How to Lose Weight Fast in the Thighs

Losing weight in the thighs requires shedding the excess fat in the area and strengthening the muscles for toning. Including cardiovascular workouts and focusing on exercises for the lower body is the best way to lose weight in the thighs. Stepping up your cardio workouts and varying your routine will help you to accomplish the goal quickly.

Instructions

Cardiovascular Exercise

1

Commit to performing cardiovascular exercise six days per week for the fastest results. Incorporate at least one rest day to recuperate and grow stronger. Choose activities that use the legs the most such as spinning classes, step classes, kickboxing, running or walking hills.

2

Warm up for five minutes at a slow pace to safely prepare the body for a more vigorous workout.

3

Use interval training during your cardio session by alternating short bursts of activity, about 60 seconds, with a recovery period lasting a few minutes. A spinning or step class will likely have the intervals already incorporated.

4

Complete a total of 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise for each session. The longer bouts will help you burn more calories, which will help you lose the weight in the thighs more quickly.

5

Cool down for at least three minutes after your cardio session. This allows your body to gradually return to a resting state.

6

Stretch each major muscle group after your workout. Pay special attention to the muscles of the legs including quadriceps, hamstrings and hip flexors. Ease into each stretch and hold for 15 to 20 seconds.

Strength and Mind/Body Training

7

Incorporate strength training with weights, bands or using your own body weight at least two times per week and always skip a day between workouts.

8

Choose lower body strength exercises that focus on the thighs. Good choices include squats, single leg squats, lunges, wall sits, leg press machine and abductor/adductor machines.

9

Perform 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise and do two or three sets. If you are using your own body weight or bands, consider bumping your number of repetitions to 12 to 15 for each exercise.

10

Keep the movements slow and controlled throughout the exercise, but move quickly between sets resting only 15 to 30 seconds.

11

Participate in a mind/body class two times per week. Options include yoga, Pilates or a combination in what is called a mind/body fusion class. Holding poses such as warrior and bridge will help strengthen and tone your lower body in a different way than traditional weight training.