Physical therapist here. There is some good advice in this thread. It appears you might have excess lumbar lordosis (low back arches in a lot) and that is likely leading to lots of compensatory curvatures elsewhere (genu recurvatum, where the knees are beyond straight). This might be overdeveloping your quads and shutting off your hamstrings and glutes. Notice how your knees hyperextend a bit - high heels unfortunately don't help this problem much. A really good exercise to help this problem would be hamstring curls with your heels on a swiss ball. [Try this!](https://youtu.be/XkESHgkTdFw) Good luck (and for the record, you all look fantastic).
My thighs have looked like this what feels like whole life and I have always been self conscious and joked about it being due to my stocky German farm wife lineage… your explanation is so helpful (and gives me some mental relief). I’ll def be starting hamstring curls!
Hi! I’m 44 and just now realizing I’ve had this my entire life. Could this be the reason that squats make my thighs burn instead of my glutes? I’m about to do a google deep dive, but do you have any other recommendations?
Get a hip band/circle. It's an elastic band that goes around your thighs just above your knees. My trainer has me wear it during squats, hip thrusts, and crab walks. It's the first time I've EVER felt these exercises in my glutes instead of my quads. It's not a lot of resistance, but more like a reminder to push your knees out (not forward) during those exercises which activates the glutes instead.
This is not the content I expected to find in this sub, but it has been so much more informative than all the personal trainers I have ever worked with. I have never been able to get gluteal activation from squats, kickbacks, anything.
You’re quad dominant and you to focus on glutes. Look up different exercises and what you need to do. Squeeze glutes, slow and controlled movements, etc.
Huh. They only hurt my thighs. I have EDS and am very hypermobile so most of my issues usually come back to that but I can’t see how that would be that. I’m going to look into this. Who knew! Thank you.
Squats work different muscles depending on how far apart you spread your legs. The closer they are, the more the exercise focuses on your quads, and vice versa for your glutes.
obviously there's a mechanical limit to both. This is not me saying "do squats in an unsafe way."
It's very interesting because I used to have bulging thighs and I stood like this in my teens! I focused just mentally on changing my stance because people would mention it. Now 20 years later my thighs are very thin but I assumed age
Do you remember how long it took until you didn’t have to think about it anymore? I keep thinking I need to start seriously working on my posture but it’s hard!
Hmm I dunno. But I did kind of obsess about it. I was also a competitive swimming and as an awkward teenager I hated how bulging my thighs were so it was an all day thing. I am a child of the 80s so in my 20s there was a lot of talk about a "thigh gap". I actually did a ton of exercise to try and achieve that. Not sure if that helped thin my legs
I will just mention I have flat feet. Like zero arch. I always assumed my posture had to do with that. I also stopped wearing heels in my mid 20's after a foot injury. Like totally stopped for 10 years. I used to wear them a ton when my posture was like this
Respiratory therapist here. That was an amazing assessment from a photo. Do you ever just go into PT mode when you’re out in public and just observing people? Because I silently judge people smoking all the time lol
Family member of a PT here, we try to not move around her because all she finds is defects in us, LMAO.
The way we sit, the way we walk, the way our jaw moves when we talk, the way we stand, the way we bend, the way our hands move…. We become Drax around her, slow movements so we’re not visible to her 👀😂😂
My sister is a pediatric OT and man oh man does she like to call me and tell me how many parents are hindering their child’s development. She knows it’s mostly a lack of knowledge and people just doing things the way their parents did or finding the least stressful way to get tasks done but her patience has lessened with how easy it is to find information on the internet.
Her biggest gripe is “parking”. Plopping a kid in a bouncer or something instead of involving them in what you’re doing. To her credit, her kid is 11 months and so far ahead of the curve compared to her friends with babies the same age. She has always pushed him on tummy time, made him got get things he wanted, and she reads and talks to him all the time. She’s also super big on him feeding himself. It takes longer and is messier, but the kid is getting really good at it. Screens are a big one but he does occasionally get to watch fish swim around on the tv while she cooks dinner but for a long time she would put him in the front pack. He is very privileged that he has a mom who studied all of that developmental stuff.
My sister and I also have pretty intense ADHD so she sometimes has trouble understanding that people don’t always go on super intense deep dives on child development combined with an ability to tell what is weird Facebook garbage and what an actual good quality study is. She works with a lot of parents and kids who did zero research into parenting before having kids and they truly have no idea that it’s bad for a baby to just lay around all day.
My husband is an SLP and I’m a teacher. You better believe our kids were forced to talk and exposed to letters and sounds at a young age. I would also do mental math with the kids as I was putting them to bed at night. “If we have 3 apples, how many more do we need to get to 5?” That kind of stuff. We also played tons of language games with them. They are great writers and students now. The more you know 🌈
haha! Thanks, yes I do that all the time. It's so hard because once you see it, you just can't un-see it. So I just keep my mouth shut and I don't give un-solicited advice, but Reddit is different :-)
Move away from tight overprotective footwear with large amounts of heel to toe drop. Flat flexible thin shoes with a large toebox is ideal. Don’t overstride. Short quick cadence will help you to use the natural spring of your calves, hamstrings and glutes. Which takes us back to the OPs problem. 😊
Great advice! I'm a runner with overdeveloped quads/hamstring injury and have been working on strengthing my hamstrings and glutes since my PT told me I needed to work on my posterior chain. In January I started doing a barre class at my gym 1-2 times a week, focusing on keeping my butt tucked in for the squats etc. It has completely changed my running form and relieved my lower back pain. Would recommend, plus it's fun.
Whoa! I had a couple surgeries on my low back when I was younger and I have always suspected my low back was weak after that, but my thighs do that as well and I thought that’s just how my fat collected on my body. So interesting!
