Today’s screen culture is often accompanied by prolonged hours of sitting seldom offset with an appropriate amount of exercise. Over time, our large leg and gluteal muscles may become weakened and waste away.
Rocky Liao, a Chinese classical dance teacher, has developed four sets of exercises that specifically target the inner thigh muscles. With just a few minutes of practice each day, you can tone, slim, and regain strength in your thighs.
Mr. Liao stated that though exercise such as running can help reduce fat and tone leg muscles, the following four exercises will target the inner thighs.
1. Plié Squat
Plié Squat—steps 1, 2, and 3. (The Epoch Times)
In ballet, Chinese classical dance, and martial arts, there is a movement similar to deep squats called Plié squat. This modified squat engages the quadriceps and glutes and requires abdominal, chest, and back strength to maintain stability. Externally rotating the toes targets the muscles on the inner side of the thighs called adductors. Additionally, standing on half tiptoe can stretch the plantar fascia, stimulate the calf muscles, and promote blood circulation. This exercise is more effective for engaging multiple muscle groups compared to conventional squats.
Steps:
1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your weight on your heels. Turn your toes outward as far as possible, naturally forming a “V” shape.
2. Hold onto a chair (or table or wall) with one or both hands. Push your hips slightly forward and shift your weight forward, while tightening your abdomen and lowering your shoulders.
3. Squat down, imagining yourself squeezed between two walls. Keep your body upright and ensure your knees track over your toes’ outward direction. Bend only your knees, squatting down until your knees form a 90-degree angle.
4. Push yourself up using just your legs, while keeping your body and head upright.
5. After standing up completely, rise onto half tiptoe, then slowly lower your heels.
You can perform the exercise in an eight-count rhythm: Squat for eight counts, stand up for eight counts, the same each for rising onto half tiptoe and lowering your heels. Practice this for five minutes every day.
Tendu to the Side
Tendu to the side—steps 1 and 2. (The Epoch Times)
In addition to strengthening the inner thigh muscles, the stretching motion can also elongate the muscle lines.
Tendu to the side is a common ballet technique. Pulling the legs from the far end in will strengthen the inner thigh muscles and help elongate the leg muscles. Furthermore, standing steadily on one leg strengthens your back, core, and abdominal muscles.
Steps:
1. Stand tall, imagining a line pulling you upward from your feet through the top of your head.
2. While keeping your toes on the ground, extend one leg outward.
3. Still keeping your toes on the ground, bring your leg back in, pressing it against the other leg to eliminate any gap between your thighs. Switch to the other leg and repeat the exercise. Practice for five minutes every day.
Side Leg Lift
Side leg lift—steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. (The Epoch Times)
When performing this exercise, the abdominal and back muscles are used primarily for stability, with the inner thigh muscles doing most of the work. The key is to turn the knees outward to effectively engage the inner thigh muscles. The leg extension movement also stretches the muscles, making it a combination of stretching and strength training. Beginners may experience cramping, indicating activation of muscles not often used. When performed correctly, you should feel tightening in the inner thighs and engagement in the upper thigh area.
Steps:
1. Lie on your side, keeping your lower and upper limbs in a straight line. If you feel wobbly, you can lean your upper body forward, engaging your back and abdomen to maintain stability.
2. Bend your knee, bringing your lower leg as close as possible to your inner thigh. Your knee should be facing upward, and your pelvis should be open at a 180-degree angle.
3. Without moving your knee, lift and extend your lower leg. Once it is straight, you can use your hand to help pull it towards your body.
4. As you lower your leg, keep the muscles engaged. Slowly control the descent until your feet overlap and your legs are tightly together, with no gap between your thighs. You should feel the muscles on the inner thigh working, as well as a slight burning sensation in the upper thigh area. Switch sides and repeat. Perform 10 repetitions on each side daily.
Note:
Mr. Liao emphasized the importance of posture while performing this exercise. Incorrect posture can engage the quadriceps instead of the inner thighs. Therefore, it is important to keep the lower and upper limbs aligned, while leaning the upper body forward for stability.
When lifting the working leg, the knee should turn and point upwards. As you lower the working leg, it should land behind the supporting leg. You do not need to lift it too high—feeling a burn in the inner thigh and upper thigh area indicates that you are targeting the right muscles.
Leg Cross and Stretch
Leg cross and stretch—steps 1, 2, and 3. (The Epoch Times)
This exercise involves moving the legs horizontally in the air to strengthen the adductor muscles, glutes, and abs. It is also an excellent way to reduce inner thigh fat.
Steps:
1. Lie on your back, raise your legs straight up towards the sky, and cross your ankles. Maintaining this posture requires strong abdominal and back muscles.
2. Open your legs to the sides. While performing the movement, stretching the insteps (top of the feet) can elongate the leg lines. When you reach your limit of extension, gently press on both inner thighs with your hands.
3. Bring your legs back together slowly. After crossing your ankles, ensure there is no gap between your legs.
You can perform this exercise at four different speeds:
The slowest speed involves one set of eight beats down and one set of eight beats up.
The second speed consists of one set of four beats down and one set of four beats up.
The third speed consists of one set of two beats down and one set of two beats up.
The fastest speed involves one beat up and one beat down, aiming to touch the ground with your feet when stretching.
Trim and Slim at the Same Time
As a fitness trainer, I’ve noticed that these four exercises are effective in reducing thigh fat, regardless of body type. They can enhance blood circulation in the lower limbs, thus aiding in reducing fluid retention. Moreover, the stretching movements can elongate the leg lines for a more toned shape. Beginners may experience some cramps or muscle soreness while performing these exercises or afterward. It is recommended to massage the muscles post-exercise, as it can help reduce soreness and facilitate fat metabolism.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Amber Yang is a certified personal trainer. She met all the requirements of the American Council on Exercise to develop and implement personalized exercise programs. She worked as a marketing manager for natural skin care products for years and as a health and beauty reporter and editor for ten years. She is also the host and producer of the YouTube programs "Amber Running Green" and "Amber Health Interview."
