by William Menna

Created on: September 09, 2007   Last Updated: October 21, 2009

In order to lose weight from the hips and thighs, the problem needs to be attacked on two fronts: exercise and diet. Many exercises are very effective at working the midsection and the legs including biking, swimming, squats, and other easy common workouts. Dedication is necessary as it is best to work out about five days per week and to follow a diet plan every day.

The most basic of exercises - walking - targets, among other areas, the hips and thighs. For the skeptics, put your hands on your hips and take a few steps; with each stride, you will be able to feel the muscles contracting. While walking at an average pace, the average person burns roughly four calories per minute, just about all of which comes from the lower body and midsection. For a faster working exercise, jogging and running use all the same muscles that are used while walking. However, keep in mind that running puts major stress on the knees.

There are exercises that provide similar benefits to those attained while running, but which avoid the pressure on the joints. Biking, both on regular bikes and stationary bikes, as well as elliptical machines are two such means. If you have access to a pool or beach, swimming is a great full body workout that is a very popular rehab activity because of the low stress it puts on the body while still providing a great workout. Swimming uses every muscle in the body, aiding both fat loss and muscle toning.

The simple squat is an effective and easy exercise you can do in your own home. They primarily target the hips, thighs, and calves. To perform a squat, start in a standing position and bend your body at the waist and knees until you are almost sitting on your ankles, then lift yourself back into a standing position. For more effective squats, hold weights at your shoulders while performing your repetitions. The more weight that you use, the more muscle you will gain; however, to focus on muscle toning and size reduction, use less weight so that you are able to perform more repetitions.

Another exercise that can be done at home, requires no equipment, and works the hips and thighs is called a wall slide. To perform a wall slide, stand up straight with your back against a flat wall. Slide your back down the wall as you walk your feet outward until you are bent to your desired levels at your waist and knees. To focus on muscle building, bend yourself into a sitting position. To focus on muscle toning, bend only about halfway to a sitting position.

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