Swish swish swish…. Is that the sound of your pant legs rubbing against each other as you walk? Even worse, do you suffer from irritating rub burns on your inner thighs any time you wear a skirt? If so, you are not alone! Many women suffer from stubborn inner thigh flab that seems impossible to get rid of. Not only does this create an annoying and often painful rubbing sensation, but added fat in this area can also truly make you dread bathing suits and shorts season.
The inner thigh muscles, also known as your adductors, are comprised of five different muscles that attach to your pelvic bone and femur. They play a vital role in the movement but are also crucial to stabilizing your hips, knees, and low back. This makes toning and strengthening your inner thigh muscles even more important.
The good news is that you don’t need to spend countless hours on the awkward adductor machine in your local gym or dust off that antiquated thigh-master contraption in your closet to get an impactful inner thigh workout. Below, we have shared some of our favorite exercises for toning and tightening. Some of the exercises use resistance bands to make the movements more challenging. If you do not have resistance bands, simply use your bodyweight alone.
1. Sumo Squats
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet considerably wider than hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Engage your core, hinge from your hips, and bend your knees to lower your seat downward. Keep your knees behind your toes and do not let your knees fall inward. Press from your heels to return to the starting position and repeat the movement. To make this exercise more challenging, hold a kettlebell, dumbbell, or another weighted object in your hands while going through the movement.
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Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.
2. Lateral Lunges
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a big step to the side with one foot, then hinge your hips and bend your knee to lower your seat. Keep your knee behind your toes. Push from your heel to return to standing and step back to the starting position. Repeat the movement. To make this exercise more challenging, hold dumbbells in each hand or wrap resistance tubing around your legs, just above your knees.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.
3. Adductor Leg Lifts
Begin by lying on your side on the floor, keeping your body in good alignment. Bend your bottom arm and support your head with your hand. Bend your top leg and plant your foot firmly over your bottom leg. Engage your core and slowly lift your bottom leg upward, keeping your toes pointed straight ahead. Lower your leg to the starting position and repeat the movement. The upward movement of your bottom leg will be quite small. To make this exercise more challenging, move your bottom leg in a small circular motion, rather than simply up and down.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.
4 . Reverse Clamshells
Begin by lying on your side on the floor, keeping your body in good alignment. Bend your bottom arm and support your head with your hand. Bend both of your legs and place a ball or folded pillow between your knees. Engage your core, press your top leg into the ball or pillow, and hold this position for 5 seconds. Relax and repeat the movement. After 5 repetitions, repeat the movement on the opposite side. To make this exercise more challenging, exert more force on the ball or pillow.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side, holding for 5 seconds.
5. Squat with Lateral Raise
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Wrap resistance tubing around your legs, just above your knees. Clasp your hands together at chest height. Engage your core, hinge from your hips, and bend your knees to lower your seat downward. Keep your toes behind your knees. Press from your heels to return to a standing position, then lift one leg out to the side, keeping your toes pointing straight ahead. Lower your leg to the starting position. Repeat the sequence of movements, this time lifting your opposite leg. To make this exercise more challenging, wrap the resistance tubing lower on your legs, between your knee joints and your ankles. To make this exercise easier, eliminate the resistant tubing and simply use bodyweight.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.
6. Scissor Jacks
Scissor jacks are a great way to incorporate cardio with adductor strengthening. Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Maintain good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Extend your arms in front of your body at chest height. Hop up with both feet, landing in a wide stance as you swing your arms out at your sides. Hop up with both feet, landing with one leg crossed over the other as you mirror the movement with your arms. Repeat the sequence of movements, alternating the position of your feet and arms. Repeat the sequence of movements. To make this exercise more challenging, wrap resistance tubing around your legs, just above your knees.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.
7 . Curtsy Lunges
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips. Take a big step back with one leg, crossing behind your opposite leg to plant your foot on the floor. Bend both knees until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your torso upright and your hips and shoulders as square as possible. Step back to the starting position and repeat the movement. To make this exercise more challenging, hold dumbbells in each hand.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.
8. Inner Thigh Leg Lifts
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place one hand on a wall or chair for support if needed. Transfer all your weight onto one foot and extend your opposite leg in front of your body. Squeeze your inner thighs and rotate your heel inward, then lift your leg as high as you are able, lifting from your heel. Lower your leg to tap your foot lightly on the floor and repeat the movement. To make this exercise more challenging, wrap resistance tubing around your legs, just above your knees.
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Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.
Your legs are sure to be burning after this intense inner thigh workout! All of your leg muscles work together to provide balance and stability for your body, so it is important to strategically target your adductors regularly. For best results, you should also go through go an inner thigh stretching routine to minimize any soreness and increase your range of motion.
Discover even more exercises designed to tone and tighten your legs and glutes in just minutes each day. Click here to learn more.
