Firm legs with mini bands

Today we want to focus on a few exercises that concentrate especially on the legs. Summer comes every year faster than expected and soon we can wear short dresses again. Toned muscles and good blood circulation are crucial for beautiful legs. We show you a few exercises that you can do with our minibands almost anywhere. For example, you could train in a quiet spot in your favorite park according to the season.

Of course, warming up should not be missing before your miniband workout. Ideally, a 15-minute endurance training to build up your training pulse and stimulate muscle blood flow. In any case, you should activate the muscle groups that you will strain more with the miniband afterwards. You can do this by casually doing, for example, lunges and squats or by squatting on one leg while keeping the other extended. We also like squat jumps (pulling knees up during the jump) and heel runs (running lightly while pulling the heels to the buttocks).

Calf stretches

This exercise trains, in addition to your calves, the arm and shoulder muscles.

Sit on the floor with your legs extended and place the miniband around your feet or optionally around just one foot. Then pull the band controlledly under your chest and hold it there for a moment before slowly returning to the starting position with the miniband. Make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together, keep your back straight, and engage your core.

Leg Curls

This simple exercise mainly targets the hamstrings and calf muscles.

Place the miniband around your ankles and stand upright. Then bend the leg you want to train by 90°. Make sure the thigh remains vertical and parallel to the other leg. Hold this position for a few seconds and then slowly lower your toes back toward the ground to repeat the exercise.

Leg stretches while standing

Here you see another exercise for the thigh. The miniband is again placed around your ankles while you stand upright. Being close to a wall or a tree is advantageous to support yourself if necessary. With a tense core, shift your weight onto the standing leg. The knee on the other side is bent, the thigh at a 90° angle to the body, and the lower leg parallel to the body. Now slowly extend this leg while maintaining resistance in the miniband. Hold this position for a moment and then slowly bend the leg again to return it to the starting position.

Sidekicks

This exercise mainly focuses on the buttocks and outer thighs (abductors). With the miniband placed around the lower calves, stand with a straight back. With high core tension, now move the training leg controlled outward. At the highest point, pause for a moment and slowly return with the sole of the foot to the ground. Maintain the tension in the miniband during this to repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Sumo Walk

This exercise, which we find has a funny name, is the highlight of today's workout and especially trains the gluteal muscles and the outer thighs.

The miniband is placed around the calves here. Then go into a wide squat so that your thighs are at a right angle to your upper body and lower legs. It can help to put your hands together in front of your chest or place them on your hips. In this position and with a tense upper body, take 10 steps forward.

Don't forget to loosen up after your miniband workout by, for example, jogging a few steps lightly and stretching. Stretching exercises and more miniband exercises can also be found in our eBook, which you receive for free with every order of minibands.

Photos: Daniel Wegner, Subtle Cinematics