Leg Scissor Exercises for Inner and Outer Thighs

Criss-Cross Kick

The criss-cross kick strengthens both adductors and abductors and helps to maintain forefoot, knee and hip alignment. Lie flat on your back. Extend and straighten your legs. Place your hands beneath your lower back. Suck in your abdominals and push your elbows into the floor. Lift your legs about 4 inches off the ground. Scissor your legs, crossing your left leg over right and vice versa. Count one criss-cross with both legs as a single rep and work up to 100 reps.

Wide Scissors

This exercise combines the cross-kicking action with stretching and resistance training. Lie on your back with your legs lifted at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Use a scissor movement to spread your legs as wide apart as possible. Press your adductors, or inner thighs, with your hands to extend the stretch. Hold the stretch for a second. Place your hands on your outer thighs to close your legs. Exert counter pressure to resist your legs' movement as they come together. Perform the exercise 15 times. At the end of the set, criss-cross your legs about 15 times. Relax your abdominals and bend your legs. Make a circle with your knees to loosen your legs. Repeat the entire set twice.

Use of Ankle Weights

Place 5 pound ankle weights around your ankles to increase the load of the exercise. Lie on your right side. Straighten your legs so your hips, knees and feet are aligned in a stack. Support your head with your right arm. Lift your legs off the floor and scissor them forward and back. Perform three sets of 25 to 30 reps. After you finish the set, hold the scissors position. Make sure your inner thighs touch each other. Lower and lift your legs in this position. Use your abdominals to stabilize your body. Perform 25 to 30 small leg lifts.

A Balanced Workout

The inner thigh muscles attach from the pelvis to different areas of the thigh bone and run all the way down to the knee. They have a powerful ability to generate force. In contrast, the outer thigh muscles consist primarily of connective tissue that attaches to the knee. They tend to be weak. If you focus on strengthening the inner thighs without equally building the outer thighs, an imbalance occurs. As a result, the inner thigh muscles may shorten and become prone to strains and tears.