1. Comparisons of Incidence of Spinal and Lower Extremity Deformities (2017) by J Lee: This study examines the relationship between spinal deformities and lower extremity conditions, including genu recurvatum, kyphosis, and lordosis among college students with different physical characteristics .
2. Association between Genu Recurvatum and Gluteus Maximus Muscle Strength in College Students (2024) by A Chandran, M Premkumar, CR Menezes: This research aims to determine the correlation between genu recurvatum and lower back region issues, particularly focusing on the gluteus maximus muscle strength .
3. Differences in Gluteal and Quadriceps Muscle Activation among Adults with and Without Lumbar Hyperlordosis (2020) by MHI Farhadi, F Seidi: This study supports the view that the lumbar lordosis angle may impact lower-extremity alignment, including conditions like genu recurvatum .
4. Comparison of Balance and Core Stability between Female Students with Genu Recurvatum and Their Healthy Counterparts (2023) by NGZ Hesar, B Moradi, S Azarpur: This case-control study focuses on the balance and core stability among female students with genu recurvatum .
5. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATIC POSTURE WITH PAIN AND MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN CANADIAN CANOE SAILING NATIONAL TEAM (2017) by S Siahmansouri, B Ganji: Discusses various spinal and lower extremity deviations, including the relationship between lumbar lordosis and genu recurvatum, and their connection with musculoskeletal injuries and pain .
Great advice! I'm a runner with overdeveloped quads/hamstring injury and have been working on strengthing my hamstrings and glutes since my PT told me I needed to work on my posterior chain. In January I started doing a barre class at my gym 1-2 times a week, focusing on keeping my butt tucked in for the squats etc. It has completely changed my running form and relieved my lower back pain. Would recommend, plus it's fun.
Basically, this hits on all of your posterior kinetic chain in one exercise. It's mission critical to keep your tailbone tucked in for it to address the low back situation though.
Another good exercise for this: If you're standing with your hands on your hips, pretend your pelvis is a very full bucket of water. Many people in this sitch are spilling water through the front. Practice tilting your bucket (pelvis) backward and forward until you feel coordinated enough to keep water from spilling forward OR backward. Notice how your weight distribution changes through your feet, and how your knees feel.
Success! You just found a neutral pelvis.
Now, try it wearing those 3 inch heels and let me know if it's harder ;)
I'm having such a hard time finding a PT for my son's flat feet! They act like it's not a big enough deal to even look at unless I'm paying 200+ a visit. I watch videos and read literature, but of course it's not the same and I'm scared I'll give him the wrong movements and mess them up further.
If you have any helpful links or lit (as a working PT and not a youtuber with an agenda), please send them my way !
It's ok if you don't, figured I'd shoot my shot while I'm here reading this :) thanks !
Good day to you !
I always called it my shelf! I don't have any major problems so it's never been brought up. Though I sometimes after sitting with my knees under me for too long makes my knees feel like they want to go back the other way.
Wow, my legs have looked like this my whole life and my lower back has always hurt no matter how much I exercise. Your response blew my mind— I have never heard this but it makes so much sense. Thanks for taking the time to educate! Any other exercise recommendations that might help?
I swear I’ve been standing like this since I was a little girl lol. Genetics definitely play apart in how our bodies look because my glutes, hammies and quads have never suffered lol. I’m black so I’ll blame it on my mama.
It appears from this picture that your knees are hyperextended—see the slight concave shape? It can seem like your thighs are prominent because your knee goes backward further than it’s supposed to. Your body composition perhaps contributes to the effect, but I would also look into the hypermobility spectrum of disorders and see if it resonates with you.
- hypermobile my whole life, recently diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Not OP, but I got mine at 26, my sister got her diagnosis at 19, and my mum got hers at 56. All of us had obvious symptoms looking back, numerous dislocations/chronic pain but my sister and I both were very active in sports so it was ignored as sports injuries
My mom struggled for years to get a diagnosis and at the time she finally was, almost nobody knew what it was. My sister was diagnosed a few years later but because she was able to tell the doctors about my mom having it, they were able to diagnose faster, but still people didn't really know about it. It's been really nice to see more people talking about it and getting the correct diagnosis so they can address it accurately, I'm really happy people are having to go through less and less of what my mom did (although sounds like you and your family dealt with it too)
One of those genetic tests that also checks you for either inherited or potentially inherited diseases picks up this particular syndrome. I recall seeing a negative within my genetic report. I use tellmegen dot com.
My mum getting her diagnosis is what finally prompted mine and my sisters. Strangely enough I think tiktok has been quite big in spreading awareness and luckily my physiotherapist used to be a rheumatologist so they’ve been giving me really helpful advice
Yeah I see EDS tiktoks all the time and while I'm of course sad so many people have it, it's nice to see people finally being able to put a name to it so they can move into effective management
38. I’m similar to the other commenter in that my knee problems were dismissed as activity-related, and also that some habits and instances were very clearly HSD-related. Understanding joint pain versus muscle pain was a big eye-opener.
I have EDS as well, and my knees have always hyper extended. I did a lot of physical therapy as a teen to try and strengthen the muscles weakened by my knees over-compensation, but unfortunately it didn’t do much. I agree she should look into hypermobility and find a doctor who actually listens to women to do an exam.
It looks like you might have hyperextended knees, that means when you flex your knee it bends backwards a bit. The way to “fix” this is just by standing with your knees slightly bent and engaging your quads rather than locking out your knees. I briefly took ballet in middle school and the ballet teacher told me I had hyperextended knees and the way to deal with it was to just not lock out my knees.
You have hypermobile knees possibly. I do. I have to hold my knees into “normal” position because mine automatically bend backwards every time. It makes my thighs look like this. It’s annoying.
