Doing leg exercises at home is much easier than you think. You do not need any type of machine or material to exercise those muscles of the lower body. All you need is your body weight, maybe a chair, and enough motivation to move your hamstrings, glutes, calves, and inner thighs. Here is a list of leg exercises to do at home that will be very useful.
List of leg exercises to do at home
Squat
Squats are one of the best leg exercises to do at home and one of the easiest:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes out, placing your weight on your heels.
- Move your hips and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Squeeze your glutes and keep your core strong while holding.
Cross stride
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step back with your left foot, land on the ball of your foot, and bend both knees to create two 90-degree angles.
- Push with your right heel to return to the starting position. When you get up, move your left knee towards your chest.
- Do it again with the other leg.
Plie squat
- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips.
- Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- While squatting, lift both heels off the ground and hold for two seconds.
- Lower your heels back down in a repetitive motion.
Jump squat
- Stand with your feet slightly more hip-width apart.
- Squat down and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Jump into the air as high as you can and straighten your legs . Swing your arms down your sides to maintain momentum and keep your back straight and chest lifted.
- Land soft foot on the ground.
- Go back to the starting position.
Side lunge
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Take a big step to your right. Bend your right knee and push your glutes back , keeping your left leg straight. Your chest should be lifted and your core tight.
- Repeat with the other side.
Pistol squat
This is one of the most difficult leg exercises to do at home, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t at first.
- Stand with your feet together.
- Raise your left leg a few inches and extend it forward, foot flexed.
- Bend your right knee, roll forward at the hips, and squat down again, while raising your left leg to hip level. Extend your arms for balance.
- Try to bend your knee 90 degrees if you can.
- Move your right heel to straighten your leg and return to the starting position.
- Do it again with the other leg.
Lateral leg raises
- Lie on one side with your legs stretched out and stacked on top of each other. Raise your torso with your forearm or support your torso on the mat.
- Raise your upper leg toward the ceiling in a slow, controlled movement. Make sure to lift your hips and glutes.
- Go back to the starting position.
- Repeat with the other side.
Inner thigh lift
- Lie on one side with your legs straight and stacked one on top of the other and with your torso flat on the mat or resting on your forearm.
- Cross your upper leg over your lower leg, bending at the knee, so that your upper foot is in front of the lower knee.
- Raise your lower leg toward the ceiling in a slow, controlled movement. Maintain your torso throughout the exercise.
- Go back to the starting position.
- Repeat with the other side.
Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Raise your right leg and straighten your knee. Keep your thighs parallel to each other. Point your toes towards the ceiling.
- Push your heels in to lift your hips while squeezing your glutes. Try to create a diagonal line from the shoulders to the knees.
- Pause for one to two seconds, then lower your back.
- Repeat with the opposite leg.
These leg exercises to do at home will help you strengthen your lower body muscles and get you in shape for more challenging exercises to advance your training.
