How to Get Long Lean Legs

Last Updated: August 18, 2022 References

Long lean legs are a very popular beauty standard, thanks to celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Taylor Swift. While you don't need to have long legs to be beautiful, it can make you feel more confident in certain clothes like shorts and dresses.

Part 1

Part 1 of 6:

Exercising

1
Do exercises that tone your leg muscles without growing your thighs. These exercises include pencil side legs, side leg extensions, and kneeling knee dips. You can also try doing some inner thigh exercises along with these exercises. Limit exercises that use the legs such as squats, burpees, deadlifts, and weighted leg machines. These exercises are great for toning up but they can also give you muscular legs. You don't have to avoid these exercises, just do them in moderation. Instead focus on exercises that slim down the thighs such as cardio.^{[1]
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- Pencil side legs. Stand up straight with your feet together, then lift one leg up and back down to the starting position. Repeat at least 10 to 15 times on both legs.
- Side leg extensions. Take a resistance band and wrap it around each hand. Kneel on one of your knees, then lift the other leg up and back down to the starting position. Repeat at least 10 to 15 times on both legs.
- Kneeling knee dips. Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your knees under your hips. Drive one of your knees out to the side, then go back to the starting position with control. Repeat at least 10 to 15 times on both legs.
2
Try exercises that involve stretching. Stretching not only helps lengthen your legs, but It's also a very good way to prevent injury. Try stretching before and/or after your workouts.
- Try using a stretching strap when you stretch your hamstrings.
- Try joining a yoga class, too! That's an excellent way to get flexible while also strengthening your core.^{[2]
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3
Take ballet classes. Ballet is not only good strength training, it will also help tone your outer thighs as well as lengthening your legs; after all, that's what ballet dancers are famous for. You can also try Pilates if you're not too fond of ballet. Pilates is great for lengthening all over.^{[3]
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4
Do some cardio. Any cardio is good. For example, you can walk your dog or even go for a run at your local state park. Try doing different types of cardio to find out what types of cardio you enjoy.
- Don't push yourself too hard if you're just starting out. Instead, focus on calming your heart rate down and relaxing your breathing. Stretch anything that feels tight, stay hydrated, and never work out on an empty stomach.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 6:

Eating the Right Foods

1
Add protein to your diet. Foods such as lean meats, dairy, quinoa, lentils, seeds, nuts, eggs, and oatmeal are high in protein and your body needs protein to function. Eat at least 7 grams of protein every day; eat more if you're an active person.^{[5]
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2
Add fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and are the most important part of a healthy diet.
- Add vegetables to your food. For example, if you enjoy making healthy Asian cuisines at home, try putting more vegetables in them such as green onions.
- Add fruits to your lunches. Instead of reaching for that Debbie snack, pack some apple slices or oranges instead.
3
Avoid heavily processed foods. These foods include packaged ramen noodles, little Debbie snacks, microwave dinners, pizzas, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. You don't need to avoid these foods, but eat them in moderation.
- For example, cut these foods down to special occasions like birthdays, cookouts, or after doctor's appointment.
4
Avoid foods that you don't like. Healthy eating is not fun at all if you're eating foods that you don't like. This can even cause bringing bad habits later. If you don't like a certain food, then don't buy it at the store.

Part 3

Part 3 of 6:

Practicing Good Posture

1
Stand up straight. Don't hunch over; doing so not only looks bad, but it can also cause back pain. Keep your head up and your shoulders back.
2
Don't lock your knees. Locking your knees will make your pelvis tilt forward, which can be detrimental to your well-being, so be sure to keep your knees relaxed.
3
Do posture focused exercises. Good posture helps you look taller overall.^{[6]
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Research source} With this in mind, posture-related exercises will make you look taller, which creates the illusion of longer legs. You can also take barre or belly dance classes to get the same result.
- Y raises. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and lie face down on a stability ball. Extend your legs behind you with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms toward the ground, then pull your shoulders back while squeezing your shoulder blades. After, lift the arms to shoulder height, and go back to the starting position. Repeat at least 10 to 15 times.^{[7]
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- Chest openers. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Bring your arms behind you and extend them out then go back to starting position. Repeat at least 10 to 15 times.
- High planks. Come on to all fours and straighten your legs while lifting your heels and hips. Engage your abdominal, arm, and leg muscles while lengthening the back of your neck. Be sure to keep your chest open and your shoulders back while doing this exercise. Hold this position for 1 minute.
4
Try to walk while standing up straight. You don't have to walk like a Victoria secret model, but standing up straight while walking will give the illusion of longer legs as well as making you more confident.