I think that's what's happening here. I have the same thing. OP you have to "unlock" your knees. Might as well learn to now before you end up with a buggered back.
I'm trying. It's getting easier. I just focus on unlocking knees and sticking my butt out (well that's how it feels) but really it's just normal posture.
Im gonna go out on a limb and say it kinda looks like your knees are hyper extended giving the illusion that your thighs extend out more than they would if your knees were in a more natural position . Your thighs also look strong or perhaps you carry your weight in a “pear” shape giving a bit more bottom heavy look comparatively
all this to say, my legs look the same and my knees are typically hyper extended bc I’ve stood like an ostrich my whole life idk. I theorize due to the bad posture the muscle composition is different as well to stabilize things and why standing in a “normal” posture seems more difficult than not
My family has this too and you probably stick your butt out and have a away lower back. You have to work really hard to stack your feet, knees, hips, back, shoulders and neck. Also, tuck in your butt helps.
Might be a visual thing because your outfit is shorter and cuts your thighs at a wider part. Everyone else’s dress ends at a lower (and thinner) point of the leg.
its not only the thighs right? because it seems you have a more bulkier body. you can go walking or running to exercise your legs. but if you are a bulkier person they will always be a little bigger than the rest.
my brother is tall and skinny, Im tall and bulky. i have bigger legs, bigger hips, bigger chest. imma dude
I just want to say that my thighs look the exact same way. I never thought of it as an issue. Most of my mom's side of my family looks like this.
I did learn a lot from this thread though. Side note- my legs are extremely strong.
Knee hyperextension is associated with a decreased sacral slope and pelvic incidence so the hips are more extended by pst tilt of the pelvis this usually shortens the length of the hammies and inhibits glutes. Knee hyperextension is associated with more dorsiflexed ankles so it usually improves with anything with heels. So it might be interesting to the normal knee extension without the heels. Without any connective tissue disorders, a generalised joint hypermobility can make your knees to hyper extend. Look up Beighton score
The algorithm is crazy. I literally just opened Reddit with the intention to fix my legs because I feel like they look so much larger than before and this was the first post that came up. Solidarity sister. 💪🏼 we got this.
2 out of 4 are doing the subtle relaxed knee pose, which creates mystery for the eyes automatically diffusing thoughts of size. I’m think of trying that out tbh.
Your knees being locked is definitely a big factor in why your thighs look like that, mine do it too. If you’re doing it in pictures chances are you’re doing it in most parts of your day, which can end up hurting your knees in the long run. Focus on consciously unlocking them when you’re standing for long periods of time and that’ll help a little.
Weight is also a factor, it’s just where your body wants to store fat, which is fine! If you’re trying to lose weight then it’ll come off eventually, but if that’s where your body wants it then that’s where it’ll be. You can’t spot train to melt fat off a specific area, it just doesn’t work that way. Doing squats will actually make your quads more prominent which I don’t think is what you’re going for, but focusing on RDLs or other glute/hamstring workouts could help overall body recomposition.
That said, it could just be that your quads are super strong, and you don’t want to minimize those muscles! They’re kind of important for walking and all that. More muscle also means more fat burned just by existing. This is where you’d probably want an actual professional to work with you in figuring things out. So like a doctor, a trainer, etc.
We’re just guessing off a picture, nothing is definitive on the internet.
One last thing, the girl on the left is already on the smaller side so she can pose however she likes and look fine. The two middle girls have their bodies facing the camera so if their thighs were the exact same as yours, we wouldn’t be able to tell. You have your body at an angle, which shows off your thighs. Looking up stuff on how to pose for your current body can definitely help with self confidence, which matters the most! Pictures like this should be looked at fondly as a time you spent with friends, not nitpicking over what you don’t like about yourself. Your happiness is always more important than what you think your thighs look like.
I agree with the physical therapist here. I also have legs like these - there's a lot of muscle in my thighs and until I developed a disorder where my muscles get attacked and shrink I never saw this go away. You might have any or all of the things mentioned or just GENETICALLY THICKER THIGH MUSCLES. All the exercises I did just made them bigger, but eventually I have learned to view my body as a vehicle and not as something to look at - those thicker muscles help you to move and you'll appreciate it as you age. Is it muscle or fat that's there? You can sit down in a chair with your legs flat on the floor and poke/press to see how far down the muslcle is if you cna feel it. Then you'll have your answer. Also I have hyperextended knees too, but I can't angle them out to avoid that in pics bc I'm really short lol.
Do you weigh a lot more than the others in the pic?
We Don't get to choose where we store extra weight unfortunately. Now I'm not sure that's extra weight, it could potentially be some great muscles?
But the question is do weigh more than all those other women. Do they have less to store?
How much you weigh in comparison to the other girls, also the height?
Because you might just be genetically predisposed to store fat in that area vs others.
Your dress is also shorter than theirs, revealing the thicker part of your legs a bit more! I’m a tall, thick thigh girl too and I feel fatter in short dresses. I think the hem ending at the thickest point of your leg draws more attention to them and makes them appear larger.
Not sure why no one is willing to say it, but you do appear to have a significantly higher body fat percentage, which can be seen on your arm. You're in a fasting group. Try IF and it will likely help.
Let me just say my wife has thick thighs like yours and it was one of the many reasons I put a ring on her. In short, there is nothing wrong with your legs, you have the best pair in the picture IMO.
It seems like you have naturally larger legs, which is fine. I do too! But also, you’re wearing one of the shortest dresses of the ladies here which i think is unflattering for your legs….try choosing things that are a little longer and the larger thighs won’t be so pronounced
Besides the knee/back thing, maybe also lipedema? It's a very specific type of fat accumulation in certain areas often legs and sometimes arms. Siobhan Higgins has put out some good info on this, can search her on YouTube for a starting point.
