Lower Body Strength Training

Not only are strong legs and a tight back end attractive, they also give your metabolism a boost. The quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes are some of your biggest muscles - build these up and they'll burn loads of calories. There are many different approaches to getting your lower body into shape. Here are some suggestions.

	Giving Your Knees What They Need Few things can put a halt to an exercise program faster than a blown knee. Here are some tips on taking care of these complex joints, and what to do if you're faced with a knee injury.
	Ankles Aweigh! Want a Lifetime of Mobility? Be Good to Your Ankles One of the most common reasons for falls is poor balance, and one of the reasons for poor balance is weak ankles. Build up your balance and ankle strength, and you'll be less prone to falls as you age.
	Leg and Thigh Exercise Tips This page offers some good advice, no matter how you decide to work your legs. It also includes a couple of basic exercises.
	Fix Flabby Thighs Here are some suggestions on how to start a leg program if you belong to a gym and have access to some machines.
	Do You Know Squats? If your knees can handle them, squats are one of the absolute best lower body moves you can do. This article gives you the low-down on squats and offers some variations.
	Squatting Kneeds Dr. Frederick C. Hatfield is the King of Squats - in competition he once squatted 1,014 pounds. This informative article not only discusses squats in detail, it places special emphasis on keeping your knees healthy.
	How to Get Great Glutes Here is a series of exercises to target your glutes - otherwise known as your derriere. (Incidentally, the first exercise listed is the squat!)
	Walking Lunge If you use good form, walking lunges will really work your thighs and rear. Here's how to do 'em.
	Hamstring Training You may not consider them as important because you can't see them, but exercising the backs of your thighs - your hamstrings - is crucial. You need to balance out both sides of your legs. This is a set of exercises you can do at home or at the gym.
	Calf Exercises While you're at it, don't forget your calves. A firm calf muscle not only looks great, it also helps you walk, run and do aerobics faster and longer. The calf raises you can do anywhere, the rest of the exercises require gym equipment.