If you’re looking for tight thighs and thigh knees, try exercise snacking! A recent study showed that dividing your workout routine into short bouts of exercise is better than working out once a day. And, practicing these brief, “snack-sized” portions of exercise has been shown to control blood sugar better than a single, longer workout.

Remember…exercise is cumulative! So those short times you spend throughout the day performing a move adds up to results! Who says you can’t go deep into your hips, glutes and legs in a few minutes?

Check out these 5 thigh-toning moves to fit in throughout your day! Find quick breaks in your schedule… whether it’s before you run errands, after you’re done with work, or before your favorite TV show to do these moves! Then, perform each for 60 seconds. If you can create five minutes throughout the day, you’ll receive an A+ for completing them all!

Thigh Firmer #1: Curtsy Punch

 

What it does:

• There’s nothing old-fashioned about this curtsy! This move takes the glute-and-leg toning action of a squat and adds a core balance challenge, with a cross punch movement that sculpts the shoulders and obliques.

How to do it:

• Rest dumbbells on your hips as you place your left foot behind you. Instead of stepping directly back, the left foot should move diagonally back, with the back knee bending down directly outside the right foot.
• Fire up the core muscles as you squat down with the right leg, feeling the emphasis on your right glute (weight placed firmly in the right heel) as the left foot lightly supports you.
• As you return to standing, bring the left foot forward, landing with a wide stance.
• Punch the right hand across your body, toward the left wall, allowing your right foot to rotate as your torso twists to the left, engaging your right glute.

Beginners:

• Remember, it’s best to master the form of the exercise before adding the resistance challenge of dumbbells.

Advanced:

• Keep the majority of your weight in the front foot, especially the heel, and use the back foot mainly for balance.

 

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Thigh Firmer #2: Inner Thigh Push-Off

 

How to do it:

Stand with feet together. Take a wide step to the right. Return to starting position, then lunge to the left. To engage more of your inner thigh, use a sliding glider underneath your moving foot. Do 12 repetitions on each side.

Tips:

• Make sure your stance is wide enough. Your knee should be over the ankle in the lowest part of the lunge.
• As you drop your hips into the lunge, keep your weight in your heel. Do not let your weight shift into your toes.
• Keep your chest open and your shoulders back.

 

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 Thigh Firmer #3: Kickback Lunge

What it does:

• This version of the lunge is an excellent sculptor for the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, triceps and core. This is a true functional move because it combines so many muscle groups in one movement.

How to do it:

• Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step your left foot directly behind you, taking a wide stance, and bend your legs, lowering your torso down into a lunge. Be sure and maintain that core stability to prevent injury.
• While in lunge position, keep your shoulders over your hips, back knee slightly bent, front knee in alignment with your front toes, shoulders back and down.
• Feel your weight in your right (front) heel as you push yourself to standing.
• As you return to standing, do a tricep kickback: Reach your arms back behind you and extend, feeling a squeeze in the tricep.

Beginners:

• Practice the lunge and tricep kickback movements separately and without weights at first.

Advanced:

• When you come to standing, use your core muscles to lift the back leg off the floor and extend it behind you, squeezing the glutes as you perform the tricep kickback.

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Thigh Firmer #4: Rolling Plank

How to do it:

Start in a modified push-up position with your forearms and feet on the floor. Have your feet about 12 inches apart. Pull the navel in toward the spine and keep it there as you breathe in and out for about 15 seconds. Roll to your right forearm, turning both your feet onto their sides. With your left arm in the air, squeeze the shoulder blades together, opening your chest. Hold this for 15 seconds. Then roll to the left forearm, lifting your right arm into the air. Squeeze the shoulder blades together again and open the chest. Hold for 15 seconds.

Repetitions: 1 in the plan, 1 on right forearm, 1 on left forearm

Tips:

• Keep your abdominal muscles lifted and your navel pulled in toward your spine
• Hips should stay lifted when rolling to a side
• Pull the shoulder blades together when you lift one arm off the floor
• As you do these moves, keep your body stiff and tight in the position.

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Thigh Firmer #5: Plie To 4:00 and 8:00 With Overhead Press

How to do it: 

• Imagine that you’re standing in the middle of a clock. Straight in front of you is 12:00 and behind you is 6:00. Step with your right foot, performing a plie, to your right to the 4:00 mark. As you lower into the plie, press weights overhead. Bring the weights back to shoulder level as you return to standing in the middle of your “clock.” Alternate stepping to 4:00 and 8:00. Repeat 12 on each side.

Tips:

• Keep your elbows soft as you press the weights overhead.
• Try to drop the hips as low as the knees in your plie. Your hips should not go lower than your knees.
• Step wide enough that the knees are over the ankles in the deepest part of the plie. The knees should not jut over the toes.
• Pull your shoulders back and keep your chest up.
• Pull your abdominal muscles in tight and keep your spine straight.

Re-size your thighs while tightening your lower body with the Tight Thighs, Tight Knees Kit!