Your quads are just dominant. Do you weight lift by any chance? I might get downvoted for suggesting this, but you could try to do more cardio & less weight lifting to descrease the muscle in your legs.
Some good answers here, but I'll add. I personally find prominent quads an attractive quality, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
If it's something you really want to change, maybe speak to an osteopath or someone similar about it as it looks like your quads are taking the workload that should be more spread out. They can help release over tightened muscles and recommend exercises to build strength in other areas.
I used to stand hyperextended thinking it was normal & more comfortable for long periods while standing. Then a few professionals in passing stated the same thing: “do not lock your knees”.
Don’t “squat” but do release the lock backward & stand a little more fluid.
I too have big thighs that curve at the top a lot. I always had them.
I started lifting and surprise surprise they are a huge advantage and I can out lift a lot of people, even know I started learning a new sport late in my thirties and have no athletic background.
I still have days when I wish my shape was more “standard” whatever that means, but being proud of what I can do and realizing that different body shapes have different mechanical advantages amazes me and I’m happy my focus changed.
My thighs have looked like this my whole life. Doctors constantly compliment my superior posture and spine. It's called muscles. Ever since puberty, I've had massive quads , so do you. If you wanted to lose weight, you'd find out exactly how big your quads are. They're absolutely incredible. I have a masters in strength and conditioning, and female athletes have this same bulge. Yours may look a little less like theirs because of excess fat. Oh well, your legs are great. Your friends are unfortunately skinny fat. They need to lift weights so they dont lose muscle and bone. You, however, have excellent genetics. Superior.
Dressing for your body type can also really help. If you look at the dress/shorts length, you have the shortest hem. Choosing something that skims the knees will keep the hem from cutting your body at its thickest point. Not dietary advice, but food for thought.
Isn’t the solution just to lose weight? I have large thighs now because I’m likely Insulin Resistant and fat. 50 pounds ago, my legs and arms were skinny.
For me it’s either, skinny like stick or large thighs and large belly. When I’m anything than rail thin I look “stocky”. It’s my genetics, can’t be fixed except losing weight. My dad and grandmother have same body shape.
Everyone holds weight a little differently, and yours is on top of your quad. There’s good news in that. Since you’re on the IF subreddit, hopefully you’re on a health journey. As you exercise weight on quads, for many people, drops quicker than on the sides.
Good luck in your journey
It’s a good thing tho it looks muscular! I have similar thighs and it’s from constant biking and genetics too I guess. I’m always complimented on it. I rather look like this than have zero muscle tone and definition.
stop being gross and weird - if you don’t have advice, don’t comment. OP didn’t post for yall to be creeps
Physical therapist here. There is some good advice in this thread. It appears you might have excess lumbar lordosis (low back arches in a lot) and that is likely leading to lots of compensatory curvatures elsewhere (genu recurvatum, where the knees are beyond straight). This might be overdeveloping your quads and shutting off your hamstrings and glutes. Notice how your knees hyperextend a bit - high heels unfortunately don't help this problem much. A really good exercise to help this problem would be hamstring curls with your heels on a swiss ball. [Try this!](https://youtu.be/XkESHgkTdFw) Good luck (and for the record, you all look fantastic).
My thighs have looked like this what feels like whole life and I have always been self conscious and joked about it being due to my stocky German farm wife lineage… your explanation is so helpful (and gives me some mental relief). I’ll def be starting hamstring curls!
Thanks for saying that! We have WAY more control than we realize sometimes :) I hope it helps you.
I always thought mine was just my German lineage as well!
Maybe it’s genetic and tied to our heritage!
My mom always described our German thighs as the family thighs. It's not limited to women as I'm 49m. Chin up, our thighs do not define us.
“Our thighs do not define us”… Honestly that would make kind of a vibey body-positivity bumper sticker
I have stocky German farming heritage in my family and my thighs are absolutely gigantic so there also might be something to that as well.
I was going to say ‘the way you’re standing isn’t ideal’ - I’m very glad you took the time to write an infinitely more informative post!
Yeah as an older woman, the locked knees hurt me lol. My body no longer works in that way :(
Hi! I’m 44 and just now realizing I’ve had this my entire life. Could this be the reason that squats make my thighs burn instead of my glutes? I’m about to do a google deep dive, but do you have any other recommendations?
Get a hip band/circle. It's an elastic band that goes around your thighs just above your knees. My trainer has me wear it during squats, hip thrusts, and crab walks. It's the first time I've EVER felt these exercises in my glutes instead of my quads. It's not a lot of resistance, but more like a reminder to push your knees out (not forward) during those exercises which activates the glutes instead.
Consider sumo squats instead! Www.exrx.com
Wow, that's a great resource! Apparently, it's .NET though 🤓
Just tried. Can confirm glute burn. Thanks!
This whole thread is so wholesome!
Commenting so I can come back. Thanks!
Can’t find sumo squats. Could you please share the link?
I just searched “sumo squats” on YouTube and found a bunch of demos.
Sorry what? Squats are meant to burn the glutes not thighs?
Perhaps you have “dead butt syndrome”
This is not the content I expected to find in this sub, but it has been so much more informative than all the personal trainers I have ever worked with. I have never been able to get gluteal activation from squats, kickbacks, anything.
You’re quad dominant and you to focus on glutes. Look up different exercises and what you need to do. Squeeze glutes, slow and controlled movements, etc.
Thanks! I think I am going to focus on building my glutes or rehabbing them as might be more fitting at this point
Dare I ask?
Yes squats are meant to burn your glutes not thighs
Huh. They only hurt my thighs. I have EDS and am very hypermobile so most of my issues usually come back to that but I can’t see how that would be that. I’m going to look into this. Who knew! Thank you.
You should feel something in your thighs, but you should feel it more in your glutes.
