How to Reduce Heavy Thighs

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff | 14 References

Updated: April 30, 2019

Explore this Article Dressing to Minimize Your Thighs Toning Thighs With Exercise Toning Thighs with a Weight Loss Diet Article Summary Questions & Answers Related Articles

In our image-driven culture, it's easy to forget that everyone has something about their body that they don't like and that an important part of personal happiness is learning to accept the way we look. This being said, if you're unhappy with the shape and size of your thighs, there are ways to change the way they look (to a certain extent). By dressing to flatter your natural figure, working out with the goal of firming and toning your thighs, and, if necessary, dieting to lose weight, it's possible get dramatic results, remembering that persistence wins the day.

Dressing to Minimize Your Thighs

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    Wear dark-colored pants. Most people have heard the age-old advice "black is slimming" so many times that it's become a cliché. In fact, there's plenty of truth to the old saying. In general, the eye tends to focus on bright colors and ignore neutral shades like black, so wearing black clothes on your lower body in conjunction with brighter colors on your best features can direct attention away from your thighs and towards more appealing areas.[1]
    • Note, however, that the effect is lessened if you wear only black, as the crucial contrast between your dark pants and the rest of your body disappears.
  2. 2
    Consider higher-waisted pants. Another sure-fire way to make your thighs look thinner is to visually extend the bottom half of your body with pants that sit above your natural waist. Since the eye processes the entire pant length as a person's legs, high-waisted looks can give the impression that your legs are significantly longer (and thinner.)
    • While high-waisted jeans at one point were seen as a painful reminder of 80s fashion, they're now actually somewhat en vogue again: see American Apparel's catalog or the wardrobe of modern style icons like Kendall and Kylie Jenner for examples.
  3. 3
    Tend towards longer skirts and dresses. Thigh-slimming fashion isn't just limited to pants — even flowing garments like skirts and dresses are perfectly doable. The trick here is to choose garments that are longer and flowier than what you'd normally wear. The extra length gives the impression of long, straight lines flowing towards the floor, which minimizes any extra bulk in your thighs.[2]
    • Stay away from short, narrow skirts (i.e., miniskirts, pencil skirts, etc.) These fashion choices tend to emphasize the thighs, rather than downplay them. Plus, they show more of the thighs.
  4. 4
    Use vertical stripes to give the illusion of length. Vertical stripes are a good choice for women looking to reduce their bulky thighs for the same reason that pinstriped suits are often recommended for men who want to appear slimmer. Vertical lines tend to lead the eyes upward and create the impression of a longer, slimmer figure — research has even confirmed this effect.[3]
    • By contrast, horizontal lines tend to have the effect of making someone appear slightly shorter and wider, so you may want to avoid them.
  5. 5
    Wear heels to make your legs appear longer. Even something as simple as your choice of footwear can affect how your legs look. For instance, a moderate-length pair of heels lifts you up by a couple inches, making your body (and especially your legs) look a little longer than they actually are. In general, taller shoes are a good choice for anyone aiming to make themselves look a little slimmer.
    • Another good idea is to pick a pair of heels that have a low-cut vamp. A "vamp" is the part at the front of the shoe that conceals your toes. The lower it is, the more your foot can be seen and the longer your leg will appear.[4]
  6. 6
    If you're really worried, consider shapewear. Shapewear is type of garment designed to change your figure by lifting, pulling or pushing your body into shape. In ages past, this often meant tight, painful contraptions like corsets and girdles, but today, shapewear is usually much more gentle and is designed to give a more natural look. Shapewear should never be absolutely necessary, but if you're desperate to slim your thighs, it can definitely work.
    • Shapewear garments that have a slimming effect on the thighs include products with names like slip shapers, thigh slimmers, control briefs, and bodysuits.[5]
    • If you do decide to go the shapewear route, don't overdo it. While gently, subtle shapewear can give your figure a boost, garments that squeeze tightly can actually harm you by compressing your internal organs.[6]
  7. 7
    Spend the time (and money) getting a perfect fit. No matter what you're wearing, clothing that fits properly almost always looks better than clothing that doesn't. If you're worried about the way your thighs look in a certain dress or pair of pants, the problem may not be be with you — it may be with your clothes! Clothes shouldn't ever look or feel tight and restrictive, so if they do, you may want to consider taking the time to get your fit right. Talk to an employee at a clothing store (or a trusted friend) about finding a new outfit that fits better.
    • For "nice clothes" like formal wear, you may even want to visit a tailor's shop to get your fit just right. Keep in mind, however, that this option can become somewhat expensive.

