Your legs have an important responsibility. In addition to supporting your body weight, you use them to transport your body from one place to another. Strengthening them and maintaining their strength is important for your health, and to keep your legs energized. The best way to strengthen your legs and boost your endurance is to build up the muscles and increase how often you use them.
Step 1
Walk for at least 30 minutes each day. Health organizations including the American Heart Association recommend engaging in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Although walking is something you do every day, by doing so for a consistent period of time on most days, you can get your legs into the habit of moving consistently and strengthening them at the same time.
Step 2
Stretch your legs twice a day. Your legs are composed of several muscle groups. When you engage your legs in walking or any form of lower-body exercise, these muscles contract and become tight. It is important for you to stretch your muscles to help them relax. This protects the elasticity of the connective tissue and ligaments and lowers your risk of injury. Stretch in the morning when you wake up and at the end of the day at minimum. If you exercise, you should stretch before and after.
Step 3
Practice a weight-bearing exercise such as squats. The focus of weight-bearing exercises is to utilize weight as resistance to work your legs. Weight-bearing exercises are helpful in building muscles in your legs and providing your legs with power to support any activity your legs are engaged in.
Step 4
Wear supportive footwear whenever possible. Providing adequate support to your feet helps to better support your legs. Wearing shoes that are too flat or wearing high heels can sometimes be problematic for your feet and legs. When walking or exercising, choose active footwear with padding for the arches and balls of the feet.
Step 5
Rest your legs when you aren't engaged in an activity. Working your legs is just as important as resting them. When you are sitting at home, rest your feet on an ottoman to relieve the pressure from your legs. This helps them to feel more energized when you are ready.