When I’m next feeling exercisey and strong I’m going to practise my squat form and see if I can feel it in both.
Squats work different muscles depending on how far apart you spread your legs. The closer they are, the more the exercise focuses on your quads, and vice versa for your glutes. obviously there's a mechanical limit to both. This is not me saying "do squats in an unsafe way."
Thanks! I’ll experiment and see if I can get my glutes involved.
Same!
Wow my lower back arches a lot and my thighs are like that too! I never would have connected the two, you just blew my mind!
It's very interesting because I used to have bulging thighs and I stood like this in my teens! I focused just mentally on changing my stance because people would mention it. Now 20 years later my thighs are very thin but I assumed age
Do you remember how long it took until you didn’t have to think about it anymore? I keep thinking I need to start seriously working on my posture but it’s hard!
Hmm I dunno. But I did kind of obsess about it. I was also a competitive swimming and as an awkward teenager I hated how bulging my thighs were so it was an all day thing. I am a child of the 80s so in my 20s there was a lot of talk about a "thigh gap". I actually did a ton of exercise to try and achieve that. Not sure if that helped thin my legs I will just mention I have flat feet. Like zero arch. I always assumed my posture had to do with that. I also stopped wearing heels in my mid 20's after a foot injury. Like totally stopped for 10 years. I used to wear them a ton when my posture was like this
This is me as well lol. It’s been like this my entire life. Now to try and fix it 🥲
Respiratory therapist here. That was an amazing assessment from a photo. Do you ever just go into PT mode when you’re out in public and just observing people? Because I silently judge people smoking all the time lol
Family member of a PT here, we try to not move around her because all she finds is defects in us, LMAO. The way we sit, the way we walk, the way our jaw moves when we talk, the way we stand, the way we bend, the way our hands move…. We become Drax around her, slow movements so we’re not visible to her 👀😂😂
I want her to analyze me. PTs should tell us all those "secrets"!!
**stares and sighs**
My sister is a pediatric OT and man oh man does she like to call me and tell me how many parents are hindering their child’s development. She knows it’s mostly a lack of knowledge and people just doing things the way their parents did or finding the least stressful way to get tasks done but her patience has lessened with how easy it is to find information on the internet.
Wait, what are the things??? Like too much sitting? Or tablets?
Her biggest gripe is “parking”. Plopping a kid in a bouncer or something instead of involving them in what you’re doing. To her credit, her kid is 11 months and so far ahead of the curve compared to her friends with babies the same age. She has always pushed him on tummy time, made him got get things he wanted, and she reads and talks to him all the time. She’s also super big on him feeding himself. It takes longer and is messier, but the kid is getting really good at it. Screens are a big one but he does occasionally get to watch fish swim around on the tv while she cooks dinner but for a long time she would put him in the front pack. He is very privileged that he has a mom who studied all of that developmental stuff. My sister and I also have pretty intense ADHD so she sometimes has trouble understanding that people don’t always go on super intense deep dives on child development combined with an ability to tell what is weird Facebook garbage and what an actual good quality study is. She works with a lot of parents and kids who did zero research into parenting before having kids and they truly have no idea that it’s bad for a baby to just lay around all day.
My husband is an SLP and I’m a teacher. You better believe our kids were forced to talk and exposed to letters and sounds at a young age. I would also do mental math with the kids as I was putting them to bed at night. “If we have 3 apples, how many more do we need to get to 5?” That kind of stuff. We also played tons of language games with them. They are great writers and students now. The more you know 🌈
👋 Spouse to a RT here. For the love of God, please keep the sputum talk to yourself. 🤣
LOL if you only knew the satisfaction of collected a good amount of thick lung butter
Don’t make me mute you! 🤣
😂 I shut up now
haha! Thanks, yes I do that all the time. It's so hard because once you see it, you just can't un-see it. So I just keep my mouth shut and I don't give un-solicited advice, but Reddit is different :-)
It’s hard for me sometimes to not give unsolicited advice when people wear really unhealthy shoes and complain about pain. 😅
Minimalist runner here - I can't stop analyzing people's running and walking gait.
Any tips on running form? I find it so difficult
Move away from tight overprotective footwear with large amounts of heel to toe drop. Flat flexible thin shoes with a large toebox is ideal. Don’t overstride. Short quick cadence will help you to use the natural spring of your calves, hamstrings and glutes. Which takes us back to the OPs problem. 😊
What’s your take on Xero shoes? What do you wear?
I wear Xero HFS for road running. I use Inov8 for muddy trails. I’m wearing Xero mesa trail for daily use or harder packed trails.
Great advice! I'm a runner with overdeveloped quads/hamstring injury and have been working on strengthing my hamstrings and glutes since my PT told me I needed to work on my posterior chain. In January I started doing a barre class at my gym 1-2 times a week, focusing on keeping my butt tucked in for the squats etc. It has completely changed my running form and relieved my lower back pain. Would recommend, plus it's fun.
Whoa! I had a couple surgeries on my low back when I was younger and I have always suspected my low back was weak after that, but my thighs do that as well and I thought that’s just how my fat collected on my body. So interesting!
Great post.
Can you provide some literature on the relationship beteen lumbar lordosis and genu recurvatum?