Toning Thighs With Exercise

  1. 1
    Don't believe the spot-reduction myth. Though celebrity doctors, fad workout coaches, and glamor magazines may tell you differently, there is no way to lose fat from just one part of your body. This fact has been definitively proven by science — for instance, one study found that tennis players (who typically use one arm more than the other) have the same amount of fat on both arms.[7] This means that exercising your thighs won't cause you to lose weight only there — you lose weight from your entire body, not from one part at a time.
    • There are, however, things you can do to make your thighs more appealing: you can tone your thigh muscles with exercise or you can lose weight from your entire body (including your thighs). In this section, we'll explore ways to do each.
  2. 2
    Run, run, run. If you've ever met long-distance runners, you may have noticed that they tend to have long, slim bodies and muscly (but thin) legs. In general, long, low-intensity cardio exercise (like running) is a great way to start slimming down all over and improve your leg muscle tone. While other leg exercises can actually add bulk, long running sessions generally reduce bulk by causing you to lose fat over time and build toned muscles.
    • Running for about 45 minutes to an hour four or more times per week should begin to produce noticeable results within about a month or so. However, if you're not able to run for this long at first, just run for as long as you can in a single session and aim to increase the length of time you run for by one minute each time. Eventually, you'll reach an optimal level of cardio ability.
    • Try to avoid cardio exercises that involve shorter, higher-intensity workouts. For example, cycling (especially at a stationary machine with added resistance) will definitely burn calories, but it can also make your thigh muscles bigger, rather than more toned and compact.
  3. 3
    Cautiously consider thigh-centered resistance exercises. While it can be useful for some, as noted above, resistance exercises (like weightlifting) may not always be the best choice for people looking to slim their thighs. The problem with resistance training is that it can increase the size of your thigh muscles. If this isn't paired with a loss in fat (and it's worth mentioning that resistance training isn't as effective at burning fat as running is), your thighs are likely to get bigger. However, if you're willing to pair your resistance exercises with cardio or a weight-loss diet to lose fat, you can achieve great results. Below is a short list of thigh-targeting exercises you may want to consider:
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    Don't forget to neglect your glutes, hamstrings, and core. If you're doing resistance exercises, it's not a wise idea just to focus on your thigh muscles. This can give you an "unbalanced" look — for instance, strong and toned on the fronts of your legs, flabby on the back. For all-around good-looking legs, you'll also want target, at the very least, your gluteals, hamstrings, and important core groups like your hips and abs. This will have the effect of building toned muscle mass all over your lower body, not just in your thighs.
    • You may also want to target your calves — building the muscles in your lower leg can make the muscles in your upper leg look smaller by comparison.
  5. 5
    Stick with your exercise routine. No matter how hard you work for them, it's impossible to get toned thighs overnight. Any sort of cardio or muscle-building routine will take time to produce results. Don't give up! Stick to your workout plan, continually challenge yourself, push yourself to work a little harder each time, and you will see major improvement in the long-term.[8]
    • If you find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise, try making it part of your routine. Exercising at the same time every day should cause you to form a habit — eventually, it may feel odd not to exercise. Note, however, that it can longer than the typically-cited 21 days for a true habit to form.[9]

