Leg toning exercises at home

Most of the women yearn about nice, lean, firm and sexy legs. For many of them, this is the most troubling area of the body. On the other hand, most of the women believe they would be in much better shape if only they could afford a personal trainer or at least more free time to exercise in the gym. But, there are some simple and very efficient exercises for leg toning that a woman can do in the comfort of her own home. These easy exercises even offer more benefits than gym workout, since they help to develop lean and firm muscles, without putting the excess muscular mass on a delicate feminine figure.

Squats

Squats are one of the basic exercises that work very well for building up different parts of the body. Squats primarily focus on the muscles of the thighs, hips, buttocks, and hamstrings, but they also strengthen the bones, ligaments and tendons. While performing squats, beginners may support the body with a chair, by holding it with one hand to steady the movement. The basic squats are performed by rising onto the toes with the torso slanted back slightly. The exerciser bends the knees while lowering the body. When the knees are at a 90-degree angle, the exerciser should hold a position for a few seconds, before slowly returning into the starting pose.

Step-ups

This is another great exercise one can do at home. For step-ups one needs a small raised area, a stepper, stairs, or anything that is made of solid material and provides a steady platform. There are many different types of step-ups but the basic one includes standing on the stepper with both feet on and reaching the arms out in front of the body. Put the left foot down behind the back, so that it lightly touches the floor. Hold the position for a while and bring the foot up to the stepper again. Repeat the same thing on other side of the body. Beginners’ sets should include up to 15 repetitions.

Leg extensions

Leg extensions are great for building up nice and lean legs, while releasing the excess pressure from the knees. The exercise is performed by sitting in a chair with the feet flat on the floor and straight spine. The exerciser raises the feet and legs slowly until they are parallel to the floor. The position is held for a couple of moments, before releasing and returning in the initial position.