Can anyone suggest an exercise to trim inner thigh and knees please...

KickassAmazon76

I don't know if any of this will help... but I figured I'd share...

I am a separated mom of two kids (now age 11 and 9), working full time and managing my own home. I know what this time issue is and can utterly empathize.

Seeing as you are on maternity leave, firstly - I think it's amazing that you have the energy to focus on improving your fitness and adjusting your weight. It's no easy task when you have little ones who literally suck the energy right out of you (especially if you're breastfeeding).

Here are some things that helped me:
- firstly... allow yourself some grace. You're a new mom still, so you have a lot on your plate - don't expect perfection. It doesn't hurt to strive for it, but don't let it drive you into the ground
- if you are breastfeeding, please ensure you're getting enough calories to nourish both yourself and your baby.
- if you have energy to workout at 10pm, then do it. As a mom with lil ones, I found I could sleep on command, so nothing ever kept me awake once my head hit the pillow. (Utter exhaustion will do that to you)

And lastly - but maybe most importantly...
- don't discount the impact of physical play with your child (children)... I made a point of using them as my weights!
>> Throw them on your back and give them piggy back rides
>> Put them on your shoulders and walk with them that way
>> lay on your back and have them lay on your legs as you "fly" them around, left - right - up - down (it's FABULOUS for your core).
>> Carrying them around is strength training (just do it on both sides with good posture).
>> Deadlift them. (just don't drop the weights haha)
>> Squat them.
>> Overhead press them (my kids LOVED that - especially in the pool because I WOULD drop the weights - when they were older)
>> have them sit on your tummy and bounce them up and down, keeping your core tight

Not only do all of these thrill the hell out of THEM, it allows you both to bond, and gives you a great workout too.

Most of all... remember that you want to love life - so do all that you do for your health with that perspective. If you hate it, then change it to something you don't.

Machka9

Iwanttolosemymummytummy wrote: »

psuLemon MFP Moderator sugar not my enemy? Whoop! Whoop! I can have jam!! (In moderation of course) I agree that anytime we can fit exercise in is better than not doing any at all. But I sometimes find myself doing a workout at 10pm because I haven't been able to fit it in any other time. Are there any benefit/drawback to this? One drwback - takes longer to wind down afterwards to get to sleep.

1) Enjoy the jam. You can indeed have it ... with in moderation, of course.

2) I used to ride my trainer (bicycle on device that holds it in place) at about 10 pm for an hour or so, then I'd turn off most of the lights and do yoga for about half an hour, then I'd go to bed. And I slept like a log. Worked for me!

canadianlbs

StarGazerPicTaker wrote: »

- don't discount the impact of physical play with your child (children)... I made a point of using them as my weights!

never discount the bliss of having a toddler tromple up and down your spine while you lie on the floor either. now my kid has grown up, i'm sometimes tempted to borrow a friend's.

Iwanttolosemymummytummy

Machka9 wrote: »

Iwanttolosemymummytummy wrote: »

psuLemon MFP Moderator sugar not my enemy? Whoop! Whoop! I can have jam!! (In moderation of course) I agree that anytime we can fit exercise in is better than not doing any at all. But I sometimes find myself doing a workout at 10pm because I haven't been able to fit it in any other time. Are there any benefit/drawback to this? One drwback - takes longer to wind down afterwards to get to sleep.

1) Enjoy the jam. You can indeed have it ... with in moderation, of course.

2) I used to ride my trainer (bicycle on device that holds it in place) at about 10 pm for an hour or so, then I'd turn off most of the lights and do yoga for about half an hour, then I'd go to bed. And I slept like a log. Worked for me!

Jammmmmmmmm.....It's my weak spot!

10 pm workout is not a problem here either, thankfully, because sometimes that's the only chance I get to fit it in! And because my sleep is disturbed countless times throughout the night(4 kids. Each night it's a conveyor belt of one or the other coming over to my side of the bed, never their father's, to inform me of a "bad dream", "duvet is on the floor", "I can't sleep", "I've lost my teddy". "I've wet the bed" etc) I find that the second my head hits the pillow I am out like a light....until the nightly routine begins 20 minutes later
I was interested in finding out if exercising so late would cause a problem with metabolism or something similar, wondering if it was better to exercise at the beginning of the day rather than the end of it. Really it won't make any difference to me - if I can't fit it in until 10 then that's when I'll fit it in, no choice.

canadianlbs

Iwanttolosemymummytummy wrote: »

I was interested in finding out if exercising so late would cause a problem with metabolism or something similar

it amps me up sometimes so that i can't wind down to sleep mode, which is a big big deal when you're a single parent and you have to budget your rest to make sure you'll have enough resilience for daily life on the next day.

but that only happens to me if i really redline whatever i did. i don't have any info about whether/how it affects your metabolism in the pure weight-loss sense.

jnducharme

Try Insanity or another strength HIIT training like Max 30. You need to decrease your body fat over all so if you combine this with a calorie deficit you will decrease your body fat% and really strengthen and tone your legs at the same time.

aneema31294

rckc1 wrote: »

I have been using a lateral elliptical machine for the last month. You can adjust the width of the stance. I can really tell the difference in my legs. I have a gap between thighs FINALLY! I also do the step machine

What is ur exact routine?

aneema31294

Mini_Medic wrote: »

Low impact if needed, elliptical, hands down. It is more about the fat loss via calorie deficit, however using the muscles themselves will give an appearance of being tighter and leaner, even without actual fat loss or muscle gain.
The first time I lost I basically only used a calorie deficit and the elliptical and I liked how my legs leaned out. That was 40 lbs lost.
This time I've lost it all again, plus some more and I am running and lifting weights at the gym. This time around my legs look stronger and have more definition and a lot less wobble. I've got a half a thigh gap too! Knees have a gap and top of thighs under the lady zone have a gap but not in the very middle yet.

What is ur exact routine?

STEVE142142

Without knowing your weight and height it's hard to tell if it's Fat Loss or if it's muscle and skeletal

Unfortunately your genetics are going to determine how fast and where the fat comes off if it's fat loss. If it's genetics or you can basically do is tone your thighs and legs.

SerenaB_1

Plyometric, Hiit training (sprints) and overall weight loss for thighs, some knee fat does not go away despite how thin a person is and I know this personally. I've looked into lipo for knee fat that's genetic. I can be 5'6 112 pounds, in fantastic physical shape and still have a considerable amount of knee fat.

psuLemon

SerenaB_1 wrote: »

Plyometric, Hiit training (sprints) and overall weight loss for thighs, some knee fat does not go away despite how thin a person is and I know this personally. I've looked into lipo for knee fat that's genetic. I can be 5'6 112 pounds, in fantastic physical shape and still have a considerable amount of knee fat.

A lot of your issues might be driven by poor body composition since you are borderline underweight. It's a fairly common thing with people who are at the body end of a healthy weight. You may want to consider adding some muscle to see if it helps.