Affiliate links on our site may earn us commissions. Learn More.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy Policy.

arrow
Newsletter

Discover The Best Wellness Tips In Your Inbox

Subscribe to Health Reporter’s newsletter and get our health experts’ highlights and the latest news about healthy living.
The newsletters are spam-free and sent from our health experts and professionals.
sent

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter!
Home arrow Nutrition arrow Weight Management arrow How to Lose Inner Thigh Fat and Shape Your Legs

How to Lose Inner Thigh Fat and Shape Your Legs

HR_author_photo_Thalia
Written by Thalia Oosthuizen
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: April 7, 2023
9 min read 1285 Views 0 Comments
clock 9 eye 1285 comments 0

Inner thigh fat can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be a lifelong struggle. Here’s how to get rid of it.

how to lose inner thigh fat

We all have that one part of our body that we wish we could shape up and change to feel more confident. For a lot of women, it’s the inner thighs, specifically the stubborn body fat that tends to build up there.

If you’re struggling to lose weight in your inner thigh area, then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at how you can get rid of that stubborn fat between your legs and feel your most confident self.

How to Get Rid of Inner Thigh Fat

As with any kind of weight loss, the best way to lose thigh fat happens through a combination of a healthy diet and some regular exercise. Here are some surefire ways to lose fat in the inner thighs and feel more confident in your body.

#1 Adjust your diet

It’s no secret that there’s far more to losing body fat than just eating fewer calories in a day, though there certainly is some wisdom to this simplified approach. Using exercise to burn more calories than you consume in a day creates an imbalance of energy in your body, which means that you will need to tap into the excess fat in your body in order to have energy.

The balance here is quite delicate, and if you go too far into a caloric deficit, you can hinder your progress in reducing body fat as your metabolism begins to slow down. If you want to maintain a healthy metabolism that will help you lose weight, then try not to exceed a deficit of 500–1,000 calories daily.

Of course, diet is just one aspect of weight loss, and it’s certainly possible to increase your metabolism while burning body fat through exercise.

#2 Strength training

A lot of people, unfortunately, underestimate the powerful effect that strength training has on weight loss, especially when it comes to belly fat and inner thigh fat. 

The calorie burn that you experience from a single strength training session might be far lower than that of HIIT or cardio, but research has proven that having more muscle in your body can help you burn more calories, which means you can burn more fat.

Furthermore, while you might not experience a massive increase in your caloric deficit, weight training can set off a hormonal response that stimulates fat cells to break down – a process known as cellular crosstalk.

Essentially, when muscle fibers begin to break down during weight training, your body will begin using fat cells to rebuild those muscles, which causes you to lose fat from all parts of your body. Naturally, using your body’s fat storage as fuel will reduce fat and help you achieve slim inner thighs, in addition to other parts of your body.

#3 Low-intensity cardio

There’s really nothing like some good old cardio when it comes to getting rid of stubborn thigh fat, banana rolls, and belly fat. 

By combining consistent cardio with a strength-based interval exercise plan, and at least one rest day each week, you’ll be able to maintain a higher metabolic rate.

This means that your body will constantly be in a state where it is able to burn fat effectively, helping you get rid of that stubborn inner thigh fat. The great thing about cardio is that you are able to mix and match when it comes to your modality (running, swimming, biking, etc.), as well as the kind of cardio that you do to keep your body in shape and target the areas where you store fat.

#4 Pilates

Pilates can also be an excellent avenue for losing inner thigh fat. 

It is a full-body workout that helps you build your core strength, improve flexibility and balance, and keep those irritating aches and pains at bay. What’s more, Pilates can drastically change your overall body shape as you burn fat in the inner thigh area and surrounding areas.

There’s an all-too-common misconception that Pilates is boring or slow and that it’s not an effective way to shed those extra pounds. The truth is that it’s actually one of the best ways for you to burn fat in places like the inner thighs and comes with the added benefit of not leaving you totally fatigued after every session.

#5 Set realistic goals

If there’s only one thing that you absorb from this article, let it be our next point: set realistic goals.

It is so easy to become frustrated with ourselves when we notice that we aren’t making the progress we wish we were, but this is often the result of unrealistic expectations.

You can’t expect to lose 20 pounds in one week, nor can you expect all of your inner thigh fat to disappear after just one month of exercise. Any meaningful progress is going to take time, and you should allow yourself to be patient and let the results come naturally.

Turning to miracle cures also isn’t going to cut it either. There are so many phony diet pills on the market that promise instant results, but at the end of the day, the only thing that’s going to leave you feeling fulfilled and satisfied with your body is practicing mindfulness and being patient with your hard-earned progress.

#6 Drink enough water

This is another incredibly important point! Water is what gives our body life, and when we don’t have enough, we begin to function at less-than-optimal capacities. If you want to be able to shed as much inner thigh fat as possible, you will need to make sure you’re fueling your body with plenty of water.

This means drinking water before, during, and after any workouts you do, as well as throughout the day. Try to carry a bottle of water with you each day and finish it throughout the day. Doing so will make sure that all of your organs are well-hydrated, which promotes a healthier immune system and can even encourage healthier, clearer skin.

Fat Pouches on Inner Thighs – What’s the Cause?

For women, the stubborn fat that forms around their hips, inner thighs, and stomach can occur as a result of decreased estrogen levels due to perimenopause and menopause

As you grow older, your body redistributes your fat stores to your midsection, which causes what we know to be a muffin top.

