“I don’t like my shape.”
“My thighs are too big.”
“I wish I had smaller legs to fit into cute jeans.”
Those are all real statements from women who were considered to have a larger-than-average thigh size.
Some women reading this may be able to relate. But the medical fact of the matter is, that thicker thighs can be healthy. For real.
To find out how thigh circumference affects health, Harvard Health reported that Danish scientists evaluated 2,816 men and women ages 35 to 65 who were free of heart disease, stroke, and cancer when they joined the study in the late ’80s.
Each participant provided a detailed health history and each underwent comprehensive examinations that included measurements of height, weight, and thigh, hip, and waist circumferences, as well as body fat percentage, which was determined by the highly accurate impedance method.
READ: Keep Your Curves: Exercises That Shape Your Hips, Thighs & Waist (VIDEO)
Thick Thigh Ambassador or self-love enthusiast trainer Lita Lewis, better known as @followthelita on Instagram has been saying this for years.
One of her messages on Instagram really resonated with us:
“Let’s remember what is #real will always be beautiful. It’s important to not only understand this but to live this! You see, self-love gives us the ability to see everyone as beautiful!”
If generations to come grow up thinking “fake” is normal, then that is what the masses adhere to, we’ll eventually lose the very essence of what makes mankind so incredibly DIFFERENT- our flaws, our struggles, our uncommon characteristics, skills and personalities, the beauty of our vast shapes and sizes.
We must see ourselves as beautiful, not just because we are, but because doing so preserves a healthy outlook of ourselves and everyone else around us.
What Did Researchers Find About Thick Thighs?
Researchers tracked the volunteers for an average of 12.5 years.
They found that people with big thighs had a lower risk of heart disease and premature death than those with thin thighs.
READ: Sit Fit: 5 Leg & Thigh Exercises You Can Do Sitting Down
In round numbers, a thigh circumference (measured where the thigh meets the butt) of about 62 cm (about 24.4 inches) was most protective; bigger thighs provided little if any extra benefit, but progressively thinner thighs were linked to progressively higher risks.
The predictive value of thigh size held up even after the scientists accounted for other indicators of body composition, including waist circumference, BMI, height, and body fat percentage.
And thigh size remained a strong independent predictor even after researchers adjusted for risk factors such as smoking, exercise, alcohol use, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and (for women) menopause.
It’s only one study, but its results are still impressive because the scientists measured thigh size but not thigh composition.
They didn’t tell if the apparent protection of big thighs is due to more muscle, more fat, or both. Well, not yet.
How Thick is Too Thick and How Big is Too Big?
But that’s where your muscle-to-fat ratio comes in.
It’s a fact that fat cells in the lower part of the body seem to vacuum up harmful fatty acids that are released into the blood when fat-laden foods are digested.
Fat cells in the upper body also store up free fatty acids but are quick to pour them back into the blood in response to stress-induced surges of adrenaline.
And abdominal fat cells (around your midsection) produce larger amounts of cytokines, chemicals that trigger harmful inflammation, while lower-body fat cells produce productive chemicals, including leptin and adiponectin.
MUST SEE: How To Get Michelle Obama’s Arms thick thighs save lives
During an average follow-up period of six years, two factors emerged as the strongest predictors of mortality.
Large waist circumference, reflecting abdominal obesity was linked to a high death rate (big fat belly = bad), but large mid-arm muscle circumferences predicted a reduced death rate (bigger arm muscles = good).
The results held up even after researchers took other risk factors into account.
The British study agrees with other investigations that show the stronger live longer.
It’s not just having bigger thighs, but the amount of muscle in them as well.
Many researchers conclude that part of the reason that remains true is that big, strong muscles reflect regular exercise and an active lifestyle.
But muscle itself also contributes to health. Muscle burns calories faster than other tissues.
Muscle cells are also more responsive to insulin, lowering blood sugar levels without requiring the high insulin levels that are associated with high cardiovascular risk.
MUST READ: 10 Delicious Foods That Can Strengthen Your Heart thick thighs save lives
In America and around the world, women tend to be pear-shaped, while men tend to be apple-shaped.
It may be one reason that women live longer than men, both in America and around the world. So don’t be mad at your big thighs girl, they’re a blessing!
The “Thick Thigh” Workout
Lunges are an amazing exercise that can really target the inner thighs if done correctly. When doing lunges, it’s important to take BIG strides and really stretch while going deep on each repetition.
Place your right leg in front of the left while looking forward. Legs should be in stride position as if you were running. Squat down in the position then jump up high enough to switch legs (when you land, your left leg should be in front of your right). That’s one rep. Do a series of 10 reps, 3 times.
Leg Presses Targeting Inner Thighs
You should really focus on lightweight and form when doing the leg press. You should have a very slow movement and make sure to stretch deep at the bottom and extent completely at the top. Again make sure your feet are in a wider than normal stance to really target the inner thighs.
Using the leg press machine, put on a moderate weight (your medium weight) and press out slowly (counting to 10 — at 10 your legs will be stretched out. Pull back while counting to 10. Be sure to squeeze your buttocks on the push-out.
An All-Around Leg Workout
For an all-around leg workout that will firm your inner and outer thighs and your butt, try this multi-direction routine for the treadmill. Begin slow speed to 2 mph or lower before changing directions. Increase as you become comfortable.
- 0:00 Warm-up: Walk at a moderate pace (about 3.0-3.5 mph).
- 5:00 Shuffle: Turn to the left and walk sideways, like you’re shuffling, hands on hips (about 2.0-2.5 mph).
- 7:00 Walk briskly (normal form, about 3.5-4.0 mph)
- 9:00 Shuffle, facing the right side.
- 11:00 Walk briskly.
- 13:00 Shuffle, facing the left side.
- 15:00 Walk briskly.
- 17:00 Shuffle, facing the right side.
- 19:00 Walk briskly.
- 21:00 Walk backward (reduce speed as much as necessary and slowly increase it as you acclimate).
- 23:00 Walk briskly.
- 25:00 Cool-down: Walk at a moderate pace (about 3.0-3.5 mph).
- 30:00 You’re finished! Great job!
