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The majority of  women athletes, once they end competitive play, work on decling the size of their muscles in different parts of their bodies. As both a softball and soccer player, you’re most likely performing power movements in order to train your legs.

These power movements probably involve lifting very heavy loads for several repetitions while strength training and performing explosive movements, such as pressing off of your pivot leg when sprinting.

The amount of muscle in the thighs can be decreased, but it may hamper your athletic performance when you are still active in softball and soccer.

As a power athlete, you probably have a larger proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers (Kind II) than slow-twitch fibers (Kind I), found predominantly in endurance athletes.

The majority of of your muscle type won’t change, as the type of muscle fibers don’t predominantly change over the at one’s life.

Basically, you’re born with the primary type of muscle fiber that you’ll always have; notwithstanding, a small amount may adapt to changes in the workout regimen. Resistance and endurance training enlarges Kind I fibers, while inactivity causes them to atrophy.

In like manner, training might alter Kind II fibers, which come in two varieties – hybrid fibers (Kind IIa) and glycolitic fibers (Kind IIb).

Weight training converts Kind IIb fibers into bigger Kind IIa fibers. With disuse, Kind IIa fibers revert to leaner Kind IIb fibers.

If you are no longer playing or simply have a strong desire to decrease the muscle size in the quadriceps and hamstrings that make up your thighs, consider cutting back on lifting heavy weights while weight training.

As opposed to performing one to four sets for three to five repetitions at a very heavy weight (85 to 100 percent of your one-lift maximum, which is the most you can lift for only one repetition, after which, you can’t repeat the exercise), start doing three sets for 15 to 20 repetitions at a low weight (approximately 50 to 70 percent of your one-lift maximum).

Below are some leg exercises to add in in the training

• squats

• leg press

• leg curls

• leg extensions

• seated and standing calf raises

• adductor

• abductor

Another choice to lessen the size of your thigh muscles is to introduce distance running into your training regimen, if you don’t have or aren’t prone to any joint pain in your legs.

This activity can transform the size and structure of your legs. This is because distance runners adapt to this form of endurance training by developing leaner muscular legs (even though the muscle kind will predominantly remain the same).

You might consider starting with one mile and then build up to five to ten miles during a training session.

People might be genetically predisposed to have strong leg muscles in their thighs. This mightn’t only apply to you, but also might be a reason for your athletic success.

Although your legs might not look traditionally feminine, it’s important to recognize their beauty in performing strong, powerful moves when scoring a goal or running to home.

Since it sounds as when you are still active in softball and soccer, you could come to terms with your priority – to stay competitive in these sports, to play at a more leisurely level, or to stop for the time being.

Your choice will determine whether, how much, and for how long you can transform the muscle mass in your thighs.

The bottom line will be deciding whether it is more important to you to have strong muscles that serve you athletically, or smaller muscles and less athletic prowess (or power).

When you desire both, and you cannot change what is in the genes, then you could be able to change how you view your powerful, capable body.

As reported by exercise physiologist Irv Rubenstein, Ph.D., strength training combined with three 30-minute cardio sessions weekly will give cardiovascular benefits without muscle loss.

Cardiovascular

In order to sustain muscle gains, Dr. Rubenstein suggests using the rowing machine or doing interval training for the aerobic portion of your exercise regimen.

An example of interval training is using the stationary bicycle for 30 minutes, with one-minute high intensity “sprints” every 5 minutes.

These exercises integrate resistance with cardiovascular endurance, ultimately protecting lean muscle mass.

Running is not advised as a cardiovascular exercise because it can decrease muscle size due to the large energy demands.

In addition, it is not suggested that cardio be done on the same day as strength training.

Studies demonstrate that more muscle growth happens on strength training-only days in comparison to cardio and strength training on the same day.

If cardio and resistance training have to be done on the same day, lift first, when physical strength, mental focus, and energy supply are at their peak.

Weight training

To maximize muscle growth, a 3-day lifting cycle is favored, with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with a heavy weight. Splitting workouts to cover certain body parts on different days may also aid muscle growth.

An example of this would be – chest, shoulders, and triceps on one day; lower body for another day; and, back, trapezius (upper shoulders/upper back area), and biceps on yet another day.

Resting is critical to muscle repair and growth so there need not be more than three consecutive days of overall exercise (strength training or cardio) followed by a rest day.

