Make exercise It is essential to be healthy, especially when one enters ages in which the muscles of the body begin to suffer more easily. Strengthening your legs will not only optimize your physical condition and make it easier to do everyday tasks like walking or running, but it will also promote cardiovascular health and improve lymphatic drainage.
However, in order to tone your legs, you have to be constant and introduce some key exercises for the area into your regular routine, combined with cardio exercises. Although it seems like a complicated task to carry out without going to the gym, specialists defend that it can be done from home without any difficulty.
Borja Lafuente, physiotherapist and personal trainer, explains the most suitable exercises to train the lower body in those people who have already exceeded 40 years of age.
warm up and stretch
stretching
“Everyone knows that they should warm up before training, but few give it importance,” explains Borja. It is essential that the muscles begin to move before starting to perform specific leg exercises, as this will prevent breakage or more serious problems. The same thing happens at the end of the workout, you have to stretch and relax your muscles to prevent them from contracting and causing discomfort.
squats
A woman doing squats
It is a classic in leg training due to its high effectiveness. To do them correctly one must stand with a straight back and looking forward, separating the legs at shoulder height. Next, the knees are flexed, pulling the hips down until the buttocks rub against the calves, always keeping the back straight and the rear backwards. Then you have to rise slowly until you reach the starting position and repeat the exercise, controlling the technique to add more intensity little by little.
Steps
Steps
It is a very complete exercise for which no other tool is needed than a normal step. With the help of this step, different combinations can be made that will tone the legs in addition to doing cardio. You would start doing climbs, standing in front of the step, and resting one leg on it, you have to take all the weight to that foot, raising the body and leaving the other leg in the air. Then, return to the original position and repeat the exercise alternating both legs.
read also
raise heels
heel raise exercise
“It is the best way to strengthen the calf muscles”, argues the trainer, “and the best thing is that it is a very simple exercise to do at home”. To put it into practice, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and raise your heels until you’re on your toes, holding this position for a few seconds before lowering yourself down. During the process, the back and head should be kept as straight as possible, as this is the way to avoid damaging the lumbar muscles.