Recently I asked you about the strength of your tummy, but now I want to know the size of your thighs. The reason? Big thighs might be a sign of cardiovascular health and longevity. After focusing on waist size as a risk factor for heart diseases, measuring the thighs seems more than a little counter-intuitive. But a long-term Danish study of 3,000 adults found that thigh circumference worked as an indicator for risk of an early death. Men and women with thighs measuring 60 centimeters, or 23.6 inches, around had a lower risk of heart disease. The measurement is taken at the very top of the thigh, just below the crease of your seat. The research team believes that folks with narrow thighs do not have enough overall muscle mass to properly process insulin, and this increases their risk for type 2 diabetes, which raises their risk for developing heart disease. The lack of leg muscle might also indicate a lack of exercise, which we know is not good for your ticker either.
Health professionals, from cardiologists to obesity experts, find the results of the Danish thigh study interesting but feel the findings need to be corroborated and researched further. I feel thigh circumference, as an indicator of long-term heart health might need to be placed in a ratio with height. Regardless, as a woman with muscular thighs, this is some of the best news I have heard in a while. If you are looking to add some muscles to your thighs, try squats and lunges.
Tell me now, what is the state of your thighs?
Vanessa Bruno
Virginie Monroe
Lacoste
I run, and I weight train with squats and lunges also. I had big thighs compare to all my friends, but I just measured mine - 20.5 inches.
1This is as ridiculous as that New York Times study on exercise and weight loss.
Once again, these so-called 'scientists' have failed to distinguish between fat and muscle.
221.5"!
319.2". I think I have big thighs though in comparison to how small the rest of me is. My upper thighs stick out wider than my hips - i'm definitely a pear shape.
4I have turkey legs so mine are most definitely larger than 23 inches. However most of it is fat (cause I am a chubby butt) that I'm trying to melt in favour of muscle.
5I gotta say, reading this and knowing my thighs are a little flabby makes me want to hit the gym harder!
I think they're like 22" around the biggest part, so up at the top, probably 19 or 20. But I'm a very tiny person. I'm only 5'. I think my thighs are frickin' huge. I look really bad in shorts. I agree with the above comments, it should be based on how big/small the rest of you is.
6I'm muscular and about 23 inches.
7my thighs are huge because I used to be a sprinter in high school. I think they're probably just about 23 inches.
8my thighs are pretty strong, but are also have like a layer of fat on top, haha. That's where I have all my excess weight. Working on getting rid of it!
9Mine are 19 inches but I spin and do weights - alas all my weight goes on my tummy, I'm apple shaped and look pregnant even if I put on 3 or 4lbs.
10I read this report on Friday and went home and measured. I thought for sure I'd be bigger than 23, but alas I was only at about 21.5 and my thighs are muscular.
11No idea. I'm guessing bigger than 23.6, but I might be wrong! Hoping for the best! haha
12Mine are 23, but muscular. Most of my family have really skinny chicken legs. My calves are muscular & big I don't like them. They got that way from working out on the treadmill.
13Mine are only 22, but I really think that I have plenty of muscle. I'm just a smaller-framed person, so a really muscular thigh would look out of proportion.
14Mine are only about 20-21", but I'm small-framed so they're big in comparison to the rest of my body. I've always thought having nice thick muscular thighs had to have an up side somewhere. Good to know!
15I'm skinny so about 21 inches...but I'm not concerned, I'm very healthy
16I'm 19.5 on the left thigh, 19.2 on the right... oddly enough my thighs are the 'biggest' part of my body and I always think they need to be thinner - perhaps not!
17Hm, 20.1, and my thighs aren't muscular at all... I was already trying to get some muscle tone on my legs, so I guess this study is extra motivation!
1822 and muscular. They're an inch smaller when I don't work out AT ALL, but that's not healthy and stuff.
19Mine are about 20 inches around, but definitely large compared to the rest of me. Let me mention again how much I hate skinny jeans. I have to go up two sizes to get my legs into them, and then they're gaping at the waist.
20It looks like that model's thighs are only about 18 inches around.
21I am a petite size six. Use to be petite size four in my twenties. I always had muscular thighs and they measure around 20". That's plenty big for me, and even when I do lose weight my legs never appear as thin. I have a big back muscle there that sticks out. It always amazes me when I see model thin thighs on other women without that muscle there. But so many body types are out there.
22I used to be a fit model and got measured every week... Torture... We had to have 'small' thighs for being 5'10"!!
I measure about 24. But I'm way taller than most of you who have posted.
23Proportionally, my thighs are huge--lots muscle & a little fat too (unfortunately), but they are about 22 inches. I don't understand how these researchers can't take height into consideration. At just under 5'3, the last thing I need is thighs bigger than 23 inches. I need to lose inches, not gain.
24My thighs are around 24.5 inches. They're quite strong, but like someone else said, there's a healthy layer of fat on top too. I keep most of my fat there and in my butt.
25Wow...my thighs are just on 16 inches, and I'm no stick insect, plus I run, so they're fairly muscular. I am, however, extremely short -only 4ft10- so the formula may not work so well for the likes of me.
26This research seems flawed. It seems that just as having thighs that are too large could be a sign of health risks just as having ones that are too skinny. I remain skeptical as they did not also provide an "upper limit" on thigh size.
2719" muscular thighs, and a petite 5'2".
28that's huge!!! how tall are these people? or are they incredible athletes? i'm 5'8" and my thighs are 19.5"
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