An ideal exercise schedule would look like the following

Day 1 – chest, shoulders, and triceps resistance training

Day 2 – back, trapezius, and biceps resistance training

Day 3 – 30 minutes of rowing

Day 4 – REST

Day 5 – 30-minute bicycle interval with sprints

Day 6 – lower body strength training

Day 7 – REST

Nutrition

When the goal is overall muscle gain, consuming a high-calorie diet builds and maintains muscle mass.

At a minimum, your husband needs to eat three moderate to large-size meals of approximately 500 to 700 calories each a day, with three snacks throughout the day consisting of 200 to 400 calories each.

Meals and snacks need to contain protein, carbohydrate, and fat and be spaced 3 to 4 hours apart. Pick protein from animal sources at meals often, specifically for the meal after any workout.

A snack needs to be consumed approximately 1 to 2 hours before a workout. Calories are not to be curtailed on rest days.

Here is a sample eating plan for both workout and non-workout days

Breakfast – 2 scrambled eggs, 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of whole grain toast, 1 cup of juice

Morning Snack – . cup of trail mix (mixture of nuts/seeds and dried fruit)

Lunch – 3 ounces of roast beef, 1 tablespoon of mayo on a roll with lettuce and tomato, 1 cup of fruit yogurt

Afternoon Snack – 1 protein bar (approximately 200 – 300 calories total)

Dinner – 6 ounces of chicken (i.e., 2 breasts), 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of tossed salad with 2 tablespoons of salad dressing

Evening Snack – 1 cup of 4 percent cottage cheese, 1 slice of toast, 1 banana

Overall, some cardiovascular exercise is good for the heart, but too much will inhibit a man’s efforts to gain muscle mass.

During the first few days at a higher altitude with thinner air that contains less atmospheric oxygen, one’s body will respond as follows

• breathing rate (ventilation) increases

• blood pH decreases, becoming more acidic

• muscle pH also decreases and becomes more acidic

• use of carbohydrates as an energy source increases

• use of fat as an energy source reduces

These changes lead to a slight increase in basal metabolic rate (BMR), the amount of energy needed to keep your body working correctly at rest for 24 hours.

Research studying this phenomena have found between a 6 to 28 percent increase in overall BMR in women and men at high altitudes.

With time, the increase in BMR lowers, but doesn’t return completely to baseline, so metabolism is slightly elevated at higher altitudes.

With this said, it seems that someone can expend many more calories while exercising at high altitudes; nonetheless, this is not necessarily the case.

There isn’t a huge difference of calories utilized at a higher altitude during exercise even though it could feel as though a individuals is working much harder.

The few additional calories someone will use will be a result of increased breathing to get more oxygen into the body, which means increased work by the rib cage and other muscles involved in ventilation.

So even though ventilation increases and oxygen delivery is enhanced, it does not necessarily mean a person is expending more energy while exercising.

Here are some factors that do influence the amount of calories a individuals expends in general

Genetics

Some individuals are born with high metabolisms (the rate at which one’s body uses calories) and others are born with low metabolisms. the main culprit of these phenomena is the thyroid gland.

A few individuals produce more thyroxin (the hormone that is secreted from the thyroid) than others.

Thyroxin is responsible for metabolism, so if a person’s body produces a high-normal amount of thyroxin, she / he will utilize calories more quickly.

When a person’s body produces a low-normal amount of thyroxin, he / she will utilize calories more slowly and gradually.

NOTE – if thyroxin is out of normal range in either direction, it’s perilous and needs medical attention.

Gender

Ordinarily, men have greater muscle mass than women. Since muscle requires more calories to maintain, men tend to have 10 to 15% faster metabolisms than women. In like manner, men have a lower body fat percentage than women.

Age

Metabolic rate is higher in childhood than in adulthood. Kids are growing and need more calories to fulfill their bodies’ requirements. After the age of 20 years, metabolism drops 2% per decade.

Brain Power

The brain is only 2% of the body’s weight, but accounts for additional than 20% of sum calories used.

Also, the length of time per day spent awake affects the amount of calories utilized. We expend more calories when we are awake than when we are asleep.

Fever

For every increase of 0.5.C (32.9.F) in body temperature, BMR increases by approximately 7%. For example, if someone has a fever of 42.C (107.6.F), she / he would have an increase in metabolic rate of 50%.

