Adjust thigh slimming exercises to monthly calendar for better results

Timing Exercises to Reduce Swelling and Water Gain

Even though water gain and other forms of tissue swelling seem to appear rapidly, each day still represents a change in hormonal balances within your body.  When it comes to choosing thigh slimming exercises, you should try to do more repetitions of each slimming exercise the week after ovulation.  This will help you build muscle mass, and also ensure that your body removes fluids more easily from thighs and other parts of the body.  By the time you reach the week before your period, you should notice less of an increase in thigh size.

Managing Loss of Flexibility

Have you ever noticed that you tend to be more flexible and agile just before your period?  No matter whether you type faster or move with more precision, you can use the week before and the week after your period to advance flexibility goals.  That said, after your period is over, you should always be aware of the way your muscles will begin to tighten up again.  In many cases, even a good quality warm up routine will not stave off injuries if your muscles tend to stretch less.

According to a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine Physical Fitness, significant changes occur in knee flexibility as hormones change across the menstrual cycle. In particular, this study notes that women actually have the greatest flexibility on the fifth day of their period, and 3 – 5 days after ovulation.  Needless to say, as you age, the changing level of hormones available may also create differences in flexibility and agility. Since the effects of testosterone will become more pronounced as you get older, you may find that you have a longer period of flexibility than when you were younger.

When you are dedicated to meeting fitness goals, dealing with so many changes revolving around the menstrual cycle can be very frustrating.  While your period may not offer many opportunities to progress, there are other times during the month where you can make crucial advances in flexibility and strength.  As an added bonus, when you use thigh slimming exercises at certain times of the month, you may even be able to stave off water gain and swelling that tend to accrue in these areas during the week before your period.

Photo by Andreanna Moya Photography

Replace snacks with exercises for thighs while watching your favourite TV shows

Five Essential Exercises for Thighs

If you are interested in simple, inexpensive thigh workouts that can be done while watching TV, the following 5 might hold some appeal for you:

Lunges – simply stand up straight, and lunge forward while keeping your arms at your side.  Ideal for commercial breaks or during portions of a program that are boring.

Scissors – Lay straight on one side, and simply lift upper leg while keeping it straight, then return to origin position.  Repeat on other side.

Knee kicks – Sit up straight, and kick your legs out from the knee.  If you have a portable mini-exercise bike, you can also use that while watching TV.

Leg raises – Sit near the edge of your seat and raise one leg at a time, or both together. You can keep your knees straight or bent, as long as the main muscles used are in your buttocks and thighs.

Resistance sitting – Sit up straight at the edge of your seat, with feet firmly on the ground. Push against the floor with your feet as if you are going to stand up, but remain sitting, then relax and repeat.  You should try to hold the tense position for at least one minute.

Effects of Watching TV on Your Health

Many people that spend too much time watching TV tend to think that there is no relationship between this activity and getting less exercise.  A study conducted by Frank B. Hu clearly indicates that diabetes and obesity are closely tied to TV watching.  This particular study tracked over 50,000 initially healthy women who were tracked for six years.  During that time,  almost 8% went from normal weight to obese, and several were diagnosed with diabetes.  Each of the women diagnosed with obesity or diabetes tended to watch more TV than those who remained in good health.

Perhaps it can be said that the act of watching TV is not a bad thing. Rather, it is the lack of motion when you are watching TV combined with the tendency to snack.  Even though it tends to be difficult to break this pattern, making use a few exercises for thighs while watching TV can halt this process and also help you gain an increased level of fitness.

Photo by Grzegorz Chorus

Improve Flexibility Pilates Style Exercises

When it comes to developing inner thigh muscles, you will find that improving flexibility often represents a key stumbling block.  Aside from trying to find warm up exercises that address these muscles, it will also be of some help to make use to add Pilates elements to your workout.  According to a study published by  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, there was a clear increase in flexibility when participants in the test group made use of Pilates work outs.

