6 Lower Body Workouts for Stronger Legs

Sure, focusing on your lower body workout will give you enviably toned legs. But did you know that doing so also helps reduce your risk of injury and promotes healthy aging? It’s reason enough to get your butt – and everything else – moving!

Lower body strength exercises are crucial to supporting your overall fitness and daily movements, such as walking, climbing, and lifting. This is especially necessary if you're working a desk job or don’t get much movement throughout your day. Just remember to start slowly, stretch and warm up before exercising, and don’t overdo it.

Ready to step up your leg game? Check out this list of lower body- and leg-focused exercises.

Squats are the ultimate workout for developing your overall base power. Squats target the thighs, glutes, and calves while engaging your core. With regular squatting, you improve functional movements like sitting and standing, enhance your posture, and strengthen the muscles around your knees.

How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips as if you’re about to sit down on a chair while keeping your upper body upright. Make sure that your knees are aligned with your toes. Then, return to the standing position and repeat.

Lunges are a good lower body strength exercise for building muscle and flexibility. They target the thighs and glutes, and work on your hip flexibility and core engagement. Leg lunges can also help even out muscle imbalances.

How to do it: Step one foot forward. Lower your hips until both knees form 90-degree angles. Remember to keep your upper body straight and don’t let your front knee bend past your toes. Go back to the standing position and repeat on the other leg.

Your posterior chain, which includes your hamstrings (the back of your thighs), glutes, and lower back, helps strengthen and stabilize your muscles and joints, which are essential for good posture, daily movement and sports performance, and your overall physical health. Deadlifts are excellent in building and strengthening your posterior chain.

How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. In each hand, carry a dumbbell or a barbell in front of you with an overhand grip, your palms facing inwards. Start with weights you’re comfortable with. Bend forward at your hips, then lower the weights while ensuring your back is straight and your knees are slightly bent. Return to a standing position by pushing your heels, then repeat.

Strong calves mean better ankle stability and a decreased risk of lower leg injuries. Calf raises are a simple yet effective lower-body strength exercise. They build your ankles and calf muscles to help support daily movement like walking, running, and jumping.

How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise your heels off the ground while balancing on the balls of your feet. Then, lower your heels back down. You can increase the difficulty by adding weights to your legs or doing it on just one leg.

Step-ups replicate natural movements, such as climbing stairs. It’s a great workout for building strength and endurance in your glutes and thighs (quadriceps and hamstrings) and can help improve balance and stability.

How to do it: Step one foot onto a sturdy surface, like a platform, step, or low bench. Lift your body using your upper leg. Extend your knee and hip fully to stand. Then, lower back down and repeat on your other side.

Enhance joint strength, especially around your knees and ankles, with resistance bands. This low-impact exercise offers long-term benefits, helping to ensure your joints stay functional and resilient as you age.

How to do it: Wrap a resistance band around a sturdy object or loop one end around your forefoot. Flex your foot against the band’s resistance, pointing it away from your body. Repeat on the other foot.

Now that you’ve got some great leg-focused workouts to kick off your routine, don’t forget your post-exercise hygiene essentials. After all, you wouldn’t want to spoil a good workout day with bad B.O.!

Make sure to shower with Dove Radiant+Care Serum Bar 50x Niacinamide + Vegan Collagen. After a sweat sesh, you’ll love how it nourishes the skin and makes it feel moisturized (with regular use). A sweet bonus? It has an invigorating mixed berries and citrus scent.

Lastly, don’t forget your Rexona Dry Serum Deodorant Vit C + Anti-Stain. Other than making sure you’ll smell fresh throughout your workout, this deo is formulated to help smoothen underarms and reduce dark marks, too.

Now, you're all set to crush your lower body workouts and look forward to better leg days!