Work Your Inner Thighs at Home

The hip adductor muscles are the 3 muscles running through your inner thighs. They start at the pubis and extend to your inner thigh and the knee allowing your hips and knees to extend, flex and rotate, along with your other thigh muscles. You can isolate the adductor muscles in order to make them stronger. With a few home fitness items, like a fitness ball, you can do these exercises at home and improve adductor strength and stability. This article will tell you how to work your inner thighs at home.

Steps

Inner Leg Raises

1. Lay on your right side on a yoga mat.
2. Keep your back straight, bend your arm and place your upper body weight on the bent arm.
3. Bend your left knee and bring it over your right leg so that the foot is perpendicular to your straight right leg.
4. Straighten your back and raise your neck. Flex your abdominal (ab) muscles.
5. Exhale and raise your right leg up and straight as far as it will go. Stop if your hips start to move or your back starts to curve.
6. Hold the leg at the top for 1 second.
7. Inhale and lower the leg slowly.
8. Repeat 10 times on the right side, and then repeat 10 times on the left side.
   • Increase the reps of the exercise as the adductors get stronger, or hold the leg in the air for up to 10 seconds.
   • Many of these exercises will burn when you begin them. This is not harmful as long as you can keep proper form as you do the repetitions.

Leg Squeezes

1. Lay on your right side with your body straight. Align your head, shoulders, back, glutes, legs and feet.
2. Move your feet slightly forward so you are forming a 170 degree angle with your body.
3. Place an exercise ball between your feet. Ideally you should use a 55 or 65 cm (21.7 inch or 25.6 inch) exercise ball, but not a 75 cm (29.5 inch) exercise ball, as it will be too large and cause you to lose your balance.
4. Exhale and squeeze your legs together as hard as you can while maintaining good form.
5. Hold for 3 seconds, and then inhale and slowly release your muscles.
6. Repeat 10 times. Work up to 30 repetitions, or increase the amount of time you flex your inner thigh muscles.

Scissor kicks

1. Lay flat on your back on your exercise mat. Make sure your head, back, hips and legs are aligned.
2. Place your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides, close to your butt.
   • For extra stability, place your hands beneath your butt.
3. Flex your ab muscles deeply.
4. Raise your legs a foot off the ground and tighten your inner and outer thigh muscles, as well as your abs.
5. Slowly move your right leg above your left leg and your left leg below your right leg at the same time, making a scissor-like motion. Start with the smallest motion possible to complete this action.
6. Switch your legs so that your left leg is on top and your right leg is on the bottom.
7. Switch your legs back and forth 10 times. Rest and repeat the exercise.
   • It is very important to work your legs in as small motions as possible and then work toward larger motions as your legs and stomach strengthen. You can hurt your lower back, if you do not take this precaution.
   • This exercise is also a very good exercise for your ab muscles.

Inner Thigh Squeezes

1. Lay flat on your back, bend your knees and bring them close to your chest.
2. Place your exercise ball between your thighs, and tense your ab muscles. The ball should support your knees. Your calves and feet should be at a 90 degree angle to your thighs, partially relaxed.
3. Exhale and squeeze your inner thighs together as hard as you can.
4. Hold for 3 seconds.
5. Inhale and slowly release your muscles, allowing them to return out to the sides in your starting position.
6. Repeat 10 times and work up to 30 repetitions. Squeeze your legs for a longer period of time as your adductors strengthen.

Tips

• For a greater challenge, instead of doing a second set, do the exercises more slowly to test your ability to sustain the muscle's in a flexed position. You will receive a benefit similar to strength training.
• Instead of doing more than 1 set of these exercises, concentrate on proper form and completion of as many repetitions as possible. In order to greatly improve your inner thigh strength, you need to work toward increasing repetitions.
• Work your quads, hamstrings and hip flexors after exercising your inner thighs, in order to maintain balanced thigh muscles and avoid muscle strain.
• Always wear loose-fitting or flexible clothing during your home workout.
• Workout on a yoga mat or a cushioned carpet.

Things You'll Need

• Yoga mat
• Exercise ball
• Flexible clothes
• Athletic sneakers

Related Articles

• Do a Rotating Knee Raise With an Exercise Ball
• Do a Lying Leg Rotation With an Exercise Ball

Sources and Citations

• http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness/belly-abs/the-belly-and-thighs-workout/article/6f7d88dc78803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____
• http://www.fitness-training-at-home.com/inner-thigh-workout.html
• http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/Adductors.html

See also

• Use Resistance Bands
• Improve Your Fitness With Proper Sports Nutrition
• Do Water Aerobics
• Cross Train
• Choose a Personal Trainer
• Get Exercise Outdoors
• Do Core Exercises
• Do Kegel Exercises for Men
• Use Eccentric Training
• Measure Your Thighs

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What links here

• Get Rid of Inner Thigh Fat
• Build Your Lower Body Strength
• Stretch Your Inner Thighs
• Work Your Lower Back