How to Tone Legs Using an Elastic Exercise Band

To create toned legs, you must concentrate on the upper and lower areas of the leg. If you find traditional leg exercises like curls and extensions hurt your knees or make it hard for you to breathe, you should consider using an elastic exercise band to work out your thighs, calves and quadriceps. These stretchy cords can be used in little space and require very little additional equipment. In fact, you can work on toning your legs in the comfort of your home or office without even breaking a sweat if you have just fifteen minutes to spare.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Do all leg exercises at least 60 times at a relatively low resistance. In order to tone and sculpt your legs rather than simply add bulk, you need to do high numbers of repetitions of each exercise. This will give your muscles definition and shape without causing them to tear or strain, which adds mass to your muscle as it heals.
2. Stand on the resistance band. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart and you should have equal lengths of cord on each side. You should be holding one handle in each hand near the center of your chest.
3. To get more out of your squat, make it deeper by poking your bottom out behind you. Bend your knees so that they are directly over your toes. Keep your back straight and do not move too quickly or your can seriously hurt your knees or lose your balance.
4. Return to your standing position. All your movements should be deliberate and steady. Jerky motions with an exercise band do you no good at all.
5. Stand with one foot on the exercise band. Your left foot should be about two feet behind you as if you were taking a step forward. You should be holding the handles of the band at waist level.
6. Move slightly slower than the man in this illustration for maximum effect of the lunges. Dip your back knee toward the ground. Do not let either knee actually touch the ground. You should do 60 of these dips on each side for most efficient toning.
7. Stand with both feet close together on the band. You should have a handle in each hand at shoulder level and equal lengths of cord on each side.
8. Rise up on your toes as high as you possibly can. Focus on tensing your calves and moving slowly up against the resistance band. Keep your arms still and steady as you move.
9. Lower your body back so that your are balanced on the front of your foot. Do not let your heels touch the ground until you have done at least 60 calf raises.

Tips & Warnings

• Whenever you are trying to tone muscle rather than build it, you should do as many repetitions of an exercise as is practical. Because you are using a lower resistance, you need to do more in order to cause your muscles to react to the training. However, the result will be a more sculpted look rather than a bulky appearance.
• If you feel pain or discomfort in your knees or hips during any of these exercises, decrease the resistance on your exercise band immediately. If the pain continues, stop doing the exercise and consult a physician.