3 thigh-toning exercises

Outer thigh expansion is the sneaky culprit behind many wardrobe woes for women. This problem area, also referred to as saddlebags, causes unsightly creases in pants, makes skirts bunch up and leaves you looking frumpy when you try to disguise the area with longer shirts and flowing skirts.

Why it's hard to lose that thigh fat
There's good news and bad news in the battle of this bulge. The bad news is it can be difficult to lose weight in the thigh area. Your body is smart and first fights the fat closest to your heart and lungs for protection. That's why when you lose weight, you may go down a bra size before dropping pant sizes. But don't get discouraged -- keep going and you'll see great results!

Eat well, do the right exercise and get slimmer thighs
Here's the good news: You can tighten and tone your thighs with the right exercises and some smart training. You cannot spot-train an area, but with regular aerobic exercise and good nutrition, you can build lean muscle and boost your metabolism. Then, when the fat dissolves and you strengthen your muscles with thigh-sculpting exercises, you can say goodbye to wardrobe woes and show off those toned, tight areas.

3 exercises to try

1. Band walk
• Lay a strong, flexible band horizontally in front of your feet. Hold the ends and stand on the band so it's directly under the arches of your feet. Keep your feet about one foot apart.

• Bring your hands onto your waist, if the tension band allows. If not, bring your hands as close to your waist as possible. Keep your abdominals tight and your shoulders back and down so shoulder blades lie flat against your back and your chest is open. Relax your shoulders and extend your neck so your ears aren't scrunched against your shoulders.

• With torso and feet pointing forward, take a large step to one side so the band pulls to its maximum resistance. Then move your other foot to about a foot away from your leading leg. Keep tension on the band when you bring the other leg in.

• Take about 20 steps one way and then switch leading legs and go in the other direction.

• To finish, stand still and slightly bend the knee of one leg as you press to the side with the other leg for eight repetitions and a little pulse of four and hold the leg out at the end. Repeat with the other side.

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