Leg exercises?

healthychic

What are some good leg exercises that I can do if I don't have any equipment, just a yoga mat, bender ball and 3 lb weights? I also have access to On Demand through Comcast. I really want my legs to look toned and lose a little bit of "leg fat" in my upper thighs, they are getting bigger from not exercising them. Also, does running help to burn fat in the leg area or is that mainly for toning. Because I do try to run every day. Thanks guys!

-Danielle

mskellyw

I think Comcast has the 30 Day Shred on On Demand. I've been doing it for a week and I've already seen a HUGE change in my legs. All you need to do it are hand weights (I use 5lbs, but I'm sure 3lbs would be fine).

Other than that, squats and lunges are the best exercises for toning the legs and don't require any equipment. Shape.com is a really great resource for variations on these basic moves.

Any kind of cardio helps burn fat from all over your body, so running will definitely help. In fact, you can build muscle all day long, but without cardio you'll still have a layer of fat overing them up so you won't look toned!

I hope this helps!

free2roam66

Squats are THE BEST for your legs. Do some research and find pictures so you make sure your form is perfect. That's really important. The main thing is to not let your knees go over your toes. Anyway, there are a lot of different kinds of squats. The main ones I do are: 20-30 with toes pointed straight ahead and then 20-30 more with toes pointed out to the sides (this works on your inner and outer thighs more). Squats are also GREAT for your butt. I've been doing them for years and I always get compliments on my butt and legs.

healthychic

Thank you both so much! I am going to check out the 30 day shred, and start doing squats. I totally forgot about squats! Those are really good for your butt too because I remember in highschool I used to do them and saw a great improvement!

-Danielle