Health Female: Day 5: 7 Moves for Strong and Powerful Legs

Monday, October 18, 2021

Day 5: 7 Moves for Strong and Powerful Legs

You're more than halfway through the Verywell Fit 7-Day No Equipment Challenge! Today, on day 5, we'll focus on strengthening and toning you lower body, especially those legs you depend on to get you everywhere you need to go..

Let's get started!

Tara's Tip

“Did you know strong legs means a more powerful and explosive physical body? Your legs need to be healthy and strong to perform your best.” — Tara Laferrara, CPT, of the Verywell Fit Review Board

Warm-Up: Static Lunges

Lunges are a functional exercise that work almost every muscle in the lower body—the hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. In this version of lunges (also known as "static lunges"), you're simply dropping your knee down rather than stepping forward or back.

Get your lower body warmed up by doing 10 reps on each leg. Take a short rest, then do 2–3 more sets of 10 reps on each leg.

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Side Shuffles

The side shuffle is an agility exercise that targets the glutes, hips, thighs, and calves.

Do 20 reps shuffling right to left. Take a short rest, then do 1–2 more sets.

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Walking Lunges

Walking lunges also target all the major muscle groups of your lower body while simultaneously improving your balance and core strength. This movement involves taking wide forward steps, bending both knees, and lowering your back knee to the floor while keeping your torso upright and tall.

Do 10 reps leading with your right leg, then 10 reps leading with your left leg. Take a short rest, then do 2–3 more sets of 10 reps on each leg.

Tip: An advanced variation is the jump lunge.

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Wall Sit

The wall sit is a great quad burner. It is generally used for building isometric strength and endurance in the quadriceps, glutes, and calves.

Hold this position for 30 seconds, and work your way up to holding it for 1 minute.

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Bridge

The basic bridge isolates and strengthens your glutes and hamstrings. When done correctly, the move can also enhance core stability.

Lay down on the mat, and lift into your bridge pose. Squeeze your legs and butt and lift as high as you can, and hold it for 15 seconds. Relax, then repeat this two more times.

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Inner Thigh Lifts

The inner thigh lift targets the inner thigh muscles of the groin area that pull the thigh toward the midline of the body. If you set up for this exercise properly, you will feel it tone your inner thighs and work your abdominals as well.

Do 2–3 sets of 10 reps on each side.

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Cool Down: Standing Quad Stretch

The standing quad stretch is a classic move that simultaneously enables you to work on balance and stretch the muscles you just worked.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds on each leg.

Add this hamstring stretch to balance it out. Hold it for 20 seconds on each leg.