There’s a reason Daisy Duke’s legs were insured for $1 million. Lanky, toned legs are the envy of women who need to wear shorts in the thick of summer. And Daisy had the best ones. 

To achieve Daisy Duke greatness or just have some decent-looking legs for summer, you need to focus on three major things: nutrition, exercise, and mentality. 

Cellulite: the Dreaded Dimples

Once we’ve moved past the chubby knee stage of a three-year-old, our world doesn’t reward us for having dimples on our legs. There’s this not-so-sweet spot between middle school and geriatric age where society shuns the dimples we call cellulite. 

Exactly so what causes the hail damage that we all want to cover up? 

Hormones can cause cellulite to be more visible. Typically, cellulite increases right before your cycle, it increases

Genetics can cause cellulite. If your mother had cellulite young and your grandma had cellulite young, then you will most likely have cellulite. You may just have genes that are predisposed to cellulite. 

With that said, if your mother and grandmother had cellulite and didn’t care well for themselves or if they didn’t purposefully have a healthy lifestyle, then you have hope. 

Nutrition plays a part in visible cellulite. You may have a genetic predisposition to cellulite, but you can still combat it with the right nutrition. Lower your fat intake and increase your water for starters. 

Exercise for Toned Legs

To tone up your legs and blast that cellulite, you can do a basic, simple routine that takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes a day, depending on how much you want to repeat it.

You do not need anything other than a sturdy pair of exercise shoes for this routine. 

A Mindful Warmup

Begin with a cardio exercise that gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Think of a five to ten-minute bike spin, brisk walk, short walk-jog-walk, or jumping jacks.

As you consider your cardio choice, consider your current condition. If you’re carrying around extra weight, make sure you choose an exercise that’s kind to your joints. A bike spin or a walk is the most kind to your legs as it requires the least amount of impact.

Your goal is to tone your legs, after all, and not end up in physical therapy for an exercise-induced injury.

A Basic Leg Circuit

Complete this basic leg circuit of 30 seconds of exercise and then 30 seconds of rest. Complete the circuit three times for some solid results. 

  • Squats

Do as many strong, purposeful squats as you can for thirty seconds. Do not do these quickly. Slow and steady will burn fat more efficiently and ensure proper form.

Place your legs shoulder-width apart, and then move your butt down as if you are sitting on a chair. Take care to not allow your knees to extend beyond your toes. 

  • Lunges

Do as many lunges as you can, walking across a room and back for thirty seconds. A lunge looks like you’re taking a giant step forward. Allow your back knee to touch the ground but not rest on it. Then put your feet together and take another step with the opposite leg.

If you do not have room to lunge across the floor, try a lunge matrix. Imagine you’re standing in the middle of a clock. Lunge forward at noon, then return, then at 1:00, then back, then 3:00, 4:00, 6:00, 7:00, 9:00, and 10:00.

A lunge matrix works all parts of your butt, quad, hamstring, and hips.

Make sure, again, that your knee does not extend beyond your toes. Keep it anchored above your ankle. 

  • Leg Lifts

For leg lifts, you get to rest on your back. Lift both legs simultaneously so they are straight and above your hips. Slowly lower them down, and repeat the motion for 30 seconds.  

  • Calf Lifts

Find a stair, and stand facing the stairway with just the front part of your foot on the step. Then lift your body using your calves as your main lifting muscle. Complete this exercise for 30 seconds. 

  • Core Work

If you want to avoid injuries as you tone your legs, you need to strengthen your core. All of your power comes from your core, so try completing some 30-second plank poses to help strengthen your core overall. 

Take your reward by stretching the muscles that you just worked. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow if you go through a good stretch routine that releases those tight muscles. 

Nutrition for Toned Legs

You can do all the exercises in the world to tone a particular part of the body, but if you do not pay attention to what you eat, you will see little progress. After all, you can’t outrun your spoon.

To aid your quest of toned legs, begin with water. The more water you drink, the more hydrated your skin is and the less cellulite will show. You should aim to drink between 70 and 100 ounces of water a day. 

Begin by chugging a ten-ounce glass when you wake up in the morning. Then drink a glass of water before and with every meal. Then drink a glass of water at night. 

Also, pairing with your water consumption, cut down on high sodium foods. These will only dehydrate you and make cellulite even more obvious. 

Foods high in potassium have proven to help with cellulite reduction and fat burning in general. Watermelon, apricots, bananas, potatoes, ginger, and artichokes all have great amounts of potassium that promote the excretion of waste.  

Foods high in vitamin C like peppers and citrus foods have been proven to foster collagen production in your body. This can also contribute to toned legs. 

Supplements and topical products also exist and help one answer how to get rid of cellulite on legs. 

multivitamins

The Mental Edge 

Whenever you want something, you need to have a mental edge. Eating healthy foods and maintaining a strict exercise regimen takes focus. So keep a mental edge.

Begin by putting pictures up on your fridge and pantry doors. Put pictures of what you want, like toned legs, to keep reminding you of why you shouldn’t reach for that bag of chips.

As you traverse the path to toned legs, stay focused on your goals. 

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