6 Effective Exercises for Women to Get Lean Legs

Lean legs have been a popular fitness goal for many women. Women are increasingly incorporating exercises and workout routines that will help them get a more toned look as well as make their legs leaner. They want slender and slim legs while maintaining a decent muscle definition of the lower body.

To attain the fitness goal of lean legs, it is crucial that women include a variety of leg exercises in their workout routine that efficiently target all the leg muscles, especially their inner thighs, as more often than not, those tend to be neglected.

We have created a list of the six best exercises that women can incorporate into their workout to get lean legs. These exercises will facilitate the toning and slimming of your legs by uniquely targeting all the muscles of the region. Read on to find out more!

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Best Exercises for Women to Get Lean Legs

1. Banded Lateral Walk

Banded lateral walks are one of the most dynamic exercises that you can do to achieve leaner legs. If you used resistance bands while doing this routine, you will get quite an effective workout.

Here's how you should do it:

• Start off in an erect standing position with a resistance band wrapped around your legs and a few inches above the ankles.
• Keep your feet positioned hip-width apart and knees bent slightly.
• With an engaged core, step the right foot to the side and out later followed by the left leg. Repeat.
• Swap sides and repeat.

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2. Donkey Kicks

Donkey kicks are also one of the most effective leg exercises that will help in toning and strengthening your leg muscles.

Here's how you should do it:

• Start off by assuming the tabletop position on the ground.
• Lace your fingers and bring your elbows under your shoulders.
• Keeping your core engaged, raise your left leg up as if you are tapping the ceiling.
• Bring your leg back and repeat.
• Be careful to avoid arching of the lower back or sagging of your shoulders while you kick.
• Alternate sides and repeat.

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3. Curtsy Lunges

Curtsy lunges will help you get lean legs by specifically targeting the inner thighs.

Here's how you should do it:

• Start off in the upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms crossed in front of your chest.
• Slowly descend down to your hips to assume the half squat position before lowering your left knee to the floor followed by the right one.
• Next, bring your left foot to the front followed by the right one to assume the half squat position.
• Repeat.

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4. Step-Ups

Step-ups are also an effective exercise that can be incorporated into your workout routine to get lean legs. This exercise will also help in burning a large number of calories and removing fat from your belly.

Here's how you should do it:

• Start off in a straight standing position while placing a plyo box in front of your body.
• Position your right foot in the box while the left stays on the ground.
• Drive through your right foot to bring your body to the top of the box before driving your left knee to your chest until it makes an angle of ninety degrees.
• Return one leg back to the ground. Repeat.
• Swap sides and repeat.

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5. Pistol Squats

This unilateral movement exercise will help you get lean legs by effectively targeting several muscle groups in your lower body. Pistol squats will also help in building greater balance and stability in the body.

Here's how you should do it:

• Start off in a straight standing position with your feet hip-width apart.
• Next, raise your left leg off the ground, and bend down on your right knee to bring your hips as close to the ground as possible.
• Reach out with your arms in front of you, and make sure that your left leg remains straight throughout the movement.
• Pressing onto your right foot, bring your body back to its initial position.
• Swap sides and repeat.

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6. Rope Jumps

Rope jumps are one of the most dynamic exercises that will help you get lean legs. This exercise provides numerous other benefits, such as strengthening muscles, enhancing cardio respiratory rate, burning calories, torching fat, and more.

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Bottom Line

The above exercises will result in a well-defined and toned look for your legs. They effectively work on all the relevant muscles of the lower body, including quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

Besides the lower body, the core region is also strengthened. By doing them regularly, you increase flexibility and achieve a wider range of motion and stability.

If your goal is to get runway model legs, then you should try the above exercises. You can further introduce cardio moves in your workout session to reduce the overall fat percentage of the body.