If you are into exercise you will already know all the benefits of making sure your legs get a proper workout. After all, they house some of the largest muscles in the body, and so help with burning calories, stamina, endurance, and speed.
However, not everyone loves a good session at the gym on leg machines. The good news is there are many ways you can work out your legs, and never get bored in the process. Just keep reading to find out what they are.
Skipping
If you think skipping is just for school girls then you couldn’t be more wrong. Jump rope is one of the best overall and leg-specific activities there is. After all, there is a reason why boxers practice it!
Indeed, skipping works all the core muscle leg groups including quad, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. It’s also super intense so you can get great results, by working out less each day. Of course, as skipping is such intense activity, you must take care of your legs and the rest of your body while you are doing it.
That means investing in some good, springy and supportive trainers that will help absorb some of the shocks to the body and minimize injury. You can even change up the weight of your rope to better customize your workout to your needs if you so choose.
Dancing
Another wonderful activity that is an idea for those looking to work their legs is dancing. Indeed, in particular dance forms like Zumba, salsa and jazz heavily focus on using the legs and so are perfect for working the hamstrings and calves.
Part of the reason why dance is such a great workout is that it involves quick direction changes. This means the legs in your muscles will be worked hard for most of the duration. It’s also a super fun activity that can make you forget you are exercising at all, which is great for folks that get bored in the gym!
Diving
Diving is also a great activity for anyone looking to improve the muscles in their legs. This is because the legs are used to people the diver through the water as well as to dive. All of which takes a great deal of power and energy as you will be working against the pressure of the water.
Indeed, to stay stable and get the most from your dive, different muscle groups in the legs will be working at all times, which makes diving one of the most effective workouts there is for leg day.
Just be sure to get the right training and kit before you head out into the ocean on your own. Indeed, some divers prefer to use Custom Wetsuits to ensure they stay as comfortable and warm when out in the water as possible. Thereby increasing their enjoyment of the activity and maximizing the benefits they can gain for their legs and all the other muscle groups it works.
Cycling
One of the most obvious activities for those that want to build up their leg muscles is cycling. Although just because it’s obvious, it doesn’t mean that it’s not effective. Indeed, as riding a bike works the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quads it can be an ideal leg day workout.
The good news is that there isn’t just a single form of cycling to choose from. Instead, you can include some cycling in your gym routine with the static or reclining bikes in your local fitness center. Alternatively, many people are enjoying the benefits of cycling in spin classes or their own homes with systems like Peleton.
Then there are the many legs strengthening outdoor cycling-based exercises such as road racing, mountain biking. There is even BMXing, which is now an Olympic sport! Of course, all of these forms of cycling will require a different type of bike to be done properly. Although, you may wish to consider renting a bike to try them out and see how well they suit you.
Hiking
You may not be surprised to discover that hiking is one of the best leg workouts around. However, what may shock you is that it’s on the downhill walks that your leg muscles will get the most strenuous of exercise.
Yes, that’s right our quads and glutes have to work particularly hard to keep up stable as we walk downhill. To that end, a hilly hike is an ideal leg day activity, with the bonus that you get to be outside in the fresh air too!
