It’s normal to have fat on your body, and it’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by. In fact, body fat is crucial for our health — it protects our organs, insulates us, and stores energy.
The following methods, a mix of natural and medical procedures, can help you lose thigh fat. Some are simple treatments you can do right at home that cost next to nothing, while others come at an expense and may require surgery.
Thigh fat can be a real problem area for many women. Just like belly fat, it’s one of the more stubborn areas of the body to trim fat from. While there’s no such thing as a rapid spot treatment to specifically burn fat from your thighs, or anywhere on your body for that matter, the good news is there are things you can do to get rid of excess body fat all over, plus focus on specific exercises to tone up your legs.
Research suggests that people with stronger legs are less likely to fall as they age, potentially reducing their risk of fracture and immobility, so there’s no time like the present to start shedding that extra body fat, toning those muscles, and building a strong foundation for a healthy future. Incorporate the 10 ways to lose thigh and leg fat into your routine now and you’ll be feeling stronger and more confident in no time.
Does the fat around your inner thighs make you feel uncomfortable? It is time to shed the irritating, stubborn, upper-leg fat so that you can confidently walk without your thighs slapping against each other.
If you are worried about wearing your favourite pair of jeans because you feel your thighs are fat, worry no more! All you have to do is make up your mind and try some of the quick and practical exercises to reduce thigh fat. You can perform these exercises without any equipment and in the comfort of your own home.
It is not possible to lose weight in just one area of the body, but certain exercises can tone and strengthen the legs. Meanwhile, these exercises and other strategies can reduce body fat overall.
Here are some effective tips for men on how to lose thigh fat.
Ways to Lose Thigh Fat & Leg Fat & Tone Your Legs
It’s normal to have fat on your body, and it’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by. In fact, body fat is crucial for our health — it protects our organs, insulates us, and stores energy. However, too much body fat has been linked to
heart disease
, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health conditions.
If you want to lose fat, it’s important to know fat distribution varies from person to person and is largely due to genetics. For example, women tend to have more body fat on their hips and thighs than men do. This means some people may be able to slim their thighs by losing weight, but some people may not.
And, if you’re looking to lose fat in one spot — say your thighs — you’ll have to focus on losing weight overall. That’s because it’s impossible to reduce fat in one area alone.
Do Aerobic Exercise
The first step to burning overall body fat is aerobic exercise. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends doing 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week.
Whether you walk, swim, or cycle, it’s important to choose a type of exercise you can complete at a moderate intensity to get your heart rate up and maximize calorie burn.
One of the best aerobic exercises for the legs is cycling. The low intensity is especially helpful for beginners, and it doesn’t strain your knees. Cycling also increases muscle endurance in the following areas of the body:
- calves
- hamstrings
- glutes
- (gluteal muscles)
- quadriceps
If you’re not up for a cycling class, you might consider investing in a home exercise bike. Better yet, hop on a bike and head outdoors for some stress-blasting fresh air.
Eat A Healthy Diet
To lose thigh fat, you’ll have to follow a healthy diet, which is imperative for
weight loss, says Jessica Mazzucco, a certified fitness trainer and founder of The Glute Recruit. Weight loss is complicated, but the goal should be to burn more calories than you take in.
Eating a healthy diet can help you achieve this caloric deficit. A healthy diet also properly fuels your body so you can engage in physical activity to tone your legs.
There isn’t one particular diet that is best for losing thigh fat, but in general, reducing consumption of refined carbohydrates and added sugars aids in weight loss, Mazzucco says. Refined carbs and added sugars are those found in processed foods, like baked goods, frozen meals, and potato chips.
Alcohol Intake
Alcohol intake can contribute to weight gain because alcoholic drinks often contain high numbers of calories and provide no nutritional value.
In addition, drinking large amounts of alcohol can lead to unhealthful dietary choices, such as overeating. Avoiding overconsumption may help prevent weight gain and reduce unwanted leg fat.
Reduce Your Salt Intake
Extra salt intake intake can make your body retain excess water. This can cause bloating and change the shape of your body including your thighs. Cutting back on salt will immediately change the fit of your clothes because water follows salt. So consuming less salt means less water retention in the body.
Try Out Some Calf Raises
You don’t have to pack in two-a-days to turn those skinny calves into lean, mean muscle machines. Doing calf raises throughout the day, whether you’re waiting for the train or brushing your teeth, can help tone your lower legs, build muscle, and boost your metabolism, helping you shed any fat that’s hiding your muscles.
Performing Thigh-Targeted Exercises
Do squats. There are tons of different squat exercises you can do, but the basic idea is this: With your legs shoulder-width apart, lower your bum down to the ground until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Balance here for at least three seconds before pushing up.
Try doing squats with an exercise ball. Place the ball against the wall with your lower back firmly pressed against the ball. Not only will the ball increase the intensity of the squat–it will also give you a nice back rub!
Do lunges. With a 5- or 8-pound dumbbell in each hand, lunge forward with one leg and bring the opposite knee about an inch above the ground. Step back and continue with the opposite leg.and draw it in so that it lightly taps the back of your right knee. Extend the left leg out again. Repeat with the other leg.