The reason for this is that chemical reactions in the body occur more rapidly at higher temperatures.

Medications

A few medications, like anti-depressants, can slow down metabolic processes and lead to weight gain.

During exercise, the following factors influence calorie expenditure

Cardiovascular Exercise Intensity

The intensity of aerobic activity has the greatest impact on calorie usage during exercise. As exercise intensity increases, the greater the caloric expenditure during and after exercise.

Intensity refers to the rate of exertion during exercise, which may be measured by VO2 max (oxygen consumption), heart rate, or perceived exertion.

Here’s an example of cardiovascular activity intensity – running on a treadmill at 6.5 mph is more intense than running at 5.5 mph, so increasing speed can impact intensity.

Notwithstanding, two people could be running at 5.5 mph, but if one runs on an incline, that activity would be more intense.

Cardiovascular Exercise Duration

The length of time per workout session not only impacts the number of calories utilized during exercise, but also the number of calories to be utilized after exercise.

The longer the bout of physical activity, the more calories will be expended right after it’s over, a.k.a. the ‘after-burn.’

Intermittent vs. Single Bouts of Exercise

Several studies have concluded that intermittent aerobic exercise expends more calories overall than continuous exercise.

People used more calories during two, 25-minute sessions when compared to a continuous 50-minute bout of the same exercise.

This occurs for two reasons – first, the body has to work harder at rest to move from an anaerobic state, using glucose and other simple and complex carbohydrates during the first few minutes of exercise, to an aerobic state, which relies on fat as its main energy source during more sustained activity.

This will happen twice in intermittent exercise bouts versus once in a continuous bout. Also, there’s more ‘after-burn’ of calories in intermittent workout sessions versus one continuous session.

Resistance Training

The intensity of strength training also influences calories utilized. Heavier lifting (3 sets, 8 exercises, 3 to 8 reps at 80 to 90% of 1RM) will use more calories during and right after than lighter resistance training (4 sets, 8 exercises, 15 reps at 50% of 1RM).

1RM refers to the weight of one repetition at maximal strength. For  instance, if a person’s 1RM of a squat is 100 pounds, then heavy lifting would be doing 3 sets of 3 to 8 reps of squats at 80 to 90 lbs. Lighter lifting weights would be squatting 50 lbs for 4 sets of 15 reps.

Fitness Level

People who are more fit expend fewer calories during and right after exercise than individuals who are less fit.

This occurs because people who have been exercising more consistently have faster recovery time in breathing and heart rate, and repair muscle more quickly.

Overall, metabolism increases slightly at higher altitudes with some greater caloric expenditure, but this difference is insignificant, since metabolism is influenced to a bigger degree by the above eleven factors.

Upping your running mileage creates physiologic changes that support endurance. As you increase mileage, your legs build up more muscle mass to tolerate the increased work they need to do.

When you feel sore after a run, it indicates that a small amount of injury occurred to certain muscle groups. Our bodies respond by repairing the area of injury and building more muscle mass.

This increases endurance and overall strength. Muscle mass is enhanced in several ways via these physiologic adaptations

Increased capillaries

Capillaries, the body’s smallest blood vessels, bring oxygen and fuels in, and waste products, such as carbon dioxide, out of the cells. Longer runs increase the volume of capillaries per muscle fiber, improving this delivery and removal system.

More myobglobin

Myoglobin carries oxygen from the cell membrane of the muscle cell to the mitochondria for energy production. Increasing running mileage results in higher myoglobin content in muscle fibers, with more oxygen delivered to those fibers.

Mighty mitochondria

Mitochondria, the aerobic energy centers in your cells, increase in number and size in your muscle fibers as you increase your runs. Enzymes in the mitochondria speed up aerobic energy production, increasing enzyme activity and helping maintain a faster pace while running.

Glycogen storage

Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate. As your mileage increases, more and more stored glycogen is used. Glycogen depletion stimulates muscles to store more glycogen.

As you can see, these physiologic changes, as a result of an increase in running mileage, support your leg muscles in becoming bigger and stronger.

You do not have to worry about your leg muscles growing exponentially with each added mile in your run because the hormone estrogen avoids muscles from getting too big or too bulky.

