5 Morning Exercises That Tighten Inner Thighs After 45, According to Trainers

By Alexa Mellardo

February 14, 2026

The inner thigh area is a region many gym-goers focus on as they age for several reasons. Stubborn fat and sagging skin develops in the inner thighs because of muscle loss and lower collagen. The solution? Working on the adductor muscles. By strengthening them, you’ll boost hip stability, balance, and even alleviate lower back pain. To help you out, we learned five morning exercises from Matt Bandelier, director of business development at Eden Health Club, that will tighten your inner thighs even faster than squats after 45.

Why Inner-Thigh Exercises Can Tone This Area Quicker Than Squats

“Let’s get real: Standard squats are great for your glutes and quads, but they often miss the inner thighs unless you’re dialing in your stance or adding a specific load or angle. If you’re doing squats and wondering why the inside of your thighs still feels soft, that’s why,” Bandelier tells us.

Targeted inner-thigh exercises—especially ones that feature adduction and multi-directional movement—activate muscles that are often neglected, including the gracilis and adductors.

“For women over 45, these muscles are often undertrained, stiff, or disconnected due to years of doing quad-dominant workouts or cardio on autopilot,” Bandelier adds. “Instead of going deep and wide on heavy squats, you’re better off generating consistent tension with isolated movements that zone in on inner-thigh activation at clean angles.”

You can easily do these inner-thigh exercises at home—and no equipment is required.

Sumo Walks With Pause

“This exercise targets the adductors and glutes while keeping active tension. No momentum here,” Bandelier tells us.

1. Begin by assuming a wide stance with your toes slightly pointed out and knees tracking over your toes.
2. Step laterally into a wide squat.
3. Pause for a moment.
4. Step out to the other side, keeping the movement low and your core tight.
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps in each direction.

Standing Inner Thigh Leg Lift

“The standing inner thigh leg lift fires the inner thigh directly from the hip joint, clean isolation without strain,” Bandelier points out.

1. Begin by standing tall next to a sturdy surface for balance.
2. Slowly lift your inside leg—the one that’s closest to the chair—across your body. Make sure to control the lift-out and your movement as you return.
3. Optionally, loop a resistance band around your ankles to increase the load.
4. Repeat on the opposite side.
5. Complete 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps on each side.

Lateral Lunges With Reach

“The lateral lunge with reach emphasizes adductor lengthening and contraction under bodyweight, a secret weapon for tone,” Bandelier explains.

1. Begin by taking a wide step out to one side.
2. Press your hips back and lower into a lateral lunge.
3. Reach across toward your extended foot.
4. Then, press back up.
5. Repeat on the other side.
6. Perform 3 sets of 8 reps on each leg.

Chair Squeeze Pulses

“The chair squeeze pulse builds direct time-under-tension and strengthens the adductor connection through static control,” Bandelier says.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

1. Begin by standing tall with a pillow or yoga block in between your knees.
2. Squeeze the pillow or block hard for 3-second pulses.
3. Keep your posture tall and focus on actively engaging your inner thigh muscles.
4. Perform 2 sets of 12 to 15 pulses with a hold after the final rep.

Inner Thigh + Glute Bridge Combo

“This exercise doubles up, adductors engage through the squeeze, glutes via the lift,” Bandelier tells us.

1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees and your feet flat and close together on the floor.
2. Position a pillow or ball in between your knees.
3. Squeeze and lift your hips off the ground into a glute bridge.
4. Hold at the top for a moment, squeezing the glutes.
5. Use control to lower.
6. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps with 3-second holds at the top.