Thunder thighs rubbing together as you walk or move about are uncomfortable and embarrassing. If jiggly thigh fat is preventing you from wearing certain jeans or a short skirt, you can ditch the fat and tone your thigh muscles with exercise. Until some of the weight is gone, your thighs may rub together during exercise, leading to sore, irritated skin from chafing. Engage in exercises that help you avoid chafing until you've lost enough jiggle to avoid inner thigh chafing.
Chafing Overview and Causes
While excess inner thigh flab can lead to chafing, it's not the only cause. Exercises that involve repetitive motion -- such as running -- can lead to chafing as the skin constantly rubs together. If you're not wearing exercise clothes that wick moisture away from your skin, the dampness can make chafing even worse. Chafed thighs are anything but pretty, and they don't feel very good either. Your thighs will be red, and the skin can be worn raw and painful.
Non-Chafing Exercise to Lose Fat
There are other forms of exercise you can do to lose weight without dealing with painful chafing. Swimming and water aerobics are excellent forms of cardio that can help you achieve your weight loss goal, get rid of the extra jiggle and avoid chafing on the inner thighs. Likewise, yoga is also an effective way to drop the flab without chafing. Although you're not likely to burn as many calories in an hour of yoga as you are with an hour of swimming, you'll still reap cardio benefits and lose fat.
Thigh-Toning Exercise
Regular strength training exercises will help you lose excess flab because, as you increase muscle mass, your body will burn calories more efficiently. Perform strength training exercises two to three times each week, for 20 minutes per session to tone your muscles and become a more efficient calorie-burning machine. To focus on your thighs and get them mini-skirt ready, do exercises such as squats, lunges, dumbbell step-ups and lateral shuffles. When you strength train, you can use dumbbells or kettlebells for an extra challenge or use your own bodyweight.
Dealing with Chafed Thighs
If you're dealing with painful chafed thighs, know that they will get better and the discomfort will go away. Cover the irritated skin areas with petroleum jelly or use an ointment that contains vitamins A and D to help heal the skin. Apply a cold compress a few times per day for relief, but always allow your skin to dry thoroughly afterwards. Until your skin is healed, you'll be more comfortable wearing loose-fitting clothes that don't aggravate the chafed areas.
References
- Men's Fitness: Stitches, Cramps and Other Runners' Banes
- Shape Magazine: Cures for Chafing
- RunCoach.com: Ask the Practitioner -- Chafing
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Swimming/Recreational Water
- Yoga Journal: Weight Matters
- MayoClinic.com: Strength Training -- Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier
- American Council on Exercise: Upper Leg Exercises
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Chafing
Writer Bio
Mary Ylisela is a former teacher with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and mathematics. She has been a writer since 1996, specializing in business, fitness and education. Prior to teaching, Ylisela worked as a certified fitness instructor and a small-business owner.