However, inner thigh fat can also be caused by an unhealthy diet. When you are eating a diet that is packed with refined carbs, processed foods, and sugary drinks, you can cause stubborn inner thigh fat and fat on your hips, abdomen, and buttocks. These foods lead to insulin resistance, which causes increased fat storage and makes it difficult to lose fat.

Refined carbs, particularly sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, are the leading causes of stubborn inner thigh fat, and there is a very direct link between developing fat around the belly and eating these unhealthy foods. Be mindful of the sweet beverages you drink, including sodas, flavored coffees, and bottled iced tea. They can decrease your body’s ability to burn fat as well as your metabolic rate, which leads to stubborn inner thigh fat.

Best Inner Thigh Workout: 4 Exercises That Will Leave Your Legs on Fire

If you want to be able to get rid of inner thigh fat, then we recommend trying out the following exercises.

#1 Squats

Spending a good amount of time under tension in the proper squatting form is a surefire way to light up the muscles in your inner thighs and help you burn that stubborn inner thigh fat, so try not to underestimate the power of slowing things down in the gym.

To perform this exercise, you’ll want to stand with your feet about a shoulder-length apart, with your hands clasped in front of your chest. Push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Hold this for 30 seconds, and you’ll have performed a single rep.

Try to do up to 10 reps, then either give yourself a short rest or move on to one of the next moves.

#2 Lunges

This variation on lunges works wonders for getting rid of your inner thigh fat and activating all of the muscles in your leg area.

To do it, start with your arms at your sides. Step your right foot forward and lower yourself into a lunge. Then, shift your weight into your right leg and stand up, balancing on your right leg while bending your left knee.

Next, you will want to extend your left leg backward while your right knee bends slightly. Immediately swing your left leg forward into a lunge, and then repeat on the opposite side. Do this, and you’ll have completed one rep. Do about 4 sets of 8 reps, then move on to the next workout or give yourself some time to rest.

#3 Bridges

For this exercise, you’ll need to start by lying on a mat with your hands resting at your sides. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor below your knees. 

Tighten your buttocks and abdominal muscles by pushing your lower back to the ground. Lift your hips to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Then, squeeze your core and pull your stomach back toward your spine, holding this position for 30 seconds.

When you’re done, lower your hips to the starting position and repeat. 

#4 Back kicks

This final exercise is quite easy and is an incredible tool for burning inner thigh fat.

Start by standing up straight. Lift up your right leg so that your knee is in line with your hip, and so that you are balancing your body on your left leg. Keep a slight bend in your left knee to help you balance and reduce hamstring tension.

Then, reach your arms outward in front of you, at shoulder height. From this position, you will want to bow forward with your upper body, hinging at your hips and maintaining a straight back. As you bow forward, reach for the floor with the tips of your fingers, and kick behind you and upward with your right leg.

Repeat this motion for both legs about 10 times, then give yourself some breathing room.

Why Is Inner Thigh Fat Hard to Lose?

Unfortunately, it’s just not possible to target one singular area of your body for weight loss. If you want to achieve slimmer legs, you are likely going to have to lose weight throughout your body before the fat stored in your hips, thighs, or calves begins to melt away. 

What’s more, as a woman, around 10% of the total weight in your body is made up of essential fat, which is aptly named for the fact that your body needs this fat in order to stay functional. This fat can be located anywhere in your body, even in the places where you’d least want it to be. 

So, if you have been exercising diligently and eating healthily, and you are noting results throughout your body but not in your legs, then you just might not be able to shed all of the unwanted weight in your thighs. 

A Word From a Personal Trainer

I know how frustrating it can be to constantly have to deal with stubborn inner thigh fat. It’s one of the most difficult areas of the body to target when it comes to weight loss, and it’s completely normal for women to feel like they just aren’t making progress.

Inner thigh fat can be caused by a lot of reasons, from a simple unhealthy diet to something completely out of your control, like menopause. Just remember that, with a little determination, you’ll be able to shed that inner thigh fat and feel as confident as ever in your own skin.

Even if you aren’t able to shape your legs, it’s important to remember that a little inner thigh fat is not the end of the world, and you don’t have to have stick-thin legs in order to be beautiful. Societal beauty standards are fickle as anything, and trying to keep up with them is just going to exhaust you.

Conclusion

If you are struggling with a buildup of fat in your inner thighs, don’t worry – you are not alone. 

Millions of women around the world claim that this is one of their biggest insecurities, but getting rid of it and achieving your dream body is certainly not impossible. 

With some determination and consistency, you’ll be able to shape up those legs and get your body looking exactly the way you want it.

Written by Thalia Oosthuizen
Thalia has always wanted to be a writer, starting her first local newspaper at the age of 11. She also has enjoyed a passion for health and fitness since a young age, playing many sports through her schooling career, and still enjoys biking, running, and swimming today. She studied English Language at University for 3 years, developing a passion for spelling, grammar, and research. She now has over 10 years of experience writing, proofreading, and editing, and has paired this with her love for health and fitness by writing health content.
The article was fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Was this article helpful?
check
Thank you! We received Your feedback
HR_author_photo_Thalia
Written by Thalia Oosthuizen
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: April 7, 2023
9 min read 1285 Views 0 Comments
0 Comments

Leave a comment

checked
Thank you for your comment!
We will review it as soon as possible.
HealthReporter
Your Name
Missing required field
Your Comment
Missing required field

company-logo