Wobbly inner thighs and saddlebags might make you want to lock your bikinis and shorts in your closet until you can get rid of the extra thigh fat. Running can be a valuable component of a diet and exercise plan that attacks unwanted thigh fat. But it won't solve your problem by itself. Even high-mileage runners can have excess thigh fat if they eat and drink more calories than they burn during their runs. Before you lace up your shoes for the first time, be sure to consult with your doctor.
Spot Reduction Myth
Unfortunately, no magic wand or exercise can make fat disappear from specific areas of the body. When you lose fat, you lose it from all over your body. Although your personal pattern of fat loss depends on several factors including age, hormone levels and genetics, many women have problems losing fat in the stomach, hips and thighs. Because you can't spot reduce your thighs, you'll have to reduce your overall level of body fat through healthy diet and exercise. Running can be a very valuable part of your exercise plan.
Cardio Exercise
Running, a type of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, improves the health of your heart and lungs and burns calories. By burning excess calories, you can reduce the amount of fat you have in your body, not just in your thighs. To lose weight or keep your weight at a healthy level, you should try to do at least 60 minutes of cardio on most days.
Toning Muscles
Adding some strength training to your workouts can tone your muscles and improve the appearance of your thighs. Because running strengthens primarily the muscles on the front and back of your thighs, you can focus your strength-training attention on your inner and outer thighs. To tone these problem areas, try side-lying leg lifts. Lift the top leg to target your outer thighs, and lift the bottom leg to target your inner thighs.
More Fat Loss
Losing fat boils down to using more calories than you consume. You can increase the calorie-burning potential of your running workouts by incorporating some high-intensity interval workouts or some long runs into your training program. The intervals increase the amount of calories you burn during and after the workout, while the long runs teach your body to become more efficient at burning fat for energy.
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Writer Bio
Kat Black is a professional writer currently completing her doctorate in musicology/ She has won several prestigious awards for her research, and has had extensive training in classical music and dance.