Thigh Exercises for Women: Strengthen Your Legs at Home

If you’ve ever searched for exercises to make your thighs smaller, lose inner thigh fat or “tone your thighs”, you’ll know there are thousands of workouts promising exactly that.

Unfortunately, our bodies aren’t quite so cooperative.

You can’t choose where your body loses fat simply by exercising that particular area. Doing hundreds of inner thigh exercises won’t specifically burn the fat sitting on your inner thighs any more than doing hundreds of sit-ups will selectively remove fat from your stomach.

What thigh exercises can do is strengthen the muscles in your legs, improve your fitness and make everyday things such as walking, climbing stairs and getting up from a chair easier.

And, if you’re trying to lose weight, exercise can form part of the bigger picture without needing every workout to be about how many calories you’ve burned.

I’ve spent enough of my life viewing exercise purely as something I needed to do to make myself smaller. These days, I think getting stronger is a much nicer goal.

So, whether you want stronger thighs, are starting exercise from scratch or simply fancy adding a few leg exercises to your home workout, here are some easy options.

Can exercises actually reduce thigh fat?

Let’s get this out of the way first because it’s probably why quite a few people have landed on this article.

You can’t spot-reduce fat from your thighs.

When your body loses stored fat, you don’t get to tell it where to take that fat from first.

Where we tend to store fat – and where we lose it from – varies between people and is influenced by factors including genetics, sex and hormones.

That’s why one person might notice weight disappearing from their face first while another loses it around their waist and spends six months wondering why their thighs apparently haven’t received the memo.

Thigh exercises can strengthen the muscles underneath the fat, but exercising a muscle doesn’t mean your body selectively uses the fat immediately above it.

If your overall goal is fat loss, nutrition, activity, sleep and other lifestyle factors all form part of that much bigger picture.

But please don’t conclude that thigh exercises are therefore pointless.

Strong legs are useful!

What muscles are in your thighs?

We often talk about “the thighs” as though they’re one muscle, but several different muscle groups are involved.

At the front are your quadriceps, which help straighten the knee and are heavily involved in movements such as standing up, walking and climbing stairs.

At the back are the hamstrings, which help bend the knee and extend the hip.

Your adductors, around the inner thigh, help move your leg towards the centre of your body and contribute to stability.

Then you’ve got muscles around your hips and glutes that work alongside your thigh muscles during many lower-body exercises.

That’s why a good thigh workout doesn’t need 17 different versions of squeezing your legs together. Compound movements such as squats and step-ups involve several muscle groups at once.

10 thigh exercises you can do at home

You don’t need to do all ten every time you exercise. Choose a handful that suit your current ability and build from there.

If you’re a beginner, something like 5–10 repetitions of each exercise can be plenty to start with. If you’re more experienced, you can increase the repetitions or add resistance.

Most importantly, concentrate on doing the movement comfortably and with control.

1. Sit-to-stands

This is one of my favourite beginner leg exercises because it’s essentially practising something we all need to do anyway – getting out of a chair.

Sit towards the front of a sturdy chair with your feet comfortably apart.

Lean slightly forwards, push through your feet and stand up. Then lower yourself back into the chair under control.

Try 5–10 repetitions.

If you need to use your hands or the arms of the chair initially, that’s absolutely fine.

As you get stronger, try using your hands less.

2. Bodyweight squats

If sit-to-stands are comfortable, squats are a natural progression.

Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart, although the exact position that feels comfortable will vary.

Keeping your chest up, bend at your hips and knees as though you’re going to sit down, then push through your feet to return to standing.

You don’t need to squat incredibly deeply.

A smaller range of movement is still useful, particularly when you’re starting.

Try 5–10 repetitions.

If you’re worried about balance, do them in front of a chair so you’ve got a clear stopping point behind you.

3. Wall sits

Stand with your back against a wall and move your feet slightly forwards.

Slide down the wall until you reach a position you can comfortably hold.

You don’t have to get your thighs parallel with the floor. That’s considerably harder and isn’t necessary for a beginner.

Hold for perhaps 10–20 seconds initially, then stand back up.

Wall sits can make your thighs complain surprisingly quickly despite the fact that you appear to be doing absolutely nothing!

4. Step-ups

Use a secure low step.

Step up with one foot, bring the other foot up and then step back down carefully.

Alternate which leg leads.

Start with a low height and use a handrail or other secure support if you need it.

Step-ups work your thighs and glutes and have a nice practical crossover to something many of us encounter every day: stairs.

If you have knee problems, balance difficulties or stepping up isn’t comfortable, choose another exercise rather than forcing this one.

5. Reverse lunges

Lunges can be quite challenging, so I wouldn’t necessarily make them the first thigh exercise you attempt.

From standing, step one foot backwards and gently lower your body by bending both knees before returning to standing.

Keep the movement relatively small while you’re learning it.

A reverse lunge often feels more manageable for some people than stepping forwards into a lunge.

Hold onto a sturdy chair for balance if necessary.

And if lunges simply feel awful? You don’t have to do lunges.

There are plenty of other ways to strengthen your legs.

6. Side leg raises

Stand behind a sturdy chair and hold it for support.

Keeping your body upright, slowly lift one leg out to the side and then lower it again.

Try 8–10 repetitions, then change legs.

Don’t worry about getting your leg particularly high. A controlled movement through a comfortable range is more useful than leaning sideways so dramatically that you look like you’re trying to escape the exercise.

7. Inner thigh leg raises

Lie on your side with your lower leg straight.

Bend your top leg and place that foot in front of or behind the lower leg, wherever feels most stable.

Slowly lift your lower leg a short distance from the floor, then lower it again.

You’ll probably notice the muscles on the inside of your thigh working.

Try 8–12 repetitions on each side.

If getting down onto the floor isn’t comfortable or practical for you, skip this one. You aren’t missing some secret inner-thigh-fat-burning exercise – because, as we’ve established, that doesn’t exist.

8. Glute bridges

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

Gently tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your hips until your body forms a comfortable line from your shoulders towards your knees.

Pause briefly and lower yourself back down.

Try 8–12 repetitions.

Although they’re called glute bridges, they also involve your hamstrings and other muscles around the hips and legs.

Again, if floor exercises aren’t accessible to you, choose standing alternatives.

9. Standing hamstring curls

Stand behind a sturdy chair.

Keeping your thighs relatively still, bend one knee and bring your heel towards your bottom as far as is comfortable.

Slowly lower your foot.

Try 8–12 repetitions on each leg.

You don’t need to actually touch your bottom with your heel. Your personal range of movement is absolutely fine.

10. Calf raises

Technically, your calves aren’t your thighs, but lower-body strength isn’t particularly interested in our SEO headings!

Stand with your feet comfortably apart and hold a chair if needed.

Slowly lift your heels from the floor, rising onto the balls of your feet, then lower again.

Try 10–15 repetitions.

Strong lower legs complement the thigh and hip work you’re doing and are useful for everyday walking and balance.

What are the best inner thigh exercises?

If your specific goal is strengthening your inner thighs, exercises involving the adductor muscles are what you’re looking for.

The side-lying inner thigh raise above is a simple example.

You can also use resistance bands or gym equipment to add resistance to adduction movements.

However, there’s an important distinction:

Inner thigh exercises strengthen your inner thigh muscles. They don’t specifically burn inner thigh fat.

I know that’s not nearly as exciting as promising a “7-day inner thigh transformation”, but it’s considerably more useful to know before you spend a fortnight squeezing a cushion between your knees expecting your body shape to dramatically change.

What about outer thigh exercises?

Side leg raises are a simple place to start. Squats, lunges and step-ups also involve muscles around your hips and thighs rather than isolating just one tiny area.

If you’re progressing into resistance training, movements such as lateral band walks can also work muscles around the hips. Again, I’d think in terms of building strength and function, not trying to burn a specific pocket of fat.

What if squats hurt my knees?

You shouldn’t assume knee pain is something you need to push through. There are lots of reasons a movement might be uncomfortable, and an internet article can’t diagnose why your knee hurts.

You might find that a smaller range of movement is more comfortable, or that sit-to-stands work better for you than unsupported squats. But if you’re experiencing persistent, significant or worsening knee pain, get appropriate advice rather than repeatedly doing an exercise that hurts.

Exercise is allowed to feel challenging. It doesn’t need to feel damaging.

Thigh exercises if you’re overweight

Being overweight doesn’t mean you need a completely separate species of exercise. But some movements can feel different in a larger body.

Your thighs or stomach may affect how comfortably you can position yourself. Getting onto the floor can be difficult. Exercises involving jumping may put more stress through your joints or simply feel unpleasant.

That’s why I think adaptations matter much more than labels.

You can:

• use a chair for support;
• reduce the depth of a squat;
• choose sit-to-stands instead of lunges;
• avoid jumping exercises;
• perform fewer repetitions;
• or concentrate on walking and other activities alongside strength exercises.

