Leg Exercise Workout
What Are the Leg Muscles?
The thighs and legs include some of the biggest
and strongest muscles in the body. These include (1) The front thigh muscles
- the Quadriceps or Quads (2) The back thigh muscles - Hamstrings (3)
the inner thigh muscles - the Adductors (4) the outer thigh muscles -
Abductors (5) the calf muscles - the Gastrocnemius.
Benefits of Leg Exercises
Leg muscles support body weight when doing
most activities, like walking, running and jogging. Building the leg muscles
will strengthen the body and build endurance. Because the leg muscles
are the largest in the body, building these muscles raises the metabolism.
A raised metabolism means the body burns more calories even when resting
and so benefits weight loss.
What Leg Exercises Are Best?
All aerobic exercises improve leg muscles.
Aerobic activities like walking, running, jogging, skiing, tennis, football
and most ball games build and tone leg muscles. Exercises like lunges,
squats and leg extensions target specific muscles and should be included
as part of an overall exercise workout.
Regular use of exercise machines like Treadmills,
Elliptical Trainer,
Crosstrainer, Stationary
Bike, Recumbent Bikes
and Steppers are useful for
building up leg muscles.
How Often Should I Exercise My Legs?
Normal daily activity requires the use of
leg muscles. Unless you are very active, 3-4 overall body workouts each
week is sufficient and about 15 minutes per session doing specific leg
exercises.
Benefits of Crosstraining and Circuit Training
To avoid over-straining or pulling muscles
in the thighs and calf, include some cross-training or circuit training
in your exercise program.
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About Exercise and Fitness Programs
Calorie Intake
For information about the calorie content
of popular food and drinks, please visit: Calories
in Food
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