How to Lose Upper Leg Weight

Losing weight in and toning the upper legs can be a serious challenge. Fat tends to accumulate on the hips and thighs in some people, resulting in the infamous pear shape. Women tend to gather weight in the upper legs and buttocks more than men do. The places where you tend to store fat are the places where you are going to have the hardest time losing fat, according to Tinajuanfitness.info. This upper leg fat is very stubborn and may be hard to get rid of for women, in particular, because it is thought to be related to a woman's reproductive hormones.

Instructions

1

Lift weights to firm and shape your legs. Do squats and lunges while holding 3- or 5-lb. hand weights. This will help define and tighten the muscles in your legs. Lifting weights enables the body to increase lean body mass, which helps you burn more calories and results in weight loss.

2

Engage in aerobic exercise to burn off the fat in your upper legs. This can include swimming, aerobics classes, jogging and walking. Aerobic workouts use your arms and legs, or the large muscles in your body, in a continuous and rhythmic method that lasts for 20 minutes or longer. Aerobic exercise helps you lose weight and tone and firm muscles all over your body.

3

Perform resistance training. Resistance training entails any exercise that makes your muscles contract against some type of external resistance, such as an exercise band. This resistance results in increased tone, mass, strength and endurance and will help you lose weight in the areas you are targeting. Put an exercise band around your right ankles. Side-lunge toward your right knee. Your right knee is bent but your left leg is straight. Feel the resistance on your legs as the band is stretched farther as you lunge deeper by bending your right leg more.

Sit on the floor and put an exercise band around your ankles. Support your body with your hands, on the floor, and lean back slightly. Spread your legs into a V. Feel the resistance and the pull as your legs spread apart.

4

Walk down stairs to tone your legs and burn fat in the upper leg area. Going down stairs increases the strength in your quadriceps, the large group of muscles on the front of your thighs, and also tones your hamstrings, the muscles on the back of your upper legs.