None of those adaptations make the workout less legitimate.

I’ve written a separate guide to exercise for overweight and obese beginners, where I go into this in much more detail.

Can walking strengthen your thighs?

Yes, walking uses the muscles in your legs and can help build endurance, particularly if you’re currently relatively inactive.

Walking uphill or on varied terrain will generally challenge your legs differently from walking on a completely flat surface. But you don’t need to seek out the nearest mountain.

If you’re starting from very little activity, ordinary walking is a perfectly good place to begin.

I’ve got a separate guide to walking for weight loss as well as a walking calorie calculator if you’re interested in the numbers.

Do you need weights to strengthen your thighs?

No, particularly when you’re beginning. Your own body weight provides resistance. As exercises become easier, however, increasing the challenge can help you continue progressing.

That might mean:

• doing more repetitions;
• moving through a slightly greater range;
• slowing the movement down;
• adding resistance bands;
• holding dumbbells;
• progressing to a harder version of an exercise.

You don’t need to buy equipment immediately. Get comfortable with the movements first.

How often should you exercise your thighs?

You don’t need to train your thighs every day. Strength exercises are commonly recommended on at least two days each week, alongside aerobic activity, as part of general physical-activity guidance.

If you’re new to strength exercise, your muscles may feel sore afterwards, particularly when you’ve introduced movements they aren’t used to. Give yourself time to recover rather than assuming soreness means you need to do the same workout again immediately.

And remember that activities such as walking, cycling, swimming and climbing stairs are also using your legs.

How long does it take to strengthen your thighs?

Unfortunately, I can’t give you one of those satisfying answers like:

Do these five exercises and you’ll have completely different legs in 14 days!

How quickly you progress depends on where you’re starting, how regularly you exercise, the resistance you’re using, your nutrition, recovery and plenty of individual factors.

What you can watch for are signs that you’re getting stronger. Maybe ten sit-to-stands no longer feel difficult. Perhaps stairs don’t leave your legs as tired. Maybe you can squat slightly lower or use a heavier resistance.

Those are real signs of progress even if your thighs don’t suddenly look dramatically different in the mirror.

Will thigh exercises give me a thigh gap?

I want to include this because it’s still something people search for.

A thigh gap isn’t a useful fitness goal.

Whether your thighs touch when you stand is influenced by your skeletal structure, including the shape and position of your pelvis and femurs, as well as muscle and body-fat distribution.

Two women at exactly the same weight and fitness level can have completely different space between their thighs. Trying to exercise your way towards a particular gap between your legs isn’t a good measure of whether you’re fit, strong or healthy.

Your thighs are allowed to touch. Mine certainly haven’t received any complaints from one another. No amount of thigh exercises will create a thigh gap for you.

Can thigh exercises help you lose weight?

Strength exercise can form part of an active lifestyle and support weight management, but I wouldn’t choose thigh exercises because you’re trying to maximise the calories burned by your legs.

Weight loss happens through your overall energy balance over time, not because you’ve selected the correct body part to exercise. Strength training has plenty of value while losing weight, including helping you maintain or build strength and muscle.

That’s a much better reason to include it. And exercise has benefits that have absolutely nothing to do with becoming smaller. That’s something I wish I’d understood much earlier in my own weight-loss journey.

A simple beginner thigh workout

If ten thigh exercises feels like far too much choice, make it easy.

Try:

5–10 sit-to-stands
5–10 wall-supported squats
8 side leg raises each side
8 standing hamstring curls each side
10 calf raises

Rest as needed.

If one round is plenty, stop there. As it becomes easier, you could work towards two rounds and eventually add more resistance. You don’t need to crawl away from a workout for it to have counted.

Getting stronger rather than getting smaller

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to change your body. I spent years wanting to change mine. But I think exercise becomes much less miserable when every movement isn’t judged by whether it will make a particular bit of you smaller.

Your thighs do quite a lot for you. They get you out of chairs. They take you upstairs. They help you walk around on holiday, carry shopping, climb hills and do all the boring everyday things we barely notice until they become difficult.

So yes, you can absolutely work on your thighs.

I’d just work on making them stronger rather than punishing them for being bigger than you’d like.

Related articles

If you are looking to get the most out of exercising at home these articles may help you.

Home gym equipment advice and how to workout without leaving the house

How to make time for workouts

8 ways to start exercising regularly in just a week

Tips to help you achieve 10,000 steps a day

Ways to make your home more conducive to exercise and how to exercise in a small home

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