Inner Thigh Exercises for Women to Sculpt Their Lower Body!

Jeans that no more fit well are everyday reminders of your saggy inner thighs. Thankfully, you don’t need to hit the gym to do the best of thigh exercises.


Written by Manal Yahya

On Mar 30, 2023 – 10 minutes read

Inner Thigh Exercises For Women To Sculpt The Lower Body

As we get older, our body is supposed to get healthier. But unfortunately, it is all going in reverse. Issues with the lower body get increasingly common as we age due to the lack of muscle strength, in which flappy inner thighs are a prominent sign of warning. That is why we have here the best inner thigh exercises for women.

Juggling inner thighs are not only unhealthy but also something we fret over because of how its appearance makes us feel awfully self-conscious. That is where inner thigh exercises for women come to sculpt the lower body into a better and healthier shape.

Inner Thigh Exercises For Women!

Adductors — inner thighs — consists of five main muscles that pull the legs toward the midline of your body and stabilize the outward rotation of the knees. Nicole Blades(1), a NASM-certified personal trainer says:

“Your adductors are responsible for the inner rotation of the leg. Together with the abductors — the external rotators of the glutes — they support the pelvis, helping you to stabilize when you walk, run, or cycle.”

Because the inner thighs are a part of the core (core begins with inner thighs), they act as a foundation for your hips. So it is essential you strengthen them to improve the body’s functionality, prevent injuries and hip, knee, and lower-back issues.

what causes inner thigh fat

So, how to tighten the inner thigh loose skin? Unfortunately, as we are already aware, reducing fat from specific areas is near impossible. But one thing that can help you tighten and tone down your inner thigh is by adding more muscle definition there. Combined with consistent cardio, you can do these best inner thigh exercises for women at home to get stronger legs and better mobility with healthy knees and ankles. Create your own inner thigh workout to add to your routine at least thrice a week and strengthen the inner part of your upper legs.

Pro tip: The key is setting your inner thighs on fire and keeping them burning throughout your workout!

Sumo Squats

Squats are the foundational move in body strengthening exercise. But it particularly helps in lower body exercises with getting your heart pumping and sumo squat is specifically for inner thighs, quads, and glutes. The wider stance of your legs will help you engage your inner thigh muscles. Perform this for 10 reps.

how to slim inner thighs

How to do sumo squat?

  1. Stand in a squat stance with your feet wide (shoulder-distance apart) and turn your toes pointing out to the sides.
  2. Roll your shoulders back and lift your chest.
  3. Bend your knees and sit down into a squat — as low as you can — until your hips are slightly below the level of knees and thighs are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause at the squat position for two seconds.
  5. Squeeze your inner thighs and strengthen your legs to stand back up. This finishes one rep.

Plie Squat Pulse in Inner Thigh Exercises for Women

While traditional squats work your hamstrings, glutes, and quads, plie squats are the exercise targeting the inner thigh or adductor muscles. By pulsing on your toes, you will engage your calves as well. So, this inner thigh exercise is a total bonus! Challenge yourself to maintain a full minute stance when you are ready to.

best exercises for inner thighs and buttocks

How to do plie squat pulse?

  1. Stand in a sumo squat with your feet wide (shoulder-distance apart) and your toes pointing to the sides.
  2. Roll your shoulders back and lift your chest.
  3. Then, lower down into sumo squat and raise your heels off the ground.
  4. Squeeze your inner thighs, pulse up and down in a short range of motion while keeping the tension on your thighs and glutes.
  5. Perform at least 8 reps before bringing your heels back down to stand.

Inner thigh exercises for women: Curtsy Lunges

Lunges are one of the best exercises for the lower body, curtsy lunges are one of the best exercises for inner thighs and buttocks by adding a different element of balance. This rotational single-leg exercise will help to stabilize your hips, build glute strength and inner thigh by challenging the adductor muscles on the weight-bearing leg. Before adding dumbbells with this move, excel your form before adding weight. When you lunge, always keep a 90-degree angle with your front and back leg.

quick inner thigh workout

How to do curtsy lunges?

  1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart with arms at your side or clasped in front of your chest.
  2. Roll your shoulders back and lift your chest. Remember to keep your core engaged.
  3. Lift your right foot off the floor and take a big step behind to your left, so your thighs cross.
  4. Lower your knees down into a lunge until the right knee is hovering above the floor behind the left foot. You must be forming a 90-degree angle with your front and back legs. Also, make sure your left knee is aligned with your left ankle.
  5. Push off and slowly return to the standing position. This completes one rep.
  6. Repeat on the other side too with 10 reps on each side.

Lateral Lunges With Leg Lifts in Inner Thigh Exercises for Women

This lunge has a variation. Instead of moving forward and backward, lateral lunges move you sideways from left to right which will build and sculpt your inner thighs as well as the glutes. It will improve balance in each leg.

how to slim inner thighs

How to do lateral lunges with leg lift?

  1. Stand with your feet together.
  2. Roll your shoulders back and lift your chest.
  3. Take a big step to your right side and lower your body into a lunge until the right thigh is parallel to the floor while hinging your hips forward. Your left leg must stay straight and your toes point forward.
  4. Push off with your right foot while keeping the left foot firmly on the ground.
  5. Then, with your knee bent at 90-degrees, bring your right leg in front of your chest. This completes one rep.
  6. Perform 10 reps on each leg.

