Inner thigh lift

The inner thigh lift strengthens your inner thigh muscles. Use caution if you have lower back problems.

Getting set
Roll up a bath towel (or use a step aerobics platform). Lie on your right side with your head resting on your outstretched arm. Bend your left leg and rest your knee on top of the rolled towel so that your knee is level with your hip and your top hip is directly over your bottom hip. Place your left hand on the floor in front of your chest for support. Pull your abdominals in. See photo A.

The exercise
Lift your bottom (right) leg a few inches off the floor. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, and slowly lower your leg back down. Switch sides and do the same number of repetitions with your left leg. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DON’T lift your leg more than a few inches. Stop when you feel tension in your inner thigh. How high you need to lift depends on your flexibility, your strength, and your build.
• DON’T arch your back as you lift your leg.

Other options
Modified inner thigh lift (easier): Instead of placing your top knee on the towel, bend your knee and place your foot behind your bottom leg.
Inner thigh lift with a weight (harder): Wear an ankle weight while performing the inner thigh lift. If you have bad knees, drape the weight on top of your inner thigh.

Side-lying leg lift

The side-lying leg lift strengthens your outer thigh muscles. Pay attention to the instructions marked by the Posture Patrol icon, particularly if you have a history of lower back pain.

Getting set
Lie on the floor on your left side with your legs a few inches in front of you, knees bent slightly, and head resting on your outstretched arm. Bend your right arm and place your palm on the floor in front of your chest for support. Align your right hip directly over your left hip and pull your abdominals in so your back isn’t arched. See photo A.

The exercise
Keeping your knee slightly bent, raise your right leg until your foot reaches shoulder height. Then slowly lower your leg back down. Switch sides and do the same number of repetitions with your left leg. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your top hip stacked directly over your bottom hip; don’t roll backward.
• DO keep your head down and your neck and shoulders relaxed.
• DO keep your abdominals pulled in to help your body remain still so you work only your outer thigh.
• DON’T raise your foot any higher than shoulder height.

Other options

• Modified leg lift (easier): Bend your top knee even more when performing the side-lying leg lift.
• Leg lift with rotation (harder): When you reach the top of the movement, rotate your thigh outward by turning your knee up to the ceiling; then rotate back to the original position and lower your leg back down.
• Leg lift with a weight (harder): Place an ankle weight on your ankle or, if you have knee problems, on top of your thigh.

Inner/outer thigh machine

The inner/outer thigh machine sets to strengthen either your inner thigh muscles or your outer thigh muscles. Skaters, skiers, and basketball players —anyone involved in side-to-side movements — can help prevent injury by using this machine.

Getting set
Set the machine so the leg mechanisms are together and the knee and ankle pads are rotated to the outside. Sit up tall in the seat, and bend your knees so they rest against the thigh pads and the outside of your ankles rest against the ankle pads. If there’s a seat belt, wear it to help keep you from popping out of the machine. Pull your abdominals in and sit up tall. See photo A.

The exercise
Press your knees outward until you feel tension in your outer thighs. Hold the position for a moment, and then slowly allow your legs to move back together. This is the outer thigh, or abduction, exercise. To set the machine for the inner thigh, or adduction, exercise, shift the leg mechanisms so they’re comfortably spread apart, and turn the knee and ankle pads toward the inside. Position your legs so that the inside of your knees rest against the thigh pads, and the inside of your ankles rest against the ankle pads. Pull your legs together, and then slowly move them back out to a point at which you feel a comfortable stretch through your inner thighs. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO control the movement in both directions. If you hear the weight stack come crashing down, slow down.
• DO change the weight between exercises if you need to. Most people use approximately the same weight for both inner and outer thigh exercises, but don’t take that for granted.
• aDON’T arch your back or wiggle around in the seat in an effort to assist your legs.

Other options
Vary seat position: Some machines allow you to decline the seat back a few degrees or even all the way down so you can lie flat. Experiment with different back positions to see what’s most comfortable for you and to give the exercise a different feel.

Leg curl machine

The leg curl machine does a great job of strengthening your hamstring muscles.
Use caution if you have a history of lower back discomfort.

Getting set
Set the ankle pads of the machine so that when you lie on your stomach, the underside of the pads are flush with the tops of your heels. Lie down, rest the side of your face on the support pad, and grasp the handles. Gently flex your feet. Pull your abdominals in and tuck your hips down so your hipbones press into the pad. See photo A.

The exercise
Bend your knees to lift the ankle bar until your calves are perpendicular to the floor. Then slowly straighten your legs. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your hipbones pressed against the machine and your abdominals pulled in. You may want to lift your thighs just a hair upward before you bend your knees.
• DO lower your legs back down slowly so the weights you’re lifting don’t slam down against the rest of the stack.
• DON’T — and this is a big don’t — allow your butt to pop off the pad. This puts stress on your lower back and minimizes the work being done by your hamstrings.
• DON’T kick your heels all the way to your butt.

