Running uses your glutes, quadriceps, hamstring and calves constantly, meaning that your leg muscles are working and this will cause them to develop and get bigger in size. Any form of exercise that engages your muscles will cause them to grow in size.
If you want to lose weight in your thighs, you need to engage in cardiovascular exercise, which reduces weight throughout your entire body. Running is a form of cardio, so it is effective at melting thigh fat.
As you workout, you gain more muscle that will ultimately replace your fat. There will be a period of time where your body has both this newly formed muscle AND fat. This is basically like a transition period for your body. Hence, your thighs are a little bigger until the fat is burned away.
If you have noticed, long distance runners tend to be very lean and their legs are usually super slim. This is because doing this decreases the size of the muscles and reduces the fat around the muscle to make the thighs smaller.
Burn approximately 248 calories in 20 minutes of jogging, if you weigh 160 pounds. About 248 calories is half of the daily calorie-reduction needed to lose 1 pound a week. For example, 1 pound is equal to 3,500 calories. Reduce your calories by 500 each day to lose 1 pound a week and contribute to thin thighs.
Running is an excellent form of exercise for weight loss. It burns a lot of calories, may help you continue to burn calories long after a workout, may help suppress appetite and targets harmful belly fat.
Does running affect your thigh muscles? Front of the thighs are formed by quadriceps and back of the thigh by hamstrings. Both these muscle groups are well worked out while running. This allows fat burning and increasing lean muscle mass in your thighs, giving you a toned look.
Professional runners, specifically long-distance runners, tend to have 'skinny' legs. This is because they train extremely hard in order to sustain stamina and endurance so, their bodies don't get the chance to build muscle because they burn more than they consume.
Running on its own will help tone your legs (and butt), but it might not be enough for some people to get those lovely runner's legs. One thing you may notice is that sprinters often have more defined muscles in their legs and abdominal muscles than distance runners.
The main culprit behind weight gain in your thighs is estrogen. This hormone drives the increase in fat cells in females, causing deposits to form most commonly around the buttocks and thighs.
Bulky legs are typically due to excess weight and fat in the legs. However, they also occur if you have large muscle development in the legs. Bulky legs sometimes make everyday activities, agility exercises and competitive sports difficult.
Third, running tightens the muscles around their hips. This loss of mobility restricts runners' ability to recruit the muscles that connect their legs to their torsos, causing these muscles to atrophy and their legs to appear less toned.
How much should you run to lose weight? According to the World Health Organization, adults should aim for between 150 and 300 minutes of exercise per week. This means that even running for 30 minutes five times a week could help you see results in your weight management.
Professional marathon runners are also skinny because they train so hard to sustain endurance. This prevents their bodies from bulking up because they burn almost all the calories that they consume. The difference between long-distance runners and short-distance runners is their body mass.
Running uses your glutes, quadriceps, hamstring and calves constantly, meaning that your leg muscles are working and this will cause them to develop and get bigger in size. Any form of exercise that engages your muscles will cause them to grow in size.
'Low-intensity cardio burns fat (and in some cases, even muscle) and will decrease your overall body mass, so it will help make your calves smaller,' Rachael said. Power walking, steady-state running (both on a flat surface) or swimming are all excellent options and not likely to bulk your calves.
According to The Stroke Association, a brisk 30-minute walk daily helps in controlling high blood pressure and in reducing the chances of stroke by 27 per cent. More importantly, brisk walking can help you tone your legs and reduce thigh fat. Walking tones your calves, quads and hamstrings and lifts the glutes.
Running every day may increase your risk for an overuse injury. Overuse injuries result from taking on too much physical activity, too fast, and not allowing the body to adjust. Or they can result from technique errors, such as running with poor form and overloading certain muscles.
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of activity on running days, two days of non-running workouts, and at least one rest day per week. As you build your endurance, speed, and aerobic capacity, you can begin gradually adding more running to your training.
Disadvantages: Impact on ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. More prone to injury without proper form and stretching.