Leg toning exercises are one of the best ways to keep up muscle mass and stay in shape. Unfortunately with a person’s busy work day schedule and being crunched for time, people rarely have a chance to hit the gym anymore. Luckily, there is a vast number of at home leg toning exercises to keep your physique and confidence. Toning your legs is great for you because the more toned your legs are, the more muscle mass you have. The more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism is. The higher your metabolism is, the more calories your burn at a resting rate as well as at an increased heart-rate. There are many types of leg toning exercised to explore. Here are some of them:
Squats
Squats are one of the most common leg toning exercises. They’re great because they work your quads and glutes, so it’s a two-in-one. You’re toning your legs as well as your behind! To start, stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Slowly bend your knees down until they are at a ninety degree angle with your calves. Make sure your knees aren’t going past your feed – this can cause knee injuries. Slowly bend your knees back up so you are standing straight again. To 10-15 repetitions of this and alternate with other leg toning exercises. You can also modify this exercise by using free-hand weights. Hold the weight with both hands in the middle of your torso as you squat up and down. The weight resistance will help you tone your legs faster.
Lunges
Lunges are also a very common leg toning exercise. Similar to the squat, they also work your quads and glutes. It’s another great two-in-one toning exercise. To start a lunge, stand with your legs shoulder length apart. Then move your left leg forward and bend until your left thigh and calf are at a ninety degree angle. You should feel the stretch in the back of your right thigh. Hold this position for a few seconds and then stand, bringing your right leg parallel to your left. Alternate legs as you lunge forward. Lunge with both legs for one repetition. Alternate these with another leg toning exercise at 15-20 reps. You can also modify a lunge with using ankle weights. Again, the weight resistance will increase muscle mass with fewer repetitions. You’re well on your way to a hot legs contest!!
Stair Stepping
If you’re not looking to tone and gain muscle mass mainly on your thighs, there are also several leg toning exercises that focus more on your calves. The best thing for toning your calves is running or cycling. If you have an at home treadmill or stationary bicycle, great! If not, don’t stress. There’s still lots of toning stretches and at-home remedies for toning your calves. My personal favorite is if you have stairs where you live. If you don’t have stairs, you can easily accommodate with a step stool or something similar. You can do rounds going up and down your stairs at a comfortably quick pace. With a step stool, step up on the stool with your right leg, have your left leg join on the step stool, put your right leg back down on the floor, followed by your left. Repeat this circuit starting with your left. The great thing about the step stool is you can go faster than stairs and not worry about falling down! The other thing I love about the step stool is that you can get a bigger stretch and work out than stairs if the stool is higher than the common stair.
Conclusion
Leg toning exercises really are one of the greatest things you can do for your body to stay in shape. If simple exercises and stretches don’t appeal, there is also a huge selection of at-home Pilate and yoga DVDs and tapes that you can do at the comfort of your own living room. Stay active, stay healthy, and be happier!
