It Can Take a Lot of Work to Trim and Shape Thighs

With swimsuit season here, many women are thinking about toning and shaping thighs, one of the most common problem areas of the body.

A wide range of activities--not just mindless floor exercises--can help firm and sculpt thighs. Each thigh contains four muscles: quadriceps on the front of the thigh that act to extend the knee; hamstrings along the back of the thigh that lift the leg backward; adductors on the outside of the thigh that move the leg away from the body and abductors along the inside thigh that allow it to move toward the body.

“Walking is fantastic for shaping the thighs,” said orthopedic surgeon Jo Hannafin, a fellow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and a team physician to the New York Mets and the New York Giants.

So is cycling, whether you ride a standard bike or a stationary one. Cycling tones hamstrings and quadriceps. “Just make sure that you are pedaling at a pretty good level of intensity so that the muscles are working hard,” said Debbie Morante, head trainer for the Toms River South High School in Toms River, N.J.

Other activities that work to firm and shape thighs include cross-country skiing, performed either outdoors or indoors on a machine; swimming, especially the crawl, which tones the back of thighs; and ballet, which helps tone all the muscles in the thigh, Morante and Hannafin said.

Among the other tips they recommend:

* Be sure to warm up before doing any thigh exercises. Do simple leg stretches, sitting on the floor with legs spread. Gently reach for toes.

* Begin slowly if you are out of shape. Easy leg lifts performed in four different positions are a good way to start, said Hannafin. Lie on your stomach. Raise one leg about 10 times, rest 30 seconds. Repeat. Switch legs. Do the exercise lying on your stomach and on each side.

* Consider using weights. Ankle weights can help increase resistance, which enhances toning.

A variety of exercise machines that use weights can also help firm and shape thighs. Just be sure the machine’s seat and height are adjusted properly for your body to reduce the risk of injury.