While participants in the study did not experience weight loss or significant increases in muscular strength, using Pilates exercises can still open a door to increased mobility.  This is especially important to consider if you have injuries or other joint issues that prevent you from moving as gracefully as you wish.   As may be expected, if you are trying to regain mobility after being in a wheelchair or even confined to bed, increased flexibility will always be of help to you.

Home Equipment Options

Regardless of whether or not you are planning to use Pilates as part of your thigh trimming and strengthening agenda, there are some home exercise items that are very important to have on hand. This includes resistance bands, dumb bells, ankle weights, and some type of exercise bike.  If you cannot afford a full sized stationary bike, a mini bike will work just as well.  In addition to being less expensive, you can easily use a mini bike while you are sitting at your desk, watching TV,  or even eating a meal.

Once you try to start building inner thigh strength, you are bound to feel daunted when you cannot do scissors, lunges, or squats properly. In many cases, you will find that a lack of joint and muscle flexibility will cause the most problems.  Unfortunately, if you cannot optimize inner thigh motions, you will never be able to build strength, let alone move with all the grace you desire.  Today, Pilates can help you gain inner thigh flexibility safely and efficiently.  If you are truly committed to making the most of inner thigh workouts, you should add at least a few core Pilates exercises to your routine.

References:
Segal, NA, The effects of Pilates training on flexibility and body composition: An observational study, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 85, Issue 12
Photo by Cillian Storm

Romanian Deadlift:

Stand straight with feet parallel to hips, with one dumbbell in each arm.
Lunge forward, but keep arms hanging down at sided, and back straight.
Hold for one count, return to original position, and repeat with other leg.
If you do not have a dumb bell, you can make a fist to create five pounds of tension on your arm muscles.

Reverse Lunge:

Start in same position you would for Romanian Deadlift.
Instead of lunging forward, take one step backward and then bend knees until they are at 90 degrees.
Keep back straight, hold for one count, and then return to beginning position. Repeat with other leg.

Long Leg Scissor:

Lay flat on back with arms to side.
While keeping your back and shoulders flat against the floor, lift both legs at least 12 inches.
Repeat this process 15 times per set.

Along with these 3 slimming workouts you may use anti cellulite cream and do thigh massage every evening to attain better results.

Basic Precautions
Before you start doing cellulite exercises, it is very important to make sure that your muscles are warmed up.  This is especially important to consider if you are going to exercise early in the morning, or after you have been sitting down for some time.  In fact, a study published in the BMJ indicate that knee and ankle injuries were reduced by almost half when athletes made use of a viable warm up program before doing other exercises.

When you choose warmup exercises, you should look for ones that give you a sense of confidence in each muscle in your thighs and legs.  If your muscles feel stiff, or do not respond as easily as they should, it is important to find other exercises that will give you the best chance of reducing injuries.

While cellulite buildup forms a natural part of aging, you can get rid of these unsightly lumps when you make use of various thigh exercises.  That said, if you do not want to wind up with sprained knees or other injuries, you will be well served by making sure that you make use of warm up exercises first.  Once you find a good set of cellulite exercises, you can also look forward to improved muscle tone and agility.

References:
Simpson, Terry, Fitness Magazine

 Build Muscle and Burn Fat

Many women that want to lose weight do not realize that body mass is less of a problem than muscle definition. It should come as no surprise that many women pursue unhealthy diets in an effort to create a disgusting mockery of individuals who are truly starving to death because of poverty or lack of food in the environment.  If you want to avoid being a walking poster for this type of social commentary, then it will be of immense benefit to use resistance band exercises to build muscle and use those curves to accentuate a healthier overall weight.

According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (September 2008, Vol 22, Issue 5), using resistance bands enabled women to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Even though women that used weight machines had slightly better results, both groups did better than women that did not use equipment at all.  At the very least, if you cannot go to a gym, or afford expensive equipment for your home, exercise bands will still help you build a stronger body.

In previous articles we have already talk about thigh exercises with resistance bands. If you are interested in using resistance bands to tone thigh muscles, here are another four great work outs for inner and outer thighs that may be of use:

 Exercise #1: standing hamstring curl – attach one end of the resistance band to your ankle, and the other to a stationary object of parallel height.  As you face the object, simply bend your leg at the knee to stretch the band.

Exercise #2: standing leg extension – instead of facing stationary object, stand so that one shoulder points to it.  The leg attached to the resistance band should be farther way from the stationary object.  Instead of bending your knee, simply push your leg outward to stretch the band.

Exercise #3: standing hip extension – stand with your back to the stationary object and kick outward with leg attached to the resistance band.

Exercise #4: hamstring curl sitting down – lay down on your stomach and simply curl your leg at the knee to stretch resistance band.

Today, there is no reason for healthy women with access to adequate nutrition to look like atrophied and sickly.  No matter whether you feel that your thighs are too heavy or too thin, you can use resistance band exercises to build muscle and burn fat.  As an added bonus, you will find this equipment easy to work with and more affordable than other options.

References:
ACE: Inner and Outer Leg Exercises
Photo by doug_wertman

Here are four main thigh workouts that should be done daily to attain good slimming result. These workouts can be performed at home or in the gym. Special movements help to burn calories and tighten the skin.

So, if you are interested in weight loss, you might find usefull these previous topics:
How Many Times a Week Should I Exercise For Best Thigh Slimming Effect?

You Can Fasten Fat Burn – Try 3 Simple Thigh Massage Techniques

Set of 5 Exercises For Inner Thighs That Bring Fast Results

The whole program of exercises for buttocks and thighs will take you about 30-40 minutes per day. After few weeks of trainings you will notice visible changes of your thighs: they will become more toned and fit. Let’s see the instructions for thigh and buttocks work outs:

Start: To warm up, shake your arms, do several jumps and knee-bends. You may take a dumbbell in each hand if you feel that you need additional weights.

1 exercise:  leg lateral swings

This beautiful fitness instructor is in great shape

p.1 Stay steady. Raise your right leg to the right as high as you can. Hold it in this position for 5 seconds.

Repeat for the left one.

p.2 Make a set of 25 fast and intensive swings to the right with your right leg.

Do the same with your left leg.

Finish with another 5 second static position as in p.1

2 exercise: heel pushes

Starting position

This workout brings amazing results for buttocks and upper thighs.

p. 1 Kneel on all fours. Make sure your back is straight and your stomach is pulled in.

p. 2 Raise your right leg, keeping it bent.

p.3 Then start pushing moves with your right heel. Imagine that you are in a room with low ceiling and you have to stroke it.

Make 30 short and intensive pushes. Repeat for the left leg.

3 exercise: lateral swings in kneeling position

This exercise is more complicated than previous two. If you are a beginner, you should bend a little your legs.

p.1 Remain in kneeling position on all fours. Keep your back straight by pulling in your stomach.

p.2 Stretch your right leg and move it to the right.

p.3 Raise it till it becomes parallel to the floor. Hold for 5 seconds.

p.4 Then make 25 swings starting and returning at the same point of parallel to the floor.

Repeat for the left leg.

4 exercise: pelvis pushes
It’s a famous workout that has a lot of variations in different fitness practices: yoga, pilates and callanetics.

This exercise will firm your buttocks and make it look slimmer.

p. 1 Lie on the floor. Bend your knees with keeping heels on floor.

p. 2 Strain buttocks and lift your pelvis as high as possible. Keep your muscles strained. Hold this position for 10 counts.

p. 3 Make a set of 40 pelvis pushes. Your upper part of the body should be relaxed, while your lower muscles remain permanently strained.

Advanced version of thigh and buttocks workout

So, as you may see, exercises for buttocks and thighs are pretty easy to do and don’t require special equipment. Turn on your favorite CD and start trainings. The results will appear sooner than you think.

Photos by Keith Allison

Model: Alivia Sinay

The benefits of using a massaging device:

Leg Massager, Foot Roller

Massage can help you solve several problems. One of them is increasing and improving liquid circulation in your legs. Today, most people lead hypo dynamic style of life. We work sitting down for long hours. Such position is very unhealthy for your legs. It decreases blood inflow and outflow in your legs. This leads to pour nourishment of leg tissues and various vessel problems.