Front and Back Lunges

The front and back lunges are one of the effective lower body and inner thigh exercises for women. It is also an inner thigh toning exercise. Because it can increase your heartbeat, it is a cardio and a strengthener in one. It can improve the flexibility of your hips and increase your balance stability. During the exercise, you have to keep your back straight and core engaged throughout the exercise.

How can I tone my inner thighs fast?

How to do front and back lunges?

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Roll your shoulders back, lift your chest.
  2. Take a huge step forward and slowly bend both of your knees down until your back knee is hovering above the ground. Your front knee should make a 90-degree angle to the ground. Breathe in as you lunge and keep your weight in the front heel.
  3. Breathe out and stand back up into the standing position.
  4. Take a huge step back with the same leg and bend both of your knees until your back knee is hovering above the ground. Make a 90-degree angle with your front knee. This finishes one rep.
  5. Perform 10 reps on each leg.

Inner Thigh Exercises for Women: Lateral Lunges with Reach

These lateral lunges with reach are the exercise to tighten the inner thigh loose skin. You can either do the whole 30 seconds rep while staying in the same position or you can stand back and continue with the next rep.

How do women tone inner thighs?

How to do lateral lunges with reach?

  1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart with your hands at sides.
  2. Roll your shoulders back, lift your chest, and keep your back straight.
  3. With your right hand, reach down toward your left foot while lowering the body until the left knee is bent 90-degrees.
  4. Immediately repeat the movement on the other side, too. Continue for up to 30 seconds while keeping your back straight and core engaged. This finishes one rep.
  5. Perform 10 reps.

Clamshells

If clamshells are one of your preferred inner thigh exercises for women, you can choose to do them with or without using a resistance band. However, performing this inner thigh exercise with the band will force you to engage your thigh muscles more. A resistance band is a convenient, lightweight, and effective option to fire up your inner thighs easily. Clamshell directly targets your inner thighs. And you can practice this even in your bed.

How do you build muscle on your inner thighs?

How to do clamshells?

  1. Lie on your right side after making sure to keep your head, hips, and heels are in one long plane.
  2. You can either keep your right forearm propped up or place your fingertips on the floor in front of you to stabilize your body. Then, bend your knees in front of you. If you are using a band, loop it over your knees. Rest your left hand on your hip.
  3. Now, squeeze your thigh muscles and lift your left knee up to your hip. Then, pause for a second or two. Remember to keep your feet glued together.
  4. If you are using a resistance band, work against it and press your left thigh out as wide as you can. Pause for a second or two.
  5. Then, slowly lower your back down to the starting position. This completes one rep.
  6. Perform 10 reps on both sides.

Inner Thigh Exercises for Women: Side-Lying Leg Lifts

If you are doing this inner thigh exercise right, you will burn your inner thigh muscles in the right way. It targets your inner thigh muscles, glutes, and hip flexors. If you want, you can loop a resistance band around your thighs for an added challenge(2). Make sure to keep your hips square throughout the exercise, especially when you lower your leg.

Side lying leg lifts

How to do side-lying leg lifts?

  1. Lie on your right side with your right forearm propped and your left hand on your waist. Make sure to keep your neck, hips, and legs in the same line.
  2. Squeeze your thigh muscles and lift your left leg at a 30-degree angle (or as high as you can) while keeping your hips square. Pause for a second or two. Remember to keep your core engaged.
  3. Then, slowly bring it down and lift it again before it touches your right leg. This completes one rep.
  4. Perform 10 reps on each side.

Dirty Dog With A Band

Among all the inner thigh exercises for women, this one targets your adductor, glues, lower abs, hamstrings, and shoulders.

How long does it take to tone inner thighs?

How to do the dirty dog with a band?

  1. Grab your resistance band and loop it just above your knees.
  2. Get down on all fours in a dog position while keeping your back in line with your neck. Make sure to keep your elbows right below your shoulders and knees right below your hips. Keep your core engaged and try not to bend your back.
  3. Lift your right knee off the floor and stretch it laterally up to your hip level, without extending your legs straight. Then, pause for a second or two.
  4. Bring your knee back down to the floor. This completes one rep.
  5. Perform these 10 reps with one leg and perform another 10 with the other leg.

Inner Thigh Raise

This will directly target your inner thighs and is one of the best inner thigh exercises for women to tone and slimmer down their loose skin. This exercise requires focus and control, so remember to keep your core and glutes engaged.

Does walking reduce inner thigh fat?

How to do inner thigh raise?

  1. Lie down on your right side with your head, hips, and heels in one long plane.
  2. Place your fingertips on the floor to stabilize your body.
  3. Now, bend your left leg over to your right leg. So, your left foot will be placed on the floor. You can keep it in front of or behind your right leg.
  4. While keeping your right leg straight, raise it two inches and lower back down. This completes one rep.
  5. Perform 10 reps on each side.

These are the best exercises for the inner thighs and buttocks. So, doing these effective exercises along with other strengthening and cardio exercises with healthy food habits, you can slimmer your inner thigh fat and tighten your inner thigh’s loose skin. So, keep some time for this and tone down your lower body at home!

  1. Nicole Blades. (2020). Nicole Blades. [Online] Available at:

    https://www.nicoleblades.com/bio
  2. NBC UNIVERSAL. (2020). 5 exercises that target and tone the inner thighs. [Online] Available at:

     https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/5-exercises-target-tone-inner-thighs-ncna1018386
Manal Yaha

Manal Yahya

Writer by day and reader by night. With a thoughtful lens, Manal authors in-depth blog posts on all things health and beauty. She tries to cover here basically anything a woman wants to know.

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