How To Lose Leg Fat: Exercises, Diets, And More

Medically reviewed by G. Liakeas, MD FACT CHECKED

While there are several strategies to lose belly fat, a common arena among people is also to lose leg fat. And if you have fat in your leg, you are certainly familiar with the discomfort.

It’s normal to have body fat, and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. Body fat is actually essential for your health because it stores energy, keeps you warm, and keeps your organs safe.

However, excessive body fat has often been connected to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and various other degenerative diseases.

It’s crucial to understand that fat distribution varies from person to person and is mostly determined by genetics if you wish to lose weight.

Women, for instance, usually have more body fat on their legs and hips than men. This implies that while weight loss may help some people trim their legs, it may not help everyone.

Nothing could be done to instantly reduce leg fat. Losing weight is a general process. Spot reduction is a myth since when you exercise and eat well, your body burns fat throughout.

However, there are some guidelines you may adhere to effectively tone your legs while losing your overall weight.

In this article, we will be looking at some ways to lose fat in your leg.

how to lose leg fat

Here are some ways to lose leg fat:

    1. Do Exercises

      Start By Doing Cardio

      Cardio is a superb strategy to shed fat from all parts of your body, including the legs. Exercises like cardio help you maintain a calorie deficit because they burn many calories.

      While long-distance running and cycling could both aid in weight loss, shorter bursts of intensive activity, such as sprinting or HIIT (high-intensity interval training) could also reduce leg fat.

      Also, for reducing leg fat effectively you could try using an elliptical machine because one of the benefits of elliptical machine is that, it could provide cardio benefits in a low-impact way.

      These exercises increase metabolism so that your body continues to burn calories even after you stop sweating.

      Burpees

      Burpees are a significant fat-burning workout that promotes the development of your powerful muscles and helps to raise metabolism all day long.

      They aid in losing fat from numerous body muscles in addition to your legs.

      A push-up is followed by a leap into the air, making a burpee effectively a two-part workout. Begin by squatting down, and bring the hands forward until they are inside of your feet.

      Kick your feet back so that you are on your toes and hands in the pushup posture while supporting your whole weight with your hands.

      Push up once, then frog kick by jumping your feet back to where they were before. Raise the arms above your head while standing.

      Quickly leap into the air so you land where you began. After you land with your knees bent, squat down and perform another repetition.

      Reverse Plank 

      An exercise known as a reverse plank is among the most efficient ways to reduce leg fat. This plank position is the reverse of the standard plank position.

      It is a resistance exercise that is perfect for burning fat in your legs and toning your stomach.

      You need to sit in this position with your feet connected and your legs straight on the floor.

      Keep your entire body in a straight line from toe to head, and keep it strong. Try to bring your belly back toward your spine by engaging your core muscles.

      Lift your body by redistributing your weight onto your heels and arms after that. Maintain posture while tightening your abdominal region.

      Slowly lower your body back to the starting position when you could no longer maintain the position.

      Hill Workout

      Engage in a strenuous excursion in the outdoors or take a walk in a hilly location.

      Even if running down and up on a hill might hurt, it will increase your fitness and strengthen your leg muscles.

      Look for a slope, but do not make it too steep too fast. Then for thirty seconds, sprint as quickly as you could up the slope. Walk back down after calming down.

      Aim to do this 2 to 3 times per week, to begin with. Repeat this about 5 times.

    2. Alternate Your Diet

      Reducing the number of calories you consume every day could help you reduce your leg fat since consuming too many calories causes fat to accumulate.

      The amount of calories in a pound of fat is 3500.

      Therefore, consuming around 500 fewer calories per day could help you consume 3500 fewer calories every week and lose between one and two pounds per week.

      Some simple dietary adjustments to reduce your leg fat include:

      • Reducing sodium and processed foods and intake
      • Ditching white starches for complex carbs
      • Cutting out sugary beverages
      • Drinking more water
      • Eating lean protein
      • Filling half your plate with green and leafy vegetables
      • Eating various fruits
    3. Reduce Your Salt Consumption

      Since water follows sodium, when you become dehydrated, you have light, dry skin and concentrated urine.

      This means that consuming too much salt causes your body to retain water, which leads to a fluid imbalance and bloating.

      Reduce your sodium intake by eating fewer processed foods like sauces, and canned juice that is high in sodium.

      Increase your intake of the other types of electrolytes included in a balanced diet, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium to maintain a stable fluid balance in your body and prevent salt retention.

      Bananas, leafy green vegetables, and curd are some foods that could provide these.

      Having said that, limiting or reducing salt consumption could also help lower inner thigh fat.

    4. Consume Fruits And Veggies

      In the proper amounts, fruits and vegetable aid in weight loss. That is a result of their high dietary content of fiber.

      It keeps you fuller for some time. You aren’t able to binge or overeat bad snacks because of it.

      Additionally, the dietary fibers bind with the bad fats in your body and aid in their elimination. It stops fat from accumulating.

      These fatty deposits are what cause the stubborn fat deposits on your legs, hips, and other body parts. Among them are citrus fruits, berries, apples, tomatoes, and beets.

    5. Decide On Consuming Complex Carbs

      Complex carbs are nourishing and wholesome carbohydrates found in whole-grain foods. Since they are absorbed gradually, your system is not overloaded.

      It comprises unprocessed whole-wheat goods made from brown rice, husked grains, and similar foods. They are loaded with minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants.

    6. Consume A Lot Of Water

      Your body needs to be well-hydrated to perform properly. Your metabolic rate might be slowed by even modest dehydration.

      Additionally, drinking water keeps you full and curbs your desire for unhealthy binges.

      Furthermore, it eliminates the toxins to avoid any retention, which could otherwise cause weight gain and inflammation.

Conclusion

The fat that builds up on your leg is known as leg fat. It happens as a result of obesity, genetic factors, and various other causes as well.

Specific body parts accumulate fat as a person gains weight. But there are other approaches to reducing leg fat.

Healthcare professionals usually recommend a balanced diet along with high-intensity exercise. Unfortunately, it might not be enough in cases of excess weight or obesity.

You might sometimes need surgical procedures. Liposuction, cool sculpting, and leg shaping are examples of surgical procedures.

Eliminating body fat that is resistant to exercise and diet is done surgically. It contributes to the development of slender, thin legs and an overall improvement in health.

However, your doctor should be consulted before beginning any therapy. Selecting the finest option for your needs is helpful.