inhale and bend at the knees, lowering as far as you can.Exhale and rise slowly while maintaining a straight torso. For an extra challenge, hold a dumbbell with both hands while your arms hang in front of your body. If you can touch the dumbbell to the floor while performing the plié squat, you’re a real pro!7. Lunge Lunges, like squats, can be done anywhere and with or without dumbbells. Here’s how a lunge works:Take a giant step forward with one leg.Bend your knee all the way until your front leg is at a 90-degree angle. (Make sure your knee doesn’t go beyond your toes.)Hold the lunge for a few seconds.Straighten your front leg slowly and step back so feet are together.Repeat the move with the other leg.If you have room, try walking lunges. If not, do stationery lunges; both exercises are equally effective. These seven exercises for thighs are great for improving muscle tone. But you’ll also need proper nutrition and regular cardiovascular activity if you want to lose fat. Thigh exercises may seem like hard work, but once you get started you’ll see they’re well worth it. Best of all, you can do lunges and squats — two of the most effective thigh-toners — just about anywhere, even while watching TV, so there’s no excuse for skipping them. Now, when you’re walking on the beach or getting out your summer clothes, you’ll be glad you worked so hard for your trim, toned legs. So get out there and show them off! NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Fitness 9 Dance Workouts to Try at Home or Stream From Anywhere They’ll make you sweat and they don’t even feel like exercise, according to the trainers who teach them.By Lauren BedoskyOctober 7, 2022 Pilates Health Benefits How to Get Started and How to Get BetterBy Moira LawlerOctober 6, 2022 Zumba What It Is Health Benefits and How to Get StartedBy Lauren BedoskyOctober 3, 2022 7 Health Benefits Linked to Doing PilatesWhen you hear Pilates you might think long, lean, toned muscles. 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