Part 4

Part 4 of 6:

Getting Motivated to Exercise

1
Play upbeat background music. Listening to upbeat music while exercising is a good motivation to get exercise. It gets your focus off of the pain that you're feeling; besides that, it also makes working out fun.
2
Play sports. Sports are a very good way to get in shape as well as to become more fit. Try playing different sports until you find out which ones you enjoy. Once you find a sport you enjoy, stick to it.
3
Wear workout clothes. Wearing a workout outfit that you like will make you more motivated to workout as well as making you feel more confident.
4
Do alternative exercise. If you're not a huge fan of any sports, try doing another alternative. These can be activities like riding your bike, dancing, doing karate, or even swimming will be just as effective at getting you in shape if you hate sports.

Part 5

Part 5 of 6:

Creating the Illusion of Longer Legs

1
Try wearing nude-colored sandals. Nude colored sandals can create the illusion of longer legs, even if you don't have them, especially if you're wearing shorts or a short dress. However, avoid heels with ankle straps; those will make your legs look shorter.^{[8]
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2
Don't get caught up with looking like your favorite celebrity. Working out isn't fun at all if you get caught up with trying to make your legs look like Cameron Diaz's or Taylor Swift's. Remember you're beautiful in your own unique way and being unique is better than being perfect.
- It's also important to keep genetics in mind too. If you don't have long legs, then there's no way to actually lengthen them, but you can still give the illusion of long legs with the right exercises and apparel.
3
Try tanning in the sun (optional). Sun tanning not only makes you look more toned, but it also provides you with other benefits such as Vitamin D, which is important to your growth. So if you spend a lot of time at the beach or the pool, try laying out in the sun every once in a while to get a tan.
- However, be sure to wear sunscreen before you tan and don't use a tanning bed. Tanning beds are not only dangerous, but they're very unnatural as well.^{[9]
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  Go to source} You can also use a spray tan as well, if you don't want to expose your skin to UV rays.
- Make sure your sunscreen has SPF. When you go to the store to buy sunscreen, make sure that it has a good amount of SPF. If you're going swimming, use a sunscreen of SPF 30 or above. If you're just going outside to play a sport, a sunscreen with SPF 15 is enough coverage.
4
Wear a high-waist skirt. High-waist skirts, similar to nude sandals, can give the illusion of longer legs. These items can even be paired together too to create a cute outfit.

Part 6

Part 6 of 6:

Finding the Right Apparel

1
Find the right bikini top. If you have small breasts, go for a push-up bikini top or a top with ruffles. However, if you have bigger breasts, go for a halter bikini top or a top that has criss-cross back straps. You can also accessorize by wearing a waterproof necklace.
2
Find the right bikini bottoms. If you have a thin body type such as an athletic body type, go for a bottom that's lower on the waist. However, if you have bigger hips, go for something mid to high waisted. You can also wear a pair of wedge espadrilles with your bikini to create the illusion of longer legs.
3
Wear clothes that show off your legs. These clothing items include short skirts, short dresses, and shorts. Pair these clothing items with a pair of wedged heels or nude sandals for a casual outfit.
- Unless you have naturally long, skinny legs, avoid wearing tightly fitted shorts. This will give the illusion of bigger thighs which will make your legs look shorter.
4
Wear the right shirts. If you have a small bust, go for shirts that have ruffles, breast pockets, or high necklines. If you have bigger breasts, go for corset style tops and shirts that have V or sweetheart necklines.
5
Try wearing high heels. High heels create the illusion of longer legs, especially if you pair it with a short dress or skirt. Don't wear these too often though, doing so can damage your legs over time. Only wear heels for special occasions.
6
Wear nude colored shoes. Shoes that match your skin tone will work too as they visually extend your legs. These can be paired with anything depending on what kind of shoe it is.
7
Wear thigh-high boots. Thigh-high boots will make you look taller than you are which gives the appearance of longer legs. Pair these shoes with a jean skirt and band t-shirt if you want to create an edgy look. Avoid calf hugging boots; these will make your thighs look bigger and your legs look shorter.^{[10]
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Wear wedged espadrilles. As stated before, wedged espadrilles create the illusion of longer legs. Pair these with any summer outfit to create a bohemian summer look.^{[11]
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How Do I Slim My Legs Down Fast?

Expert Q&A

Question

How do I train to look lean?

Francisco Gomez
Fitness Coach
Francisco Gomez is the Head Coach at the FIT Potato Gym, a training gym established in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Francisco is a former competitive runner who helps endurance athletes train for major marathons like the Boston Marathon. Francisco specializes in Injury Rehab, Flexibility, Marathon Training, and Senior Fitness. He has a B.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology & Running.

Francisco Gomez

Fitness Coach

Expert Answer

Focus on cutting back your body fat percentage. You can do this by paying attention to your macros and by adding weightlifting to your workout routine. It also helps to do high intensity exercise outside of your regular strength training, which allows you to burn more fat.