Lower Body Workouts

From your waist down rests the body's fulcrum, the muscles that power your every move. In youth's blithe glow, this escapes your notice.

Your legs are springs, your step, quick and light. But the years spin on, and, in a wink you notice your legs have attained the staying power and consistency of tapioca pudding.

Tips from the Pros
"Everything we do in life—walking, standing, lifting—involves the lower-body muscles," says Gina Lombardi, a National Strength and Conditioning Association certified personal trainer. "Without strength here, we are more susceptible to injury, not to mention an inability to perform the daily tasks of life."

Stronger legs will make us better athletes too, adding power to our leap and lope, and resiliency to muscles exposed to the constant threat of injury. Serious athletes spend serious time building leg strength, which comes as a surprise to some weekend warriors.

"A lot of recreational athletes look at lower-body strengthening as something they don't have to do because they might already be running or cycling," says Jon Osbeck, fitness director of the Sports Center at Chelsea Piers in New York, and former head strength trainer at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York.

"That's true if they don't want to run faster, pedal up hills faster, ski more explosively, or keep from getting injured."

Time isn't an obstacle. Twenty minutes of lower-body strength training three times a week will provide new legs to stand on.

That you've ignored your legs until now won't be a problem, either. "It's never too late," says Osbeck. "You can absolutely get the legs of your youth back. Strength training—for the upper and lower body—really has the ability to keep aging at bay."

Here is a collection of "big bangs" for the lower body to help you on your way, and the games you can play to enhance your efforts in the gym.