Monday the leg day! Make your thighs strong as steel with these simple exercises

Our legs are the pillars that support our body and it’s easy them for granted. We use them every day and assume the walking or running we get in are sufficient to stay in shape. But to improve the tone of your leg muscles, you need to incorporate more focused exercises in your routine. Before we take you through the basics, let’s start by identifying the most important muscle group in the thigh area. The quads are a large muscle group that from the front of your thighs and include four muscle group that from the front of your thighs and include four muscles, namely recuts femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis And vastus intermedius. Hamstrings are found at the back, and the abductor muscles found on the inside of the thighs. Make sure you stretch and warm up before you jump into this workout.

SQUATS 
Target your hamstrings and quads, and tone your glutes too in the process. To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands  outstretched in front to help you balance. Now lower yourself, without bending your back, as if you were sitting on an imaginary chair. Your head and chest are likely to extend forward. Remember, your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your knees should bend at a 90 degree angle, without extending over your toes. Come back up to the starting position and do three sets of 10 reps each.

SIDE LYING LEG LIFTS 
All you need is a mat. Target your inner thighs with this exercise. Lie down on one side with your body forming a straight line. Extend your bottom arm for head and neck support, and place the top hand in front of your chest. Joining both legs together, lift the top leg off the floor as high as possible. Your hips should be stationary and toes should point forward. Hold the pose for two seconds and then lower the leg without touching the mat. Repeat the action and do two sets of 15 reps on each side.

LUNGES 
This exercise also targets the leg muscles, but the effect is more on the hamstrings due to the greater range of motion. Stand straight with your hands on your waist. Now move your knees age bent at a 90 degree angle. They should not extend beyond your ankle and knee of the back leg should not touch the floor. To avoid straining the knees, put your weight on your heels while returning to the staring position. Repeat the motion with the other leg. Do the sets of 10 lunges for each leg. 

ELLIPTICAL WORKOUTS 
If you hit the gym regularly, spend a little more time on the elliptical machine. Even though it is a cardio exercise, it’s great for toning the thighs. The motion does not put excess pressure on your joints, and you can go on your joints, and you can go on for good 20-30 minutes at a stretch. It is however, advisable that you consult your physical trainer once and start slow.