There are several exercise methods to tone legs, each depending on the area of the leg that needs to be toned and the exerciser’s personal preferences. For example, some people may prefer to do sport-type activities to tone their legs. In that case, running, biking, hiking, dancing, jumping rope, and swimming are great options. If a person prefers to head to the gym, there are many types of equipment that focus on leg toning. For home-based exercisers, leg toning can be accomplished using elastic bands, stability balls, and by using the body as a form of resistance.
Many sports-based activities are great for leg toning. For example, running and jumping rope can effectively tone the calve muscles of the legs. Add a few hills to a running route and the quadriceps can become toned as well. Biking focuses mainly on toning the quadriceps and the gluteus, especially if hills are involved. Swimming is a great way to tone the hamstring area of the legs, while dancing can tone the inner thigh.
Most full gyms have a plethora of equipment dedicated to leg toning exercises. The leg press machine can be great for working the quadriceps and the calve muscles. The press machine exercise is similar to doing a squat, except the person is sitting in a chair with her legs propped up. The person then pushes a weighted platform with her feet, using her quadriceps muscles. If the person pushes the platform with the tips of her toes, her calves are worked and can become toned as well.
Another great piece of equipment found at many gyms is the adducter and abducter machine. With this machine, a person sits on a chair and squeezes her legs together. As she slowly squeezes, she brings weighted bars together until they touch. This motion tones the inner thigh. The same machine can be used to spread the weighted bars apart as well, working the outer thigh. As a result, leg toning can be accomplished in areas of the body that are typically difficult to maintain.
Free weights are available at many gyms as well. Some people are intimidated by free weights, but there are many great exercises that can tone the legs using only a set of free weights or a dumbbell. For example, while holding a two free weights or a dumbbell directly out in front at shoulder height, a person can sit back into a deep squat. To accomplish a squat, stand with feet shoulder width apart, then sit back, as if sitting into an imaginary chair. Next, return to the standing position.
Some people may prefer to complete leg toning exercises in the privacy of their own homes. There are a wealth of videos and DVDs that focus on the legs and gluteus muscles. There are videos and DVDs to appeal to nearly every demographic, such as pregnant women, men, seniors, children, teens, and college students. Some videos use Pilates or yoga-based exercises to tone the legs, while others use aerobic moves or free weights.
Other home-based leg toning exercises can be done using a stability ball, elastic bands, or even using the body as resistance. For example, lying on one side of the body and lifting the legs, then performing a scissors kick will work the outer thigh. For a little extra resistance, the legs can be encircled with an elastic band. The band makes it a little harder to do the exercise, but it tones the muscles a little faster, too.