Yahoo Movies Trainers Say Working This Leg Muscle Helps Nix Lower Back Pain
It's all too easy to focus on the big leg muscles on your lower body workout days. While effective leg exercises do target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, there are a few more angles you need to add in the mix. Inner thigh exercises are a must. These muscles stabilize your pelvis and support you while you walk, run, and jump. They also create definition and tone in your upper legs. (Think strong legs like Carrie Underwood, Christie Brinkley, and many more.)
Plus, the inner thigh muscles (A.K.A your adductors) are key players when it comes to keeping your hips and lower back in a more neutral position, which helps you avoid over-arching your back *and* dealing with the aches and pains that come with it, says Kehinde Anjorin, a certified functional strength coach, personal trainer, and founder of PowerInMovement.
Meet the experts: Kehinde Anjorin, CFSC, NCSF, is a certified functional strength coach, personal trainer, and founder of PowerInMovement and online streaming fitness service The Power Method. Allison Jackson, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and founder of Allison Jackson Fitness.
Another reason inner thighs are worth training? “They help support the hips and core during various movements, so training your inner thighs can help prevent injuries and improve overall lower body strength,” says Allison Jackson, CPT, a certified personal trainer and founder of Allison Jackson Fitness. They’re also MVP’s when it comes to maintaining your overall stability, mobility, and balance, she adds.
So, clearly the inner thigh muscles are important and deserve some extra lovin’ to keep your lower body fit and injury-free. And while Jackson says you can train your inner thighs through Pilates, yoga, running, or biking, there are a few ways to maximize your time while setting your adductors on fire: lateral (or side-to-side) movements and single-leg exercises.
Don’t panic! It’s not as daunting as it sounds. With the 16 trainer-selected inner thigh exercises outlined below, you can create your own workout that matches your ability, fitness level, and timeframe.
Bonus: These inner thigh exercises are all considered compound movements, which mean they hit more than one muscle group at a time, says Anjorin. There’s a big misconception that if you want to tone a specific muscle group—like the inner thighs—you isolate them, but the body doesn’t work that way. The body naturally works as a unit, and that's a good thing.
The Best Inner-Thigh Workout
Time: 15 minutes | Equipment: Body weight (resistance band, or weights optional) | Good for: Legs, lower-body
Instructions: Choose at least three moves below, including one single-leg and one lateral exercise. Perform 10 reps of each, then immediately continue on to the next. Once you've finished your chosen movements, rest for 45 seconds then repeat two more times for a total of three rounds. Ideally, aim to incorporate these moves at least two to three times a week to see results.
Quick Tips For Total-Body Toning
Don’t forget your upper body: These moves make up an awesome lower-body routine but make sure you’re not neglecting the rest. If you want to do a split training method, do upper body twice a week and lower body three times a week. Or, you could integrate both together by doing three lower-body movements and three upper-body movements in one training session.
Prioritize quality sleep: When it comes to toning all-over, an underrated variable is sleep. It factors into how you show up in the gym, how much energy you have, and also impacts your cortisol levels. The more sleep you have, you lower your cortisol and cortisol is a fat-producing hormone. So sleep is very, very important and really ties together the outcomes you're looking for.
Think strength, then cardio: If you're looking for toning and sculpting, don't rely too much on cardio, although it should be a part of your overall fitness routine. (Remember: Cardio can be anything that gets your heart rate elevated and working. It’s not just relegated to running on the treadmill.)
Be consistent: If you’re doing all of the above, and showing up consistently, you're going to get results—there's no need to search any further.
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