It’s leg day at UF! Everybody wants those perfect legs we always hear about, but how do we achieve them? These simple tricks for working out your thighs, doing the correct exercises and eating right will help us all get on the path for stunning legs. Not only will these tips help you get your dream legs, but you’ll also get a healthier diet and fight the dreaded Freshman 15!
1. Squats This is the most basic of thigh exercises out there, but it certainly does the trick. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-length apart, and bend your knees until they are parallel to the ground. Then return to a standing position. Be sure to arch your back in rather than out. Repeat 30 times. To work out a different part of your leg, begin with you feet further apart and with your toes turned out. Do a squat while in this position. Either of these can be made harder with a 10- or 20-pound weight.
2. Windshield Wipers Lean flat on your back with your butt against a wall and your legs straight. First, lower the right leg sideways almost to the floor and then back to the middle. Do the same with the left leg, and you’ve completed one rep. Do this 30 times for great inner thighs!
3. Fire Hydrant This exercise may sound strange, but it’s worth it for the legs you’ll have! Begin by getting on your hands and knees. Keeping your knee at a right angle, lift your right leg sideways, so your thigh is parallel to the floor. Lower to the original position, and repeat on the left leg. Do 20 lifts on each side.
4. Lunges We’re going back to the basics! Begin in a standing position, and step forward with your right leg. Bend both your knees until your left knee almost touches the ground. Return to the original position, and repeat on the left leg. Do 30 reps for each leg. To mix it up a bit, try these up and down the spiral walkways at The Swamp!
5. Cardio One key component to losing weight and getting fit is cardio. People often don’t realize that to get target areas, you can’t just target them with exercises alone. Cardio plays a big role in it, too! Any form of cardio will do the trick for thighs — an hour of biking, swimming or running every other day is perfect. Sadly, walking to class every day isn’t enough!
6. Diet Diet is also a big factor people forget about when targeting certain areas of the body. Hydration is the No. 1 way to lose weight without doing anything, and although this may seem obvious, people forget that simply replacing junk food with veggies and fruits can make a huge difference.
Take these tips into consideration next time you’re at the gym only doing squats to work out your legs, and try these new exercises! Stay hydrated, and good luck getting those rockin’ thighs collegiettes™!
Photo credit: www.goodhousekeeping.com