Wobbly thighs - help please!

[bookworm8500]

I have recently lost 4 stone 😁 I now have a BMI of 26

I swim 3X per week (between 50-100 lengths) at a time

The issue is, my thighs literally feel and look like jelly. Particularly the issue thigh at the top.

Today I have started doing squats to help, but I have no clue how many I should do each day.
And also, what other exercises can I do my wobbly thighs? Lunges are pretty impossible for me due to previous achilles tendon surgery.

Thank you

@bookworm8500 you have done really amazing, well done 😄.

I am sure there will be other mumsnetters with more knowledge than me. But I didn’t want to read and run.

As you probably know you can’t spot reduce, but you can certainly make areas change somewhat with more work in that area. Spinning classes -but make sure the resistance is in (going all out like a hamster on a wheel with no resistance is just ott if it’s most of the class), you will feel it in your upper thighs etc the next day for sure. Body pump - you’ll get your squats in that too plus great for making everywhere leaner and toned. Running - just started park run (free on a sat morning generally I think great atmosphere and all abilities. For me a class pushes me far more than I can at home.

If you can only fit in home exercises, add some hand weights with your squat tracks. Then do some Pilates focusing on more on leg tracks - leg lifts (Pilates is well underestimated for the tone/strength it can give you and you can increase your level to feel the burn 😄). Pilates is really good to supports bones/injuries as well tbh.

Squats are great for abs and quads, but you need to do them with good form and with a progressive overload. That means adding weight, basically, to push the muscles

Do you belong to a gym? Maybe get some advice on good form for squats and how to do a back squat with a bar bell.

I rate MegSquats - she has a very good set of videos on YouTube, as well as a paid programme (for about £80 per year) in an app, called Stronger by the Day. It's a very good programme with options for body weight or gym work.

Pilates is a good call as it can use the full range of muscles including more awkward groups like abductors and adductors at the sides as well as the more obvious quads and hamstrings at the front and back.

Swimming is great exercise, but it is well worth adding in weight bearing/ strength for the muscle and bone-building benefits. (Pilates is bodyweight strength)

If possible, it's worth going to a class to learn good form.

How much do you walk? My legs always seem the most toned when my average daily step count is quite high (15k a day+). But i also do weights 2-3 times a week. Do you have gym membership with your swimming?

This is great for leg muscles!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gd7iOXJHvFw

For inner thigh though I have really struggled at home. I think the abductor machines are meant to be the most helpful.