By massaging your legs you stimulate blood inflow and outflow and ease the work of your vessels. Plus, you relax and at the same time stimulate muscle work of your legs. Plus, you decrease water retention by massaging them. This helps to reduce appearance of cellulite on the thighs.

Types of leg massagers:

Basically, there are several types of these devices available. Here we will talk of two of them: compression massagers and vibration and squeeze massagers.

Compression massagers for legs look like the cuffs you use for taking your blood pressure. They get automatically filled with air. You wrap them around your legs or just one leg and adjust the right level of pressure. The compression, created by the air massages your legs, relaxes and stimulates muscles and improves blood and lymph circulation in them.

These compression massagers for legs are available in the form of cuffs or in the form of wrap shoes. In the latter case, you can get both of your legs massaged simultaneously. You sort of put them on, as shoes and they may go all the way up to your knees. You may also get additional cuffs for the upper legs.

Now, vibration and squeezing massagers cause pretty similar effect on your legs. Only they work a bit differently. They look like some sort of shoe hold or shoes, placed in a box. You insert your feet into them. They cause vibration onto your feet and massage them. Most of such massagers have different vibration modes to adjust to your needs or likes.

It has to be stated that both of the above mentioned types of massagers for legs come in variety of sets to meet any budget. The least expensive of them are small compression cuffs with electric motors. You put them on each of your legs in turn. They sort of look like the blood pressure cuffs, but they massage, instead of taking pressure.

As you may see, there are many shapes and models of leg massager devices to choose from. But even the simplest ones would provide you with significant health benefits.

Photo by www.OSIM.com

Finding right motivation is essential for effective inner thighs exercises

The motivation reason number 1: your health.

So, if you keep in mind, that every time you exercise, you improve your health, it may become a strong support for your will to slimming. Exercising your inner thighs will give much energy and tone for your whole body. You will definitely need it for your successful work. Your blood flow will get better and your muscles will be stronger. Your manner of walking will become lighter and more gracious.

Excessive fat is harmful for the entire organism. Besides, fat deposits on your inner thighs make them rub against each other when you walk wearing a skirt. It is very unpleasant, uncomfortable and even causes much pain.

More flexible thigh muscles will alleviate your pregnancy and the process of delivery. Your future children will be happier and healthier. Isn’t a great reason to start exercising?

Number 2 motivation strategy is the developing of your positive self-esteem. You definitely wish to have super sexy legs and thighs, wear short skirts, shorts and bikini swimsuits. For your better encouragement you can hang a picture of a top model or your photo where you improved your shape with the help of image editors. Looking at them you can see your goal. In some weeks after you start your inner thigh exercises, you will be able to admire the real refinements of your figure as well.

Motivating method number 3 can be giving credits to you. It might become a pleasant habit to praise yourself for successful fulfillment of your exercising program. Keep the records of all your thigh exercises in a special diary or in your computer notepad. Follow your progress and enjoy it every day.

The last strategy that will help you to slim down is to make your intention public. Tell your friends and family about your plan to lose weight and have two sizes less until the established date. In such situation you will keep your promise being forced by the fear to appear weak in opinion of your friends.

You can use all these motivating ways to overcome your laziness and start your fitness program. You may also invent your own methods of self-motivation and responsibility.

At the end, here is one of the most recommended exercises for inner thighs shaping and firming called “seated butterfly”. Sit on a mat with your back straight. Bring the soles of your feet together and pull them to your body as close as you can. During these actions press your inner thighs. Then place your hand on your knees and push them down. Repeat several times.

Add healthy nutrition to your slimming program. Find time for long walks, swimming, cycling and playing active games like badminton and volleyball. Hip-hop dances are great ways for your beautiful shaping. Running and jogging help to firm and tone your thighs, burn calories and strengthen your legs. Stay an active person all your life. Continue your inner thigh exercises even you get older and you will always have young and attractive legs.

Photo by The artist

First of all, let us define what fat burners are. These are the food supplements, which are supposed to help you burn more fat faster by affecting your body in certain ways. Most of the fat burners increase your body temperature. This increase is not significant. Still, it helps you to burn more fat over a shorter period of time.

