Overview
While you want to lose excess weight from your hips and thighs, it isn’t possible to spot reduce fat from one specific area of your body. To lose weight from your trouble areas, you must lose weight all over via aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercises burn fat and calories by boosting your heart rate to a moderate or vigorous rate. Once you lose weight, you’ll notice a reduction in your hips and thighs.
Swimming
Swimming helps you burn calories based on your movements. For instance, 30 minutes of the breaststroke can burn 400 calories. Using this same time frame, walking in deep pool water will burn 264 calories, while jogging in this depth will burn 340 calories. Swimming also provides a low-impact aerobic activity, making it an ideal choice if you’re pregnant, an older adult or suffer from injuries. Take a course for additional instruction.
Inline Skating
Inline skating is No. 1 on CNN Health’s list of fat-burning activities, burning 425 calories in 30 minutes. The burn comes from the side-to-side movement of your butt and thigh muscles, which demands more from your body than the back-and-forth motion of running. This activity also works your core, which helps you maintain your balance as you skate. Inline skating also provides a low-impact workout, placing less stress on your joints. Skate using a strong, steady pace. Wear a helmet, wrist guards and pads on your knees and elbows.
Walking and Running
Running for 30 minutes will burn about 374 calories. Such a burn occurs because running works your butt, thighs and legs — these muscles are the biggest fat- and calorie-burning muscles in your body. When running, swing your arms close to your sides and refrain from slouching. Hit the ground with the middle of your foot. Lift off the ground using your toes. Alternate between fast and slow paces or incorporate hills into your course to burn more calories. Take brisk walks if running places too much stress on your knees and other joints. Walking in short, quick steps while pumping your arms back and forth can burn 174 calories in 30 minutes.
Racquetball and Tennis
Play racquetball to burn calories while participating in healthy competition. With racquetball, you can burn about 400 calories in 30 minutes, thanks in large part to the game’s side-to-side movement. Racquetball works your butt and thigh muscles much like skating does. If racquetball isn’t your game, try its sister sport, tennis, which burns about 272 calories in a 30-minute period.
Step-ups
Make step-ups your go-to exercise for working your hip and thigh region. This workout targets your quadriceps, hamstrings and butt for a 400-calorie burn in 30 minutes. Stand in front of a low bench. Leading with your left foot, step up onto the bench, planting your foot entirely on its surface. Bring your right foot up beside your left. Lead with your right foot to step backward into the starting position. Lead with your right foot to perform the next repetition. Continue alternating your feet. Keep your back straight and your abs pulled in for the duration of the exercise — your form is more important than the bench’s height. Repeat as often as desired. Stop if you can’t perform the exercise using the proper form.