Other options
Other curl machines: Some machines work your hamstrings from a standing or seated position. Others have independent left and right sides so that each leg has to carry its own share of the weight. Still others have a “range limiting” device that allows you to cut off the movement at the top or bottom —a good variation if you’re experiencing any pain while doing this exercise.
Single-leg curl: Lift with both legs, straighten one out of the way, and lower the weight down with one leg only.

Kneeling leg curl

The kneeling leg curl targets your hamstring muscles.
Pay extra attention to good form if you have lower back or knee troubles.

Getting set
Kneel on your elbows and knees on a mat or thick towel, with your knees directly under your hips and your elbows directly under your shoulders. Clasp your hands together or turn your palms toward the floor. Flex your right foot so it’s perpendicular to the floor. Keeping your knee bent, lift your right leg and raise your knee up to hip level. Tilt your chin slightly toward your chest and pull your abdominals in so your back doesn’t sag. See photo A.

The exercise
Straighten your leg and then bend your knee. Complete all the repetitions with one leg before switching sides. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your neck still and your shoulders relaxed.
• DO move slowly so you feel the tension in the back of your thigh.
• DON’T use an ankle weight for this exercise: It places too much pressure on your knee.
• DON’T just throw your leg out straight and snap it back again.
• DON’T raise your leg above hip height.
• DON’T arch your back as you curl and uncurl your leg.

Other options
Variations (easier): To make this exercise easier, lie on the floor with your forehead resting on your forearms. Lift your thigh slightly off the floor, and then curl and uncurl. Or do this exercise while standing and holding onto the back of a chair or the back of an upright bench with your hands.
Weighted leg curl (harder): Add weight to this exercise by wrapping an ankle weight around your ankle or thigh. Or do a kneeling or standing version of the exercise with the low pulley of a cable machine that has a padded ankle strap.

Leg extension machine

The leg extension machine zeroes in on your quadriceps muscles. If this exercise bothers your knees, try the modified version or choose a different exercise.

Getting set
Set the machine so your back sits comfortably against the backrest, the center of your knee is lined up with the machine’s pulley, and your shins are flush against the ankle pads. (On most machines you can move the backrest forward and back and the ankle pads up and down.) Sit down and swing your legs around so your knees are bent and the tops of your shins are resting against the underside of the ankle pads. Hold on to the handles. Sit up tall and pull your abdominals in. See photo A.
The exercise
Straighten your legs to lift the ankle bar until your knees are straight. Hold for a second at the top position, and then slowly bend your knees. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO make sure that you take the time to set the machine properly.
• DO move slowly.
• DON’T ram your knees at the top of the movement.
• DON’T arch your back in an effort to help you lift the weight.

Other options
Modified leg extension (easier): If one leg is noticeably stronger than the other, slide one leg out of the way and do this exercise one leg at a time. You probably will need less than half the weight you use when lifting both legs together.
Single-leg extension: Many leg extension machines have a mechanism you set to limit the distance that you bend and straighten your legs. Use this device if your knees give you trouble at any point of the exercise.
Ball squeeze leg extension (harder): Place a soccer ball, weighted ball, or rolled towel between your knees. As you extend your leg, concentrate on squeezing the ball so it doesn’t slip out of place. This version of the exercise forces your quads to work harder in order to hold onto the ball.

Quad press

The quad press is a particularly good quadriceps exercise for people who feel pain when they bend and straighten their knees.

Getting set
Roll up a bath towel. Sit on the floor and lean against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you. (Or bend the nonworking knee into your chest if that’s more comfortable.) Place the towel underneath the well of your right knee. See photo A.

The exercise
Squeeze your quadriceps tightly and press down on the towel. Hold for five slow counts, relax, and repeat until you complete the set. Then switch legs.
See photo B

Do’s and don’ts

• DO bend your nonworking knee into your chest if that makes the exercise more comfortable.
• DON’T tighten your face, hunch your shoulders, or round your back.

Other options
Modified quad press (easier): If you experience pain in your knee when you do this exercise, try squeezing your muscle for a shorter period of time. Start with one second and build up. Also try squeezing without the towel underneath your knee. Or to make the exercise tougher, replace the towel with a firmer object such as a tennis ball or filled water bottle. This replacement allows you to squeeze harder.
Straight leg raise (harder): Sit in the same position, but instead of pressing your thigh downward, lift your entire leg up and off the floor a few inches. Hold a moment and slowly lower to the start. You can also do this version of the exercise with an ankle weight wrapped around your ankle or draped across your thigh.