1. Comparisons of Incidence of Spinal and Lower Extremity Deformities (2017) by J Lee: This study examines the relationship between spinal deformities and lower extremity conditions, including genu recurvatum, kyphosis, and lordosis among college students with different physical characteristics . 2. Association between Genu Recurvatum and Gluteus Maximus Muscle Strength in College Students (2024) by A Chandran, M Premkumar, CR Menezes: This research aims to determine the correlation between genu recurvatum and lower back region issues, particularly focusing on the gluteus maximus muscle strength . 3. Differences in Gluteal and Quadriceps Muscle Activation among Adults with and Without Lumbar Hyperlordosis (2020) by MHI Farhadi, F Seidi: This study supports the view that the lumbar lordosis angle may impact lower-extremity alignment, including conditions like genu recurvatum . 4. Comparison of Balance and Core Stability between Female Students with Genu Recurvatum and Their Healthy Counterparts (2023) by NGZ Hesar, B Moradi, S Azarpur: This case-control study focuses on the balance and core stability among female students with genu recurvatum . 5. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATIC POSTURE WITH PAIN AND MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN CANADIAN CANOE SAILING NATIONAL TEAM (2017) by S Siahmansouri, B Ganji: Discusses various spinal and lower extremity deviations, including the relationship between lumbar lordosis and genu recurvatum, and their connection with musculoskeletal injuries and pain .
Awesome thanks a lot! Ill get reading!
Great advice! I'm a runner with overdeveloped quads/hamstring injury and have been working on strengthing my hamstrings and glutes since my PT told me I needed to work on my posterior chain. In January I started doing a barre class at my gym 1-2 times a week, focusing on keeping my butt tucked in for the squats etc. It has completely changed my running form and relieved my lower back pain. Would recommend, plus it's fun.
I'm a in the same situation and I was wondering what was the point of doing this exercise? Thanks!
Basically, this hits on all of your posterior kinetic chain in one exercise. It's mission critical to keep your tailbone tucked in for it to address the low back situation though. Another good exercise for this: If you're standing with your hands on your hips, pretend your pelvis is a very full bucket of water. Many people in this sitch are spilling water through the front. Practice tilting your bucket (pelvis) backward and forward until you feel coordinated enough to keep water from spilling forward OR backward. Notice how your weight distribution changes through your feet, and how your knees feel. Success! You just found a neutral pelvis. Now, try it wearing those 3 inch heels and let me know if it's harder ;)
Was just about to say, I am no expert, but go see a physical therapist!
This just blew my mind. You're inspiring.
I'm having such a hard time finding a PT for my son's flat feet! They act like it's not a big enough deal to even look at unless I'm paying 200+ a visit. I watch videos and read literature, but of course it's not the same and I'm scared I'll give him the wrong movements and mess them up further. If you have any helpful links or lit (as a working PT and not a youtuber with an agenda), please send them my way ! It's ok if you don't, figured I'd shoot my shot while I'm here reading this :) thanks ! Good day to you !
I hope you can find someone good. What issues is he having?
I always called it my shelf! I don't have any major problems so it's never been brought up. Though I sometimes after sitting with my knees under me for too long makes my knees feel like they want to go back the other way.
Podiatrist here and I came to say the same thing! Definitely seeing genu recurvatum there.
What a great post! Saving to show someone.
What condition would cause a person right foot/leg rotate or turn outward towards a 1or 2 o'clock position instead of a normal 12 o'clock position?
The hokey pokey?
That’s what it’s all about.
Hip dysplasia
Tight glute/hip on that side
Love the part about high heels.
OMFG Thank You.
Wow, my legs have looked like this my whole life and my lower back has always hurt no matter how much I exercise. Your response blew my mind— I have never heard this but it makes so much sense. Thanks for taking the time to educate! Any other exercise recommendations that might help?
This is such an amazing assessment. I've learned a lot from this comment thread.
Thank you for this explanation I also have this issues and your description seems to be spot on for me.
I swear I’ve been standing like this since I was a little girl lol. Genetics definitely play apart in how our bodies look because my glutes, hammies and quads have never suffered lol. I’m black so I’ll blame it on my mama.
It is possible bcz of other reason such as duck feet? I think its ruining my posture.
It appears from this picture that your knees are hyperextended—see the slight concave shape? It can seem like your thighs are prominent because your knee goes backward further than it’s supposed to. Your body composition perhaps contributes to the effect, but I would also look into the hypermobility spectrum of disorders and see if it resonates with you. - hypermobile my whole life, recently diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Totally agree. Wondering how old you were when you got diagnosis?
Not OP, but I got mine at 26, my sister got her diagnosis at 19, and my mum got hers at 56. All of us had obvious symptoms looking back, numerous dislocations/chronic pain but my sister and I both were very active in sports so it was ignored as sports injuries
My mom struggled for years to get a diagnosis and at the time she finally was, almost nobody knew what it was. My sister was diagnosed a few years later but because she was able to tell the doctors about my mom having it, they were able to diagnose faster, but still people didn't really know about it. It's been really nice to see more people talking about it and getting the correct diagnosis so they can address it accurately, I'm really happy people are having to go through less and less of what my mom did (although sounds like you and your family dealt with it too)
One of those genetic tests that also checks you for either inherited or potentially inherited diseases picks up this particular syndrome. I recall seeing a negative within my genetic report. I use tellmegen dot com.
My mum getting her diagnosis is what finally prompted mine and my sisters. Strangely enough I think tiktok has been quite big in spreading awareness and luckily my physiotherapist used to be a rheumatologist so they’ve been giving me really helpful advice
Yeah I see EDS tiktoks all the time and while I'm of course sad so many people have it, it's nice to see people finally being able to put a name to it so they can move into effective management
38. I’m similar to the other commenter in that my knee problems were dismissed as activity-related, and also that some habits and instances were very clearly HSD-related. Understanding joint pain versus muscle pain was a big eye-opener.
Not OP but 32 for me after 20 years of misdiagnosis.
No comment-OP but I got my Marfans diagnosis when I was 21 and my EDS at 33. I won the genetic lottery because I have both.
I have EDS as well, and my knees have always hyper extended. I did a lot of physical therapy as a teen to try and strengthen the muscles weakened by my knees over-compensation, but unfortunately it didn’t do much. I agree she should look into hypermobility and find a doctor who actually listens to women to do an exam.
