Inner Thigh Exercises?

[Guest venecha]

Sorry to post again after my intro post, but I have a question:

What are some exercises I can do to stregthen those inner thigh muscles (do I have inner thigh muscles? ;) ) My teacher talks about using those muscles so your thights/buttocks don't bulk up, but I really have no idea if I am using them or not. I don't even know how to properly flex them! After two children, I am lucky to have any muscles left! This new studio does not do any stretching during class, so I get there early (while my daughter is in her class) to stretch.

 

Any advice is appreciated!

Venecha

 

ps. I will be adding 2 more classes a week (during lunch - an 11:15 am class) this week. I am so excited!

[Xena]

Hi Venecha

 

Welcome to the adult ballet board You are very lucky to be able to dance so much and look after your daughter. She must love it.

 

Okay inner thigh exercises. The best one I know (and it is an exercise where I can definately feel the inner thigh muscle) I will try to describe. But exercises are notoriously diificult to describe text wise. ANyway I will have a go so bear with me.

Stand near a wall or a barre, lets say with your left resting lightly on the barre. You can either stand in first position or with feet parallel. Lift your right leg forward slightly bent at the knee. Now turn your right foot out so that your heel is facing as much to the front as possible and your toes are know facing to the side (just like your right foot is in first position on the floor, so it wil be flexed in the air). Remember to bend your lifted leg slightly and keeping your other (supporting leg straight) gently lift and lower your right leg, always pushing that heel as much to the front as possible. It does not have to be big movements, just very small and controlled. the movement should be coming from the inside of your thigh (which if you are doing the exercise correctly should be rotated up towards the ceiling) . You should aslo feel it in the muscle near the groin area (inner thigh) ouch, it really works them for me. You should not be using your quads (the big muscle on the front of your thigh) and you shoudl hold in your abdominal muscles as well and stand straight not bent over. This is purely to isolate those muscles for you. Do as many as you can cope with and then turn around and repeat on the other leg. this is a great exercise to do anywhere really. Whilst cooking, waiting for the bus, standing in line.

tell me if you don't understand what I have just said and I will try and clarify it better for you.

Good luck.

 

Jeanette

[Guest venecha]

AH! I would never have thought of this one! Thank you for such a good explaination! When you aren't used to it, it is difficult to isolate those never used, elusive muscles!

 

Thanks!

Venecha

[Guest felursus]

Here's another one that's also hard to describe in words. Lie on your side on the floor. Bend the top leg and cross it over the bottom leg so that the foot is on the floor. You can also put your top hand on the floor for support. Now lift the bottom leg straight up towards the ceiling. It won't go far, but you will be using your adductor muscles.