Rather, your leg muscles will become lean mean running machines! In addition to these physiologic changes, your body also uses fat as an energy source at a higher rate than carbohydrates and glycogen. the type of muscle fibers in the legs is also transformed.

Slow-twitch fibers in muscle help in endurance because they’ve a higher proportion of the adaptations listed above.

Longer runs give your fast-twitch muscle fibers, usually reserved for sprinting or power actions, more of the characteristics of slow twitch fibers. So, feel good about your new pants size. Your legs will take you where you would like to go!

Hypoxic training is a method of training that reduces the availability of oxygen to the body.

Some individuals , including quite a few athletes, believe that it can lead to physiological changes that allow the blood to carry more oxygen and thereby improve physical endurance.

The question is – does this concept hold water? Because of the inconclusive nature of the studies done so far, the answer to that question is still up in the air.

What researchers do know is that constant exposure to low levels of oxygen can do more harm than good to the body. It may cause  chronic stress, detraining, and edema (fluid buildup in the lungs and brain).

In some cases, blood can thicken too much, raising the risk of death due to blood clotting.

Some athletes, however, have found that intermittent hypoxic training in combination with regular training has improved their level of performance.

Others feel that sleeping or living at high altitudes (or simulated high-altitude environments) and training at low altitudes increases their endurance.

This is known as the LHTL (Live High Train Low) method and is supposed to counteract the effects of detraining while enhancing performance by an averageof 2 to 3 percent.

Heading for the hills is not the only way to achieve the effects of hypoxic training.

As you mentioned, there are now a number of ways to simulate high altitude training, such as breathing intermittently with a nitrogen mask, sleeping in a nitrogen tent, living or sleeping in a barometric chamber, and living in a nitrogen house.

Nitrogen replaces a proportion of the oxygen in the air in many of these methods, leading to oxygen deprivation and hence creating a hypoxic environment.

Nonetheless, all of these tools come with disadvantages and might not work for everyone, so it is best to speak with a healthcare provider when you are thinking of using them.

First, let us just acknowledge that it’s excellent that you’re working out, regardless of the time of day. You could notice that many fitness facilities on campus and in the community have responded to your need by staying open late or even 24 hours a day.

From a physiological standpoint, working out at night is no different than working out during the day when that is what your schedule dictates.

Just remember to hydrate before, during, and after your routine. It is also best to eat a little prior to deciding to train – a piece of fruit or a power bar will do the trick.

If you find yourself hungry after your workout, your body may recover better with some sustenance as well.

For tips on consuming and working out, see Is it better to eat before or after exercise?

When attempting to determine which time of day is best for your workout, consider the following

• Working out at night may disrupt sleep for some person. When you have noticed a change in the sleep habits, attempt to shift your workout earlier in the evening. When possible, avoid any “workout drink” that might be caffeinated or full of sugar.

• Though research is mixed and ever-evolving, some evidence shows that individuals who workout in the morning are better able to stick to their routine. Notwithstanding, if another time of day works well for you, keep it up and do what feels best.

• If you’re exercising at night, whether in a park or other public space, or commuting between home and a fitness facility, pay extra attention to your safety and think about finding a workout partner (safety in numbers).

As far as feeling tired during the middle of the day, that might be related to not getting enough sleep at night.

The advised amount of sleep per night falls between 6 to 10 hours for most person.

If your nighttime exercise routine is fairly new to you, it could take your body a little time to adjust.

A lot of individuals who exercise consistently actually report experiencing more energy from their athletic endeavors.

As mentioned above, nutrition and hydration have a large impact on our bodies, especially our energy levels.

When your diet is deficient in any nutrients or high in sugars that can send your blood sugar (and energy levels) on a roller coaster, you may want to consider how to balance your meals and snacks.

Lastly, you might find that squeezing in a 20 to 30 minute power nap during the day could help, not only to keep you refreshed, but to also allow for additional energy while you train.

Just because you can’t be on your feet doesn’t mean you ought to be sitting on your butt all the time.

Truly, studies have shown that exercising can help certain injuries heal faster, when it is done properly and without too much weight.

Nonetheless, since excess weight or repetition can lead to reinjury, these exercises should always be done below the close supervision of a healthcare provider or medical specialist.

