Your strong legs are more than just for show. Even the most fundamental daily actions, like walking and balancing, require leg strength. So, if you want to ensure the betterment of your physical health, you need to include leg exercises in your routine. And if you're looking for a HIIT workout to keep your legs in tip-top shape, we've got you covered. But first things first...
What Is a HITT Workout?
HIIT, also known as high-intensity interval training, is a type of interval training that entails short bursts of extremely intense exercise followed by rest intervals or periods of lower-intensity exercise. In just about five to 30 minutes, HIIT routines can be completed, with the intensity of the workout increasing with the length of time. With HIIT exercises, you can work up a sweat without paying for or traveling to a gym, and it is an incredibly quick and effective form of training.
HIIT workouts deliver the same health advantages as low- and moderate-intensity aerobic workouts in a lot