There’s no doubt that our legs are very important to us - if they aren’t strong enough to carry us from one place to another, we’ll find it very difficult to function in our daily lives. So the question is how can we ensure that they continue to function properly and that our leg muscles will work properly for years to come. The solution, of course, is continuous exercise, which requires a separate movement of each leg, so that each of them will support the body's weight for short but strenuous moments, and thus the many muscles in them will become stronger. The following exercises that we’ve listed below can help you develop and strengthen your leg muscles in this way, and they are also very effective for shaping and sculpting the lower body as a whole.
This simple but effective exercise is usually performed by athletes and runners to improve the agility, explosive power and flexibility of the upper body. However, it is not complicated at all, and thanks to the energy you exert while doing it, you can increase your heart rate and strengthen the overall flexibility of your body.
A. Stand upright with your legs apart at waist width. Raise your hands above your head and keep your arm close to your ears.
B. Strain your core muscles and use your abdominal muscles to bend and then lower one knee at a time, just as if you were running in place.
C. Bring your knees thigh high so that your calved are perpendicular to the ground and try not to lean back when you do.
D. Stabilize yourself on the floor with your foot, and switch legs as fast as you can.
E. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times, with a 5-second pause between reps.
The following exercise will allow you to simultaneously work out both the upper and lower parts of the body, thus strengthening both. In addition to this advantage, the bear crawl provides significant neurological benefits by helping to link the two sides of the brain to allow coordination between your legs and hands.
A. Start the exercise on all fours, your head under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, bent at a 90-degree angle.
B. Fold your toes and lift your knees about 5 cm above the ground.
C. Push your body up with your hands and keep your shoulders away from your ears.
D. Keep your core tight and move your right arm and right leg toward your right – take about 5 steps this way. Then, do the same thing with your left leg and left arm - but this time move to the left side.
E. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times, with a 5-second pause between reps.
The Pistol Squat is a great exercise with a number of advantages: It can help you reduce the imbalance between the two sides of the body, help you build solid, strong legs without even having to go to the gym, and combines strength training, balance and movement - all in one exercise. All you need for this exercise is a chair that you will aid you in your first few times trying the exercise.
A. Start the exercise by standing in front of a chair with your back facing it and your legs hip-width apart.
B. Move your weight to your right leg and stretch your left foot forward.
C. Tense up your core muscles, keep your chest up, and slide your hips back and down toward the chair.
D. Touch the chair with your buttocks, then press your right heel to rise back to the standing position.
E. Repeat the exercise again, only this time lift your right leg, placing your weight on your left leg.
F. Repeat the exercise approximately 2-3 times while switching legs and with a 5-second pause between reps.
A shoulder tap is an exercise that allows you to focus on your arms and chest as you work on your core muscles, and also strengthen your posture and balance. This is a great exercise because, on the one hand, it’s not too intense, but on the other hand, it combines essential elements from balance training.
A. Start by laying in the initial pushup position - with your wrists are under your shoulders, your palms spread out on a mat or on the floor and your legs slightly spread hip-width apart. Tighten your core and buttocks to maintain posture.
B. Lift your left hand off the floor, lightly tap your right should and put it back on the floor or mattress. Resist the urge to let the hips turn or sink down-be sure to hold them off the ground.
C. Now tap your left shoulder with your right hand, and continue to switch between your hands about 2-3 times with 5 seconds between each rep.
The side lunge is an excellent exercise because it works on your butt muscles, which work as stabilizing muscles that are especially important for the entire waist belt, and we usually do not appreciate them enough and need to exercise them more. Also, moving the body to both sides helps to work out our quads.
A. Stand with your legs slightly apart at hip width.
B. Take a big step to your right side with your right foot, placing your weight on your thighs and sending your buttocks back.
C. Bend your right knee and leave your left leg straight. Tilt your entire weight to the right, while you continue to bend your knee and keep your chest upright.
D. Push your right leg up and back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 2-3 more times, alternating legs and taking about 5 seconds between legs.
Bridge pose is a classic and basic exercise that is especially good for shaping the pelvis and buttocks. Doing this exercise activates the entire back side e of your body, especially your buttocks and knee ligaments. It's a simple exercise you can do anywhere, and it doesn’t matter how fit you are.
A. Lie face up, your knees bent, your legs just slightly wider than your waistline.
B. Press the ground with your heels to lift your waist slightly above the floor. tense the muscles of your buttocks and hold the core muscles tight while your lower body hangs in the air.
C. Lower the body slowly back downwards, creating resistance to movement. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times with a 5-second pause between reps.
Squat thrusts have many benefits for your body: they strengthen metabolism, increase heart rate, help lose weight, and train the core muscles. Above all, of course, they activate the lower part of your body and your lower belt muscles...
A. Start standing, then bend your body down and put your hands on the floor.
B. Jump your feet back and place yourself in a pushup position, shoulders above your wrists and core muscles tightened inwards.
C. Jump your legs forward to the bent position and return to standing straight and upright. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times, with a 5-second pause between reps.
There is no need to elaborate on the advantages of the line jump, what’s important to say is that while it is a very simple exercise, it can increase the agility of the body and legs and work out most of the lower body muscles. For this jumping exercise there is no need for a rope or chair, rather all you need are your imagination and body.
A. Imagine a line in the middle of the room your standing in.
B. Place your legs together and start jumping from side to side, as fast as possible, over the imaginary line you’ve drawn yourself.
C. Gently land on your feet on each jump, and continue the exercise approximately 2-3 times with 5 seconds of intervals between reps.
This squat exercise not only challenges your posture and balance and improves it - which certainly strengthens the core muscles - but also serves as a great exercise for strenuous leg training that involves the quadriceps, the calf muscles, the hamstrings and the buttocks, bringing out the best in each. For the exercise, you will need a chair which will help you maintain your posture.
A. Start the exercise by standing about 70 centimeters in front of the chair with your back toward it.
B. Tilt your left foot back and place your toes on top of the chair.
C. With your back straight and the core muscles drawn in, bend your right knee and lower your body until your right thigh is perpendicular to the floor and the right leg creates a vertical line with your back.
D. Press your right heel, contract your butt muscles, and return to the starting position of the exercise. Repeat the exercise 2-3 more times as you change legs with a 5-second pause between reps.
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