A gracefully aging skin is a natural thing. But the story is different for sagging, flabby thighs which could be very bothersome. While we can quickly fix inner thigh sagging skin through cosmetic surgery, there are also many options if you’re not a fan of surgical procedures. But this is also dependent on how severe it is. Luckily, invasive procedures are usually not required for mild to moderate laxity.
Rapid, massive weight loss is often to blame. Your skin is elastic, so it stretches when you gain more pounds of weight. But once your excess weight is melt away, especially if you drop your pounds quickly, the skin is likely to sag since it is not ready enough to tighten up effectively [1].
The bad news, the problem can get worse with age. Skin changes, including saggy skin and wrinkles, are among the most common signs of aging.
The production of collagen and elastin decreases as we get older, making loose skin more likely. Also, the skin will sag a little further down in time due to the dreaded pull of gravity. Plus, the epidermis (outer layer of the skin) gets thinner over time, even though if there is no a significant change with the number of cell layers [2].
Exposure to the sun’s powerful rays is another common culprit. Ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage cells of the skin. Over the long run, this could take a serious toll on your skin health. In fact, excessive sun exposure is one of the leading causes for premature skin aging.
Unlike face, hands, neck, upper back, or shoulder – the thighs are quite rare to get exposed to the sun. But if you love enjoying your swimming suits, applying sunscreen all over your body (including the thighs) is a must!
In addition to your butt, the thighs are a fat collection spot. The more fats accumulate, the flabbier they are. Don’t despair; you can make this better if you start using them more!
Building muscle is not only important in men, but also good for women. It can help ease the saggy look of the skin by replacing the lost fat with healthy mass of muscles.
Of course, women don’t have to look like Arnold with increased bulk in the body. Men and women will respond to exercise in different ways. Thankfully, woman’s body is not like a man, naturally it has lower testosterone.
In general, it’s hard for women to achieve big muscles like men even though they did heavy-weight training. This is particularly true if you combine your weight training exercises with aerobics and healthy-balanced diet.
The thighs have complex structure, including muscles. And in general, you have 4 muscle groups that comprise them; (1) the abductor to move the legs sideway away, (2) the adductors to move the legs sideways back, (3) the hamstrings to bend the leg, and (4) the quadriceps to straighten the legs [3]. You can explore each this muscle group to train the thighs and make them become svelte for youthful looking.
Walking for half an hour is one of good ways to help improve your blood circulation. This simple exercise is also helpful to train muscles of the thighs, but isn’t tight enough to target the problem. You need lots of side-to-side motion (e.g. brisk walking, jogging, or playing tennis) to help fix the saggy spots of your thighs.
Loose, sagging skin would not induce to certain medical condition, but it does have an effect on self-esteem. The following simple sagging-thigh exercises may help. Do these 2-3 times a week consistently!
Ballet-side extension
This exercise is focused to stimulate thigh muscles by engaging into the balance of the leg with a simple ballet-inspired idea.
- Stand on the right leg with hands on hips, the knee is slightly bent.
- Move the other leg with a ballet attitude position (bend and lift the left leg up, see the picture). Also, turn the left heel up.
- Then move the left leg away to the side of the body, and straighten this into a full extension!
- Release, do the same steps for the other leg. Repeat 10-15 times for each leg!
Extra cross-over
It can help strengthen both inner and outer thighs, which also involves the core balance of your body.
- Put your hands on the hips, stand on the feet together.
- Make a wide step and down into a lunge to the left side for a while (push the hips behind with left knee bent).
- Next stand back up. Lift and cross the left leg without hitting the floor so you squeeze your inner thighs. Hold for a few seconds and release.
- Switch to other side. Do 10-15 reps for each side.
Whole thighs squat
It’s simple, but quite effective to help train the whole thighs including abductors, adductors, hamstrings, and quads.
- Stand on your feet together, and then widen the feet (slightly wider than the width of your shoulder apart) with the toes pointing out.
- Next, move the arms straight forward and then slowly lower the body into a squat, make sure the knees don’t creep to the side wider than the toes.
- Hold as long as possible and then release.
Leg-circle
Now relax, lie down. And do these simple steps:
- Use the mat, lie on the back! Position the arms on the sides, with the palms facing down.
- Lift the left foot, pointing to the ceiling with the toes.
- Take a breath and then slightly move the foot to the left side.
- Next, carefully rotate the leg in a clockwise circle for 5 times without letting the left hip lift off the mat. Do also in an opposite circle for 5 times.
- Repeat these steps for the other leg.
Thigh-twist
It is a good dawdle-way to add extra challenge by using the bodyweight.
- Sit on the mat, and lie to the left side with the left shoulder supporting the body (see picture).
- Use the right hand to hold the head from behind.
- Extend the legs out, and then bend the right knee up to the sky (see picture).
- Lift the left leg slightly off the mat so the foot is flexed, hold for a few seconds and release slowly. Do the procedure for the other side.
*Images taken from Shape.com (credit to Peter Ardito)
To gain the benefits most, add these simple ‘thigh’ exercises into your existing routine so you will have an extra dose of stimulating muscles of your lower body more effectively.
Lifestyle measures, including diet and exercises mentioned earlier, take time to carry a difference. And depending on how saggy it is, treatment is probably required too.
In addition to the use of sunscreen — numerous different brands for skin-tightening creams /lotions /serums are available in the market. Do they work? This is dependent on your situation, depending on several factors see more here!
Besides topical treatments, there are also several non-invasive procedures to help fix sagging thighs.
Non-invasive means they won’t use surgical procedures that make a puncture, incision, or wound more likely. They have fewer risks with less downtime & a bit lower in cost, though they actually aren’t 100% painless. Some of these non-invasive procedures include: