Top 10 Fat Burning Leg Exercises

Beautiful, shapely legs – definitely on your wish list, right? But there’s another reason why you should aspire for healthy legs. Your knees are one of the first body parts to get affected as you grow older. Having strong legs is necessary to maintain your mobility in old age. So, shapely legs today, healthy legs tomorrow – a win, win situation if you ask me! Here are 10 leg exercises to burn fat that you can do to ensure your legs stay strong and supple even as you age.

How To Lose Leg Fat Fast?

Here are the best leg exercises that help in losing the excess fat deposited in the legs. Learn the top 10 leg exercises to burn fat:

1. Squats:

There are various squat exercises out there, but you need to include this basic one. This is the best exercise to lose leg weight that will also give you a good back rub!

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms by your side.
• Push back your buttocks and bend your knees by lowering yourself into a sitting position, as far as you can comfortably go.
• Extend both arms forward at shoulder height.
• Make sure that your knees are not beyond your toes. Come back to standing position with arms down – this is one squat.
• Do 2-3 sets with 12 squats each. Hold each squat for about 10 seconds. 

2. Lunges:

• Stand with feet hip width apart and arms by your side.
• Take a big step forward with your left foot, planting it on the floor, and bending your left knee.
• Bend your right knee so that your right foot is resting on its toes.
• Bring your arms forward to shoulder height, palms facing inwards.
• Come back to standing position and repeat on the other side.
• Ensure that your knees are not bent beyond your toes, and there is a right angle at both knees.
• Do 2-3 sets of 12-16 lunges, counting both sides. 

3. Mountain Climber:

• Get into a pushup position where your body is face down, supported on your toes and palms. Keep a straight line from head to heels and from shoulder to wrist, abs tucked in.
• Bring your right foot forward so that your right knee is moving towards your left shoulder.
• Go back to push up position and repeat with the other leg.
• Do 10-12 reps.

4. Jumping Jacks:

• Stand with feet hip width apart and arms by your side.
• Jump up, extending feet to the side and arms overhead.
• Before landing, bring feet and arms to starting position.
• This is one jump. Do 2-3 sets of 10 each.

5. Deadlifts:

• Stand with feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing outward, arms by your side with the handles of the dumbbells in your hands.
• Bend your knees, pushing your hips to the back and lowering your dumbbells till they almost touch the floor..
• Don’t slouch, but don’t lose the natural curve in your back either, keep your chest lifted and your knees behind your toes throughout.
• Go back to starting position and repeat. Do 10-20 deadlifts. 

6. Lateral Side Jumps:

• Place a jump rope in a line on the floor. Use something like a stool, to make it tougher.
• Stand with both feet together on one side of the rope, arms by your side.
• Jump, lifting the foot closer to the rope over the rope and land with both feet on the other side of the rope.
• Repeat in the opposite direction with the other foot.

7. Step Jog:

• Place an exercise step on the floor and adjust it to the required height.
• Stand behind the step, and lift your foot and place it on the step.
• Lift your other foot and place it on the step, immediately following with taking the first foot down.
• Continue stepping up and down the step faster, so that you are jogging with every alternate step on the exercise step and the other on the floor. 

8. Basic Jump Rope:

• Stand with feet hip width apart, the handles of the jump rope in your hands and the rope behind your legs.
• Jump 1-2 inches off the floor, letting the rope just slide through under your feet. Ensure that only balls of your feet touch the floor.
• Keep elbows close to your side as you swing the rope, making the circular movement with your wrists.

9. Side Leg Raises:

• Lie on your left side, left elbow bent, left hand supporting your head. Ensure that your right leg is stacked on top of your left.
• Place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Keep legs straight.
• Keep your upper body steady, as you raise your right leg from the hip, as high as you can. Hold for a few seconds and then release to starting position.
• Do alternate sets of about 10-20 reps.

10. Speed Walking:

• Get proper supportive shoes meant for walking and a solid, non slip walking surface.
• Stand tall with shoulders back and down, back straight and chest slightly lifted.
• Bend arms at 90 degrees and swing them in opposition to your feet.
• Keep fists loose, as if you’re holding an egg in either hand.
• Strike the ground heel first, then shift the pressure to the balls of the feet and push off with the toes.
• Start slow but increase speed till you are slightly breathless but still able to talk.
• Keep head, neck and hips level to avoid injury.

There are so many ways to get the legs of your dreams and all of them require little or no equipment at all. Proof that you don’t need fancy equipment to burn fat – all that you need is some time and focus!

Now that you are aware of how to lose leg fat fast , try these exercises and invest in your future! What exercises do you do for healthier legs? Share with us in the comments section below.

Was this article helpful?

Author

Shirin MehdiHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Shirin is a health and wellness writer with three years of experience and specializes in writing articles on yoga and has extensive knowledge about the postures of the asanas. Prior to joining Stylecraze, she interned with an advertising firm as a copywriter and as an editorial intern for a luxury fashion magazine.

Read full bio of Shirin Mehdi