5 Ways to Get Ballerina Legs

We've talked about working those legs out many times before!

From how to get a thigh gap, to special yoga moves that target your legs, and also at-home exercises to tone both your butt AND your legs!  

Well today we're at it again... this time, we're paying special attention to your inner thighs!

The trick to working your inner thighs is activation and rotation!

You may not realize it, but when you are exercising, you are likely not getting the most from your inner thighs, because they are not switched on and are simply passively being moved while you exercise. 

Activating your inner thighs requires you to engage your quads, straighten your legs, and keep active muscles through the legs during the entire exercise. 

Rotating your thighs outward also causes your thighs to work harder, as this activates your adductor muscles, the main muscles within your inner thighs. 

If you want to improve your thighs and strengthen your legs, here are 5 at home exercises you can do to help you out:

Clam

A great exercise for both your glutes and inner thighs, lie on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and stacked on top of one another.  Leaving your heels touching each other and your bottom leg on the floor, activate through your thighs and glutes and lift the top leg up like you are opening a clamshell.  Your leg, knee and toes will come up, while your heels stay touching.  Repeat 12-15 times, do 12-15 pulses and then repeat on the other side.

1^st position

You don’t have to be into ballet or dancing to do this popular ballet position, but if you’re not used to it, you will certainly feel it work your inner thighs!  Also, used in Barre, simply place your heels together and turn your feet out to form a V.  Bend slightly at the knees and rotate you thighs out so that your knees are tracking over your toes.  Activate through the thighs, glutes and pull up your kneecaps.  Hold the position, or bend and straighten your legs several times and feel the burn!

Side plank with lift

Coming onto your side, stack your legs on top of one another and place your arm under your shoulder blade, pulling yourself up.  Now lift and lower the top leg, maintaining balance on your side using your core, glutes and arm.  As you lift your upper leg up, activate through the glutes and inner thighs to work the muscles.  You will also have to use your inner thighs in your stabilizing leg to stop you from falling.  Come down and repeat on the other side.

Bridge pose

Popular in yoga, when done right, bridge pose works the inner thighs of both legs simultaneously.  With your fee planted on the floor, knees bent at a 90 degree angle, gently lift your glutes, sacrum, lower and upper back off the floor, peeling off your shoulder blades, so just your head and neck remain touching the floor.  Squeeze your inner thighs, glutes and calves together as you seek to hold yourself up with a straight back, making sure your hips or buttocks don’t sink down to the floor.  Holding this position requires strong glutes and inner thighs.  If you want an extra challenge, maintain the position, but lift one leg off the floor, outstretching, and pointing your toe.

Sumo squat

Whether you call it a wide squat, sumo squat, or in the case of barre, second position, the outward rotation of the thighs makes them work hard and burn even more.  Taking a wide stance, toes and feet turned outward, maintain a straight back and bend through your knees, as if you were coming down into a chair.  Activate through the glutes, track your knees over your toes and engage your inner thighs as you pulse in this position or move up and down.  Keep your core switched on and you’ll feel the movement in all your muscles!

By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Viand Nutrition & Facebook)