Either because you have the archetypal pear shaped body or you are getting on a bit in years and find that various parts of your body are losing the battle with gravity, or for any of a hundred reasons, many of us seek to have a firmer butt and leaner legs.
So what fitness toning workouts will help to achieve the best rear end possible, and firmly banish the term thunder thighs from your lexicon?
A number of fitness toning exercises that work for the legs can often also work for the butt as well; here is what will work to give you a firmer butt and leaner, more toned legs.
Squats and Lunges
These are excellent fitness toning exercises for the legs as well as the glutes (butt). A squat can be performed using a chair or without it and with the knees shoulder-width apart.
Perform the exercise slowly and deliberately to get the muscles to work their hardest.
This exercise makes you use the leg and the butt muscles very effectively which is why it is excellent for fitness toning of the lower body. Lunges are another great exercise that uses the leg and butt muscles.
You can add variation to the regular lunge by also doing the reverse lunge (you step back rather than forward as in the regular lunge) to help engage more muscles in the fitness toning process.
Using the exercise ball for fitness toning the legs and glutes
The exercise ball can be used in different ways for fitness toning the legs and butt. One effective move has you lying down on the ball resting on the hips and abs – extending the arms forward, clutch on to something to steady yourself and then extending the legs up and off the floor. This should make you feel the tension in the leg and butt muscles so that you know you are working those muscles for fitness toning them.
Step ups using a stepper, bench or any raised surface
You can also use regular stairs for this fitness toning exercise or an aerobic stepper or exercise bench. Even regular climbing of stairs at a fair clip, is a great workout for the butt and legs so whenever possible skip the elevator and the escalator and take the stairs instead.
Leg Extensions
Leg extensions that involve raising the leg while in a standing position, to the extent that they are about parallel to the ground, can be done in both directions; forward as well as towards the back. Leg extensions are also excellent fitness toning exercises for the butt and the legs.
Leg raises
These fitness toning exercises are performed by lying flat on the ground, and raising one and then the other leg or both legs together as well. You will feel the clenching of the glutes and the leg muscles as you perform this maneuver. Be sure not to swing your legs up but perform the movements deliberately and consciously for best results.