Take Part In Cardiovascular Exercise
Note that marathon runners and bicyclists have lean, strong legs. This is due to the type of muscle fibers worked during cardio activity. Doing moderate to vigorous intensity cardiovascular exercise can help you lose weight and sculpt your legs. Discuss your plan to do cardio training with your doctor and certified fitness professional before you start to ensure you are healthy enough for activity.
Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity to help you lose weight. If you can’t do an activity for the whole time, split it up into more manageable parts.
If you are already very active, you need to revamp your training with routines such as high intensity interval training to fire up your metabolism.
If you are just beginning or need to do a lower impact activity, walking and swimming are excellent options.
Any type of cardio training can help you shed pounds. Beyond walking and swimming, consider running, rowing, biking, spinning, dancing, or using an elliptical machine.
Electrolytes in Fruits and Veggies
Electrolytes are not just in sports drinks, electrolytes like calcium, magnesium and potassium are loaded in healthy foods that are probably already in your diet. Electrolytes support hydration and help the body produce energy. Banana’s, yoghurt and dark leafy greens are all excellent sources of different electrolytes. All of them, particularly potassium compete with salt which helps keeps the fluid balance stable.
Strengthen Your Muscles
Losing fat alone can leave you with less toned legs, so you’ll need to invest some time in strengthening your muscles.
Weights and rowing machines are effective tools for leg-strengthening exercises, but you can work on leg muscles just as effectively without any special equipment.
Lunges are among the most comprehensive leg workouts, as they tone the quads and hamstrings, along with the inner thighs and buttocks.
Follow these steps for an effective lunge:
- Stand up straight. Place your hands on your hips for extra balance, if needed.
- Step your right leg forward and left leg back, and bend your right leg at the knee, creating a 90-degree angle.
- To prevent injury, ensure your right knee doesn’t extend past your ankle.
- Press your weight down into your heels.
- Press back up to your starting position.
- Complete your desired number of repetitions, and then switch legs.
Reduce Your Carb Intake
Carbs are transformed into glycogen, which then gets stored in your liver and muscles along with water. The more carbs you eat, the more water your body stores. That is why a lot of people feel they lose weight right after they follow a low-carb diet.
Do Some Squats
Put some squats on your schedule and watch that unwanted weight on your legs disappear in no time. Squats help tone your thighs, butt, and even calves in a short amount of time. While squats can be a challenging lower-body workout, adding them to your routine sooner rather than later can make a major difference in the long-run; a German study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that squatting helped build knee strength, potentially protecting against future falls, without adding undue wear-and-tear on other joints.
Hydrate While Cutting Out Excessive Sweets From Your Liquid Diet
Stick with water. Water is healthy, plentiful, cheap, and actually tastes good. Water flushes out harmful toxins, carries nutrients to cells, and provides a moist environment for bodily tissues that need it. Doctors recommend drinking 64 ounces of fluid per day, or about 1.9 liters (0.5 US gal).
Avoid sodas, energy drinks, concentrated juices, etc. They’re a weakness for us all, but they make shaving off those pounds really difficult. All of these drinks have tons of sugar and empty calories in them, sometimes as much as 300, which can negate a whole workout.
Drink green tea for a great source of antioxidants and negligible calories.Green tea contains about ten times the polyphenols as most other veggies and assists the body in protecting its cells from free radicals. Best of all, tea contains 1-2 calories per liter, which means that a simple cup of tea (unsweetened) is about as guilt-free as it gets!
Drink a cup of tea or a glass of water 30 minutes before you eat a meal. This will trick your body into believing it’s more full than it actually is, meaning that your cravings will be lower and you’ll be inclined to eat less during a meal. If you drink water or other liquid right before you eat, this could lead to indigestion, so wait a while after drinking before eating.
Consider yoga or Pilates
Try out a yoga or Pilates class either in a studio or online. These lower-impact activities can help strengthen and stretch your muscles, especially those of your leg.
- Both yoga and Pilates have exercises and poses that specifically target your legs. Exercises such as downward dog and the warrior series will strengthen and sculpt your leg muscles, making them longer and leaner.
- There are many video-based yoga and Pilates courses available. You may consider purchasing DVDs, which can offer basic guided sessions for you to follow. You can also search online for videos or courses that guide you through different levels of yoga and Pilates sessions.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a surgical option for removing unwanted body fat.
If a person is unable to lose a desired amount of weight through exercise, dietary strategies, and other lifestyle factors, they may wish to speak to a doctor about this option.
The procedure involves:
administering an anesthetic
injecting a solution to reduce localized blood loss and swelling
using high-frequency vibration to break up fat cells
using a tube and vacuum to break up and remove fat through one or more small incisions
draining off excess blood and fluid
closing the incisions and applying a dressing
The procedure takes 1–3 hours, and the person may need to spend the night in the hospital.
It is worth noting that liposuction works best for people who plan to maintain a healthy weight.
