Does Running Firm Up the Thighs & Buttocks?

Contents

1. Shaping and toning
2. Work Those Thighs
3. Glute Power
4. Going Into Overdrive

Running is generally seen as a cardiovascular exercise to improve cardio-respiratory fitness and burn fat, but it can also build muscle and firm up your thighs and buttocks. You only need to look at the toned thighs and butts of distance runners and sprinters to recognize the beneficial effects running can have on your musculature. 고스톱  Your thighs and buttocks, in conjunction with other lower-body muscles work to propel your body and stabilize your trunk as you run.

Shaping and toning

Running simultaneously burns fat and shapes and tones your thigh and butt muscles. According to the The American Council on Exercise, jogging, running and sprinting are very effective exercises for your lower-body muscles. However, any lean muscle gains will be limited, as you are only working aginst your body weight. Include resistance training in your routine if you want to gain significant muscle, or focus specifically on your butt and thighs.

Work Those Thighs

Your quadriceps -- the muscles on the fronts of your thighs -- work to flex, extend and stabilize your knees. They also contract to cushion the impact as your foot lands on the ground. Your hamstrings -- the muscles at the back of your thighs -- help flex and extend your knees, and extend your legs at the hip. These actions help tone and strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings.

Glute Power

The two large muscles of your buttocks -- the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius -- work to propel you forward and stabilize your pelvis and hip joints as you run. Your buttocks work in concert with your thighs in your running gait. According to strength coach Nancy Cummings, quoted in a 2007 issue of "Runners World," your glutes kick in as your foot hits the ground, followed by your hamstrings and your quadriceps.

Going Into Overdrive

Increase your intensity by sprinting or running uphill. According to a study published in the January 2014 issue of the "American Journal of Physical Anthropology," sprinting engages more muscle fibers in your buttocks. Running uphill is a tough proposition, but the results make the effort worthwhile. According to running coach and author Martin Duggard, in a book extract published in the May 31, 2011 issue of "Runners World," running uphill develops explosive power and muscle tone in your hips, buttocks, hamstrings and calves.