The thighs: little anatomical reminder
- The thighs are made up of the following muscles:
- The quadriceps (front side of the thigh);
- The hamstring (back side of the thigh);
- The adductor (inner side of the thigh);
- The abductor (outer side of the thigh).
Why am I taking thighs?
An unbalanced diet:
If you eat too much fatty and sugary foods , your body will gradually store fat reserves .
To slim down thighs, it is therefore necessary to have a balanced and varied diet . It is important not to skip meals. Also be sure to eat foods rich in fiber (cereals, vegetables, fruits ...), in proteins of plants and animals (white meat, eggs, lentils ...) and essential fatty acids (fatty fish like salmon, oil coconut or hazelnut, almonds, walnuts ...), all in quantities determined according to your daily needs and your physical activity .
Avoid as much as possible of alcohol , sugary drinks such as sodas or industrial orange juice, pastries , confectionery or processed products .
The plan too strict should be avoided , since they are not good for health and even less for the line! And there is a risk of quickly regaining pounds as soon as the diet is stopped.
Lack of physical activity
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of fat formation on the thighs . It is recommended to move at least 30 minutes a day by practicing a moderate to intense activity ( brisk walking , cycling ...). If you decide to get back to sport, know that " consistency is very important to obtain results."
Cellulite
The Cellulite forms when fat storage in adipocytes (fat cells) becomes too high. The adipose cells then become larger, more numerous, they suffocate the fibers and the skin tissues , which causes the famous "orange peel" appearance.
Water retention
The water retention occurs when the body stores a quantity of excessive water and do not removed sufficiently .
The main culprit in water retention is excessive salt intake . Indeed, it attracts water in the tissues and retains it. As a reminder, only 4 to 6 grams of sodium per person per day are necessary.
Slimming thighs: the solutions
Sports to focus on
The sports to be preferred are primarily those which allow you to lose weight . Indeed, we cannot lose fat only on one part of the body. Weight loss is done as a whole. It is therefore necessary to favor cardio activities ( swimming for example) by coupling them with weight training exercises to give the thighs a curved appearance .
Photo by Li Sun from Pexels
Slimming thighs: the solutions
Sports to focus on
The sports to be preferred are primarily those which allow you to lose weight . Indeed, we cannot lose fat only on one part of the body. Weight loss is done as a whole. It is therefore necessary to favor cardio activities ( swimming for example) by coupling them with weight training exercises to give the thighs a curved appearance .Photo by Li Sun from Pexels
Endurance activity is generally recommended to lose fat in the legs and thighs.
Walking will promote blood circulation and the elimination of fat;
The runners can lose weight quickly. Small tip: running slowly but over time will be more effective than running fast but for a short time. Alternating between walking and running is a very good technique so that the physical effort seems less intense;
Cycling directly calls on the muscles of the legs, promoting the loss of centimeters in the thighs and buttocks;
The skipping rope will be a good way to burn calories and firm the thighs (to be avoided, however, if you tend to suffer from venous insufficiency, or even urinary leaks);
The aerobics will help to strengthen the thighs, through the action of water that will tone the body.
{A word of advice: for jumping rope, or running ... use good shoes that absorb shocks, and do this physical activity on a not too hard ground.}
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
To have a better chance of losing thighs, you must follow regular physical activity, ideally 3 times a week. The fat will then gradually decrease, and the muscles will develop.
Sports to avoid
There aren't really any sports to avoid when you want to slim your thighs. On the other hand, be careful when you practice certain activities which require a lot of the lower body not to "abuse" them, under penalty of taking thighs instead of losing them.
The exercises to do to lose weight thighs
All these exercises make it possible to lose thighs, provided they are carried out without putting too much of a load (which would cause muscle hypertrophy and therefore an increase in their volume) and to associate them with cardio sessions .
The squat
The squat is considered one of the best exercises for the thighs . It stimulates the entire lower body, but also the upper limbs. It can be done with equipment (bar / dumbbells) or bodyweight.
Other options: go down in a squat position by placing a Swiss ball between your back, always straight, and a wall .
Slits
Lunges are excellent movements to do in addition to the squat since they tone all the thighs and improve their curve . Just like the squat, you can perform lunges at bodyweight, with a barbell, or with dumbbells. They can be done in a static position or while walking.
Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the most complete exercises in bodybuilding , it works in particular the back of the thighs (hamstrings). It is possible to do it using a bar or dumbbells.
The leg-extension;
This exercise performed on a guided machine works the front of the thighs (quadriceps). It is a very good option for those who want to start in bodybuilding.