In addition to the exercises listed in the Alice archives (see Exercise for the physically challenged and Weight loss recommendations for someone with limited to no mobility), you can also attempt Pilates or Yoga.

These exercises may be easy on your foot and can improve your posture, flexibility, and balance.

To start, you might find a class and let the instructor know about your injury or get your hands on a video or DVD and fast-forward past any parts that involve any fancy (or basic) footwork.

If your cast is waterproof, swimming and water aerobics will give you a great workout without straining your foot. It is also a good excuse to review the pool boy,  or rather, the pull-buoy.

This is a piece of foam or other soft substance that goes between your thighs while you’re in the pool, permitting your lower body to float and making your upper body do all of the work.

As you could have already noticed, working out at the gym might help you with workin’ it in the sack.

In addition to increasing aerobic capabilities and muscle strength, exercise has also been linked to a high-revving sex drive. All three of these effects are certainly beneficial underneath the sheets.

Besides possibly enhancing your self-image, which is pretty sexy in itself, exercise also leads to the release of certain chemicals known as endorphins.

The release of endorphins is thought to lead to a subsequent release of hormones that pump up a person’s sex drive.

Even low-intensity activities, like yoga or tantra, may do a little somethin’ somethin’ by increasing blood flow to the genitals and increasing arousal.

Exercise might also offer a lift to some men who experience erectile dysfunction (ED), which may be caused by poor blood flow to the genital region, including the penis.

Working out gets the heart pumping and improves circulation so that all parts of the body get theirs – their share of blood, that is.

What’s more, a relationship has been shown between a man’s bulging waistline and a higher risk of ED due to underlying heart conditions.

All of this means that exercise is doubly advantageous because it can help with weight loss to get both the ticker and the pecker back in shape.

Women, no need to feel left out – being physically active may also increase blood flow to the vagina and clitoris, and make a low libido a thing of the past.

With all the other well-known health benefits of exercise, isn’t it excellent to see how all that sweat can turn into something so sexy?

Burning calories does not have to be an uphill battle, though walking up a hill with a 15 degree slope will cause you to use a third more energy than walking on a level surface!

Both terrain variation and swinging of the arms will increase caloric expenditure during a walk. Terrain variation is namely helpful.

Walking downhill actually uses about the same amount of energy as walking on a flat surface, unless it is unsteady terrain.

Working to keep your balance will burn more energy, unless the surface makes you so unsteady that you’ve to walk significantly more slowly.

So varying terrain can be very healthy, just remember to wear ankle-supporting shoes, specifically when walking along unpaved paths or trails.

Arm-swinging will also increase calorie-burning, lends power to your walking, and assists with balance.

Swinging the arms can burn 5 to 10% more calories than walking without arm-swinging. Here are some tips to maximize this benefit and minimize injury

• Be careful not to clench your fists, as this can interfere with circulation

• Bend elbows at 90 degrees and keep arms close to the body

• With each step, the arm opposite your forward foot swings straight out rather than diagonally

• Be sure to keep the arm coming forward low – it should not go above breastbone

• Arm “pumping” and other more exaggerated arm movements are not necessarily helpful in the propelling or calorie-burning department.

Intensity and duration of exercise are mutually exclusive. It is hard to stay active at the highest intensity for a long period of time. A lot of times, exercise is either at a higher intensity for a shorter period of time, or at a lower intensity for a longer period of time.

A advantage of walking at a faster pace is that it helps improve cardiovascular function andfitness level. In time, a individuals who trains at higher levels of intensity can slowly and gradually increase his or her exercise time, building up endurance.

A benefit of walking at a slower pace is that it permits a person to stroll for a longer duration before becoming tired, which helps to build up endurance.

In time, a person can gradually increase the intensity (speed up his or her walking), improving his or her fitness level. Improvements in fitness occur by increasing the body’s use of oxygen (a.k.a., oxygen consumption).

Whether the intensity is high and duration is short, or the intensity is low and duration is long, relatively the same amount of oxygen is utilized and the same number of calories is expended.

One mode of exercise is no better than another – for intensity or duration. What really counts is to be consistent in any activity you choose to do.

Mixing it up – some days going for intensity – shorter, faster walks; some days going for endurance – longer, slower walks – can keep you on your toes (pun intended).

It can also make your exercise routine more intriguing, fit into any schedule, and keep you and your buddy satisfied and happy.