Toning Thighs with a Weight Loss Diet

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    Monitor your daily calorie intake. While you can't lose weight from one part of your body specifically, losing weight from your entire body will also lower the amount of fat in your thighs. If you have good underlying muscle tone, this should leave you with slimmer, firmer thighs. Your first step should be to start keeping track of how many calories you eat per day — you may be surprised how quickly they can pile up.
    • Calorie counters can be a huge help here. These handy online programs allow you to input the food you eat each day to get an accurate count for your calorie intake, then input your height, weight, sex, and exercise level to figure out how many calories you've burnt. Great calorie counters are available at,, and more.[10][11]There are even calorie counter apps available for download to mobile devices.
  2. 2
    Shoot to consistently spend more calories each day than you take in. Once you know how many calories you're eating each day, losing weight is simple (though often not easy.) As long as you eat fewer calories than you burn during the day, you will lose weight — it's just a matter of time. The greater the gap between the calories you intake and the calories you expend, the quicker you'll lose weight. Note, however, that any diet that leaves you unbearably hungry or unable to function is not a healthy one.
    • In general, one pound of body mass is equal to about 3,500 calories.[12] Losing this many calories is more or less equal to losing one pound. In other words, if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, you'll lose about a pound per week because 500 × 7 = 3,500.
  3. 3
    Ensure that the food you do eat is nutritious. Going on a diet doesn't mean starving your body of the things it needs to function. In fact, since you're eating less than you normally would, it's extra important to eat healthy so that your body gets adequate nutrition. As you stick to your diet, remember that you're aiming to skimp on calories, not nutrients, and plan your meals accordingly.
    • This means that high-calorie, low-nutrient foods (like processed foods, sweets, greasy snack foods, and so on) should be the first things to go. In fact, if you tend to overindulge in these sorts of foods, you may notice that removing them from your diet is enough to make you lose weight without changing anything else.
    • On the other hand, high-nutrient, low-calorie foods are a must. For example, nutrition-dense vegetables like kale and spinach can give you loads of vitamins and minerals for very few calories, while whole wheat grains provide plenty of energy and filling fiber. Even lean meats like chicken breast can provide filling, satisfying protein (a must if you're trying to build muscle) without having a caloric load that's unmanageable.
    • For more information, see our article on so-called superfoods.
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    Give yourself the occasional "break." Going on a diet shouldn't mean making yourself absolutely miserable. It's OK to enjoy life's culinary pleasures from time to time, especially at special occasions like holidays, birthday parties, and so on. As long as you return to your diet the next day, any sort minor indulgence is unlikely to hurt your progress in the long term.
    • In fact, the boost in morale from a single diet "cheat" day can be so rewarding that some dieticians actually recommend it.[13] Think of it like the productivity boost you get at work or school after going on vacation — taking some time off makes it easier to stay focused in the long term.
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    Don't have unhealthy weight-loss habits. As noted above, there are wrong ways to lose weight. For instance, losing weight too quickly can be harmful — even a cause of numerous health problems if it's prolonged. In addition, any sort of diet that relies on starvation, purging, or other drastic solutions should be out of the question. These tactics constitute eating disorders — potentially serious conditions that require medical intervention.[14]

Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can swimming help reduce thighs?
    Community Answer
    Yes, swimming works out your core, legs, and arms. You have to do it pretty frequently for it to work.
  • Question
    Can walking help me to be slim?
    Community Answer
    Yes. You can walk about a mile to a mile and a half every day and, in about a month or so, you will probably be thinner.
  • Question
    Can volleyball help reduce my thighs?
    Community Answer
    It could, depending on how you train and how frequently you do it.
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    • Don't forget to periodically remind yourself that it's okay to have imperfections. Something as minor as the appearance of your thighs shouldn't dominate your thoughts.
    • Try drinking lots of water as part of your weight-loss plan. Not only is water essential for the healthy functioning of your body (especially during exercise) but drinking plenty of water is also frequently cited as something that can make it easier to stick to a diet.

    Article SummaryX

    To reduce heavy thighs, try incorporating regular cardio exercise, like running, into your week. Aim to exercise about 3 to 4 times a week, but don’t worry if you have to work up to that over time. Additionally, keep in mind that you may not see immediate results, but a good way to speed up that timeline is to eat high-nutrient, low-calorie foods, like lean meats, whole grains and green veggies. Until you see your desired results, draw attention away from your thighs with high-waisted clothes, darker colored pants, and long flowing skirts. For tips on choosing the right workout to tone your thighs, scroll down!

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    Article Info


    Categories: Dressing Slim | Concealing Body Features

    In other languages:

    Español: reducir los muslos, Italiano: Ridurre delle Cosce Robuste, Русский: сделать бедра стройнее, Deutsch: Dicke Oberschenkel reduzieren, Bahasa Indonesia: Membuat Paha Lebih Ramping

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