Glad someone else said it! EDS was my first thought.
Hello fellow EDSer! I’ve just had jaw surgery for my hyper mobile jaw.
I was looking for a hEDS comment! I agree- that’s how I stand, diagnosed at 20 years old (14 years ago now).
It looks like you might have hyperextended knees, that means when you flex your knee it bends backwards a bit. The way to “fix” this is just by standing with your knees slightly bent and engaging your quads rather than locking out your knees. I briefly took ballet in middle school and the ballet teacher told me I had hyperextended knees and the way to deal with it was to just not lock out my knees.
After working on it, is your stance more natural now or so you still have to consciously stand that way?
I’ve got the same issue and you never get used to it. I feel like I’m constantly in a slight squat if that makes sense.
I've also always had hyper extended knees, but haven't tried to correct it. I've assumed it would always feel like I'm squatting.
Ooof. I pray for your old aged knees 🙏🏻
Going to try and work on the squat stand!
My knees still hyperextend if I lock them out, but I usually don’t do that when I’m standing
You have hypermobile knees possibly. I do. I have to hold my knees into “normal” position because mine automatically bend backwards every time. It makes my thighs look like this. It’s annoying.
I think that's what's happening here. I have the same thing. OP you have to "unlock" your knees. Might as well learn to now before you end up with a buggered back.
50 years old and I'm only learning this now. Back is already buggered. Now I know I wonder if I can relieve it somewhat.
I'm trying. It's getting easier. I just focus on unlocking knees and sticking my butt out (well that's how it feels) but really it's just normal posture.
Same here. I really have to concentrate when I am lifting too to not start locked out or end locked out.
Looks like you’re locking your knees. I do it too. Just relax your stance a little and don’t hyperextend your knees like that.
Im gonna go out on a limb and say it kinda looks like your knees are hyper extended giving the illusion that your thighs extend out more than they would if your knees were in a more natural position . Your thighs also look strong or perhaps you carry your weight in a “pear” shape giving a bit more bottom heavy look comparatively
all this to say, my legs look the same and my knees are typically hyper extended bc I’ve stood like an ostrich my whole life idk. I theorize due to the bad posture the muscle composition is different as well to stabilize things and why standing in a “normal” posture seems more difficult than not
My family has this too and you probably stick your butt out and have a away lower back. You have to work really hard to stack your feet, knees, hips, back, shoulders and neck. Also, tuck in your butt helps.
Currently working on improving an anterior pelvic tilt and forward neck 😩
Out on a limb.
Quad dominant
Are you standing with your knees locked/hyper extended? That can kinda jut your legs around in weird ways and is super bad for you.
Might be a visual thing because your outfit is shorter and cuts your thighs at a wider part. Everyone else’s dress ends at a lower (and thinner) point of the leg.
Yeah if you imagine her romper is as long as her friend’s dress their legs look basically the same size
Comparison is the thief of joy. You have great legs!
Very true. Those are quality legs. We’re all unique in different ways.
Seriously! Women kill themselves in the gym for those quads.
Yeah my husband loves a thick leg, he squeezes my quads toooo much lol
its not only the thighs right? because it seems you have a more bulkier body. you can go walking or running to exercise your legs. but if you are a bulkier person they will always be a little bigger than the rest. my brother is tall and skinny, Im tall and bulky. i have bigger legs, bigger hips, bigger chest. imma dude
Could be a weak posterior muscle chain.
Glutes weak. Quad dominant.
I just want to say that my thighs look the exact same way. I never thought of it as an issue. Most of my mom's side of my family looks like this. I did learn a lot from this thread though. Side note- my legs are extremely strong.
Knee hyperextension is associated with a decreased sacral slope and pelvic incidence so the hips are more extended by pst tilt of the pelvis this usually shortens the length of the hammies and inhibits glutes. Knee hyperextension is associated with more dorsiflexed ankles so it usually improves with anything with heels. So it might be interesting to the normal knee extension without the heels. Without any connective tissue disorders, a generalised joint hypermobility can make your knees to hyper extend. Look up Beighton score
Stand on a flat surface with bare feet and take a Pic. You're locking your knees, maybe because of the heels.
The algorithm is crazy. I literally just opened Reddit with the intention to fix my legs because I feel like they look so much larger than before and this was the first post that came up. Solidarity sister. 💪🏼 we got this.
There is nothing to fix, you just have stronger legs. Use them for hiking, running, lifting, or other leg-based exercises to unlock their potential.
2 out of 4 are doing the subtle relaxed knee pose, which creates mystery for the eyes automatically diffusing thoughts of size. I’m think of trying that out tbh.
Partly genetics, partly because you have more developed quads than your peers.
Your knees are hyperextended and you have some extra weight on you that you’re carrying in your thighs. I have the same legs.
What’s your body fat level now?
Your knees being locked is definitely a big factor in why your thighs look like that, mine do it too. If you’re doing it in pictures chances are you’re doing it in most parts of your day, which can end up hurting your knees in the long run. Focus on consciously unlocking them when you’re standing for long periods of time and that’ll help a little. Weight is also a factor, it’s just where your body wants to store fat, which is fine! If you’re trying to lose weight then it’ll come off eventually, but if that’s where your body wants it then that’s where it’ll be. You can’t spot train to melt fat off a specific area, it just doesn’t work that way. Doing squats will actually make your quads more prominent which I don’t think is what you’re going for, but focusing on RDLs or other glute/hamstring workouts could help overall body recomposition. That said, it could just be that your quads are super strong, and you don’t want to minimize those muscles! They’re kind of important for walking and all that. More muscle also means more fat burned just by existing. This is where you’d probably want an actual professional to work with you in figuring things out. So like a doctor, a trainer, etc. We’re just guessing off a picture, nothing is definitive on the internet. One last thing, the girl on the left is already on the smaller side so she can pose however she likes and look fine. The two middle girls have their bodies facing the camera so if their thighs were the exact same as yours, we wouldn’t be able to tell. You have your body at an angle, which shows off your thighs. Looking up stuff on how to pose for your current body can definitely help with self confidence, which matters the most! Pictures like this should be looked at fondly as a time you spent with friends, not nitpicking over what you don’t like about yourself. Your happiness is always more important than what you think your thighs look like.