Before taking a feed burner ask yourself: “What goal do you pursue?”

Sometimes a fat burner may include ingredients, which claim to boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories during your work outs. Or, it may contain suppressants, which suppress your appetite and help you eat less with no struggle over it. This way, you keep on burning calories from your own body fat, instead of burning newly eaten ones.

Now, which one of the many brands available on the market is the best? This question is not that easy to answer. People may recommend you one brand or the other. The trick is that you have to come up with your own list of criteria to judge any one of the advised fat burning supplements.

For instance, ask yourself, why do you need to take them? What goal do you pursue? Do you have trouble burning fat for losing weight? Do you need to stimulate your metabolism and help you burn fat faster? Here is another example of questions to ask. What health consequences are you willing to put up with, when taking fat burners?

You probably know, that there are alternative ways of getting rid of unwanted fat deposits. You may find one of them in the topic:  You Can Fasten Fat Burn – Try 3 Simple Thigh Massage Techniques

Keep in mind that there is no perfect fat burning supplement out there. There is no perfect or the best fat burner. They all have certain side effects to deal with. Most of these products increase the level of cortisol in your blood. This is a human stress hormone. We produce it, when our flight or fight reaction is triggered. This hormone production leads to increased heart rate, sweating, vessel contraction and even spasms, etc. All these things can have some very negative effects on your health, if experienced constantly.

Of course, your body naturally launches this reaction time to time. But if you keep on stimulating it through these products, you risk developing various heart diseases. So, after all, the best fat burner is the one that has the least side effects for your health. Only then all its positive effects can be taken into the consideration as beneficial.
Photo by Chris Bruce

Thighs are the body parts, where most of us have trouble dealing with cellulite. Now, even though cellulite is not a medical condition, it may give you lots of trouble with your looks and self esteem. The problem with cellulite is that it cannot be gotten rid of through exercising only.

Thigh cellulite is a fat deposit, but this fat is not located under your skin. Rather it is located inside your skin. That is what makes it so hard to get rid of it. It is a natural inside skin fat deposit, which is responsible for that naughty lumpy-bumpy look of your skin.

So, if you have cellulite on your thighs and other body parts, thigh massage is right what you need to help you reduce its appearance. Massage does several things to help your thighs get slimmer. It provides your skin with great lymph drainage.  It helps to reduce water retention in your skin tissues and it helps to remove toxins faster.

So, let us take a look at 3 techniques you can use to make your thighs slimmer:

Lymph drainage massage:

This type of massage is used to improve lymph circulation in your body. You have the lymph nodes located all over your body. Sometimes, lymph channels get clogged, which hinders the lymph circulation and stops the natural detox process. The massage is used to boost lymph circulation and remove the clogs.

Even though this massage is used for making you slimmer, it does not really focus on the muscles. We have already mentioned that cellulite cannot be reduced by working on your muscles, but it can be by working on your lymph channels. The massage is done by slow and gentle strokes on your skin. They have to be directed towards the major lymph nodes. As lymph is responsible for detoxing your body, such massage speeds up this process.

Brush massage:

This massage is done using a special brush. This type of massage may also be called lymph. But it has other benefits, too. You may use either hair or rubber brush for the thigh massage.

You should massage your thigh skin making circular strokes. You should go for your knees and up, making the strokes. Such massage helps to reduce water retention in your skin tissues. Once you get rid of excessive water, your skin and thigh look slimmer.

Deep thigh massage:

This type of massage is done by hands. It is more aimed at working on your thigh muscles. No matter how well it does, it cannot possibly break cellulite inside your skin, but it can increase blood circulation in the tissues. Increased blood circulation provides better nourishment to your skin and muscles. It also helps your tissues to detox timely. All this keeps your thigh more fit and tight looking.

As you may see, each of the above mentioned thigh massage techniques has its benefits to offer. However, the best results can be attained only with the combination of proper diet, work outs and massages.

Photo by Ron Sombilon Media, Art and Photography