The Thigh Press
The inclined thigh press allows you to lift fairly large loads without putting too much strain on the back . It has the advantage of working almost all the muscles of the thighs . Be careful, depending on how you position your feet on the platform, the muscles used will not be the same :
- Parallel feet placed on the top: solicitation of the muscles at the back of the thighs (hamstrings);
- Parallel feet placed on the bottom: solicitation of the muscles in the front of the thighs (quadriceps);
- Feet apart, pointed outwards: solicitation of the muscles inside the thighs (adductors);
- Feet tightened in the middle: solicitation of the muscles in the front of the thighs (quadriceps).
The prone leg curl
This guided machine helps tone and build the back of the thighs (hamstrings).
Adductor and abductor machines / low pulley
Guided machines are good tools for working the adductors (inner thighs) and abductors (outer thighs) when you are a beginner. They help to redraw the thighs and tone them .
The low pulley work is rather reserved for more experienced people because it requires to be well positioned and to have bases in bodybuilding .
Reminder: before you start weight training, ask for the help of a qualified coach to supervise you and teach you to do correct movements .
Losing thighs: the help of aesthetic medicine
In women, the thighs are a storage area for fatty tissue. Cosmetic medicine and surgery offer techniques to act on this fat, by losing inches around the thighs.
These two disciplines allow a definitive elimination of a certain number of adipocytes (cells which store fat). The proposed techniques are called "bodycontouring or bodyshaping" allowing to redraw the silhouette of the thighs.
Cryolipolysis, the most common technique today
Cryolipolysis is today the technique most often proposed in aesthetic medicine to eliminate part of the fat located on the thighs.
How it works ?
The principle: during a session of about an hour, the fat cells are strongly cooled (temperature below -10 ° C) using a device.
Usually only one session of cryolipolysis is needed to get results. Approximately 30% reduction in the volume of the treated area is achieved, with more than 2 cm per thigh, with results being evaluated after 3 to 4 months.
The side effects
The side effects and complications are relatively low. A small pain may persist for 7 to 10 days after the cryolipolysis session, a small edema may appear, and in rare cases, hematomas.
There is also a fairly frequent decrease in the sensitivity of the treated area for 2 to 3 weeks (which is quite normal). It is important, after cryolipolysis, to avoid sport for 5 days.
After the session
After the session, no sick leave, no panties, you can return to work immediately.
This intervention can be supplemented by other treatments, such as endermology sessions (manipulation of the skin and fat, massages against cellulite).
Warning: it should be noted that cryolipolysis is a technique that does not fight against cellulite itself, but on the fatty cells located deep in the thighs.
The price: It takes around $1,442.17 USA or 1,200 Euros per session, not reimbursed by health insurance.
What about cosmetic surgery?
In cosmetic surgery, today proposed the liposuction called soft which is to go for the fat in areas where it locates, introducing a very fine cannula through a small hole that will suck the fat with a pump.
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
Classic liposuction and gentle liposuction: what's the difference?
Unlike conventional liposuction, gentle liposuction is performed under local anesthesia, and the cannula used to suck the fat will be much smaller; the incision points are thinner and the risks of wave effects greatly reduced. Gentle liposuction is therefore a solution that does little to affect the quality of the skin.
The suction will be softer and will treat areas where the fat is in small amounts. For large fatty overloads, the surgeon generally offers classic liposuction.
The result
After the intervention, we would obtain a reduction of 35% of volume on the treated area. You have to wait 2 to 3 months to be able to judge the results.
The risks and drawbacks to be expected
As with any intervention of this kind, liposuction involves some risk and can cause certain undesirable effects: skin scars at the level of the cannula insertions (which disappear most of the time), hematomas or edema, pain that can remain 10 to 15 days, a light local anesthesia, wearing a panty for about 3 weeks, a work stoppage for a few days.
What are the risks of phlebitis? The risk is mainly related to immobilization in connection with the intervention, studies do not show that there is no more increase in phlebitis after liposuction compared to any other operation.
And after the intervention?
It is also advisable to pay attention to the diet too salty to avoid having too much water retention.
Wearing a panty is necessary for 3 weeks after the operation.
Please note: this procedure is not a treatment for cellulite.
The price of a gentle liposuction: around $2,400 USA 2,000 Euros for the inner thighs. This intervention is not reimbursed by health insurance.
A consultation with an anesthesiologist mandatory before the operation (pre-anesthesia consultation).
That's it. I hope this information was helpful.