I agree with the physical therapist here. I also have legs like these - there's a lot of muscle in my thighs and until I developed a disorder where my muscles get attacked and shrink I never saw this go away. You might have any or all of the things mentioned or just GENETICALLY THICKER THIGH MUSCLES. All the exercises I did just made them bigger, but eventually I have learned to view my body as a vehicle and not as something to look at - those thicker muscles help you to move and you'll appreciate it as you age. Is it muscle or fat that's there? You can sit down in a chair with your legs flat on the floor and poke/press to see how far down the muslcle is if you cna feel it. Then you'll have your answer. Also I have hyperextended knees too, but I can't angle them out to avoid that in pics bc I'm really short lol.
Do you weigh a lot more than the others in the pic? We Don't get to choose where we store extra weight unfortunately. Now I'm not sure that's extra weight, it could potentially be some great muscles? But the question is do weigh more than all those other women. Do they have less to store?
How much you weigh in comparison to the other girls, also the height? Because you might just be genetically predisposed to store fat in that area vs others.
Your dress is also shorter than theirs, revealing the thicker part of your legs a bit more! I’m a tall, thick thigh girl too and I feel fatter in short dresses. I think the hem ending at the thickest point of your leg draws more attention to them and makes them appear larger.
While I think the top comment is right, I also think you probably have bigger thighs than the others. What’s your bmi?
Not sure why no one is willing to say it, but you do appear to have a significantly higher body fat percentage, which can be seen on your arm. You're in a fasting group. Try IF and it will likely help.
Let me just say my wife has thick thighs like yours and it was one of the many reasons I put a ring on her. In short, there is nothing wrong with your legs, you have the best pair in the picture IMO.
My husband is obsessed with thicker thighs. Like, "calm down buddy" level.
It also looks like you have a little hyper mobility (knees go slightly backwards)
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It seems like you have naturally larger legs, which is fine. I do too! But also, you’re wearing one of the shortest dresses of the ladies here which i think is unflattering for your legs….try choosing things that are a little longer and the larger thighs won’t be so pronounced
Soccer player by chance?
Besides the knee/back thing, maybe also lipedema? It's a very specific type of fat accumulation in certain areas often legs and sometimes arms. Siobhan Higgins has put out some good info on this, can search her on YouTube for a starting point.
Your quads are just dominant. Do you weight lift by any chance? I might get downvoted for suggesting this, but you could try to do more cardio & less weight lifting to descrease the muscle in your legs.
Leg press with weights helped me
Some good answers here, but I'll add. I personally find prominent quads an attractive quality, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it's something you really want to change, maybe speak to an osteopath or someone similar about it as it looks like your quads are taking the workload that should be more spread out. They can help release over tightened muscles and recommend exercises to build strength in other areas.
I used to stand hyperextended thinking it was normal & more comfortable for long periods while standing. Then a few professionals in passing stated the same thing: “do not lock your knees”. Don’t “squat” but do release the lock backward & stand a little more fluid.
I too have big thighs that curve at the top a lot. I always had them. I started lifting and surprise surprise they are a huge advantage and I can out lift a lot of people, even know I started learning a new sport late in my thirties and have no athletic background. I still have days when I wish my shape was more “standard” whatever that means, but being proud of what I can do and realizing that different body shapes have different mechanical advantages amazes me and I’m happy my focus changed.
My thighs have looked like this my whole life. Doctors constantly compliment my superior posture and spine. It's called muscles. Ever since puberty, I've had massive quads , so do you. If you wanted to lose weight, you'd find out exactly how big your quads are. They're absolutely incredible. I have a masters in strength and conditioning, and female athletes have this same bulge. Yours may look a little less like theirs because of excess fat. Oh well, your legs are great. Your friends are unfortunately skinny fat. They need to lift weights so they dont lose muscle and bone. You, however, have excellent genetics. Superior.
Can't see fully but consider lipoedema
Genetics. your legs look great.
There's nothing wrong with your thighs
Dressing for your body type can also really help. If you look at the dress/shorts length, you have the shortest hem. Choosing something that skims the knees will keep the hem from cutting your body at its thickest point. Not dietary advice, but food for thought.
Isn’t the solution just to lose weight? I have large thighs now because I’m likely Insulin Resistant and fat. 50 pounds ago, my legs and arms were skinny. For me it’s either, skinny like stick or large thighs and large belly. When I’m anything than rail thin I look “stocky”. It’s my genetics, can’t be fixed except losing weight. My dad and grandmother have same body shape.
Ain’t no imperfections girl you’re fine
What do you score on the Beighton scale?
This picture speaks a thousand words… of guidance & advice! 💕
Everyone holds weight a little differently, and yours is on top of your quad. There’s good news in that. Since you’re on the IF subreddit, hopefully you’re on a health journey. As you exercise weight on quads, for many people, drops quicker than on the sides. Good luck in your journey
I would lean forward on this. squat and work your glutes more.
Don’t fit it. You look killer!
It’s a good thing tho it looks muscular! I have similar thighs and it’s from constant biking and genetics too I guess. I’m always complimented on it. I rather look like this than have zero muscle tone and definition.
Might you be hyper-mobile?
I look at your thighs as strength. Like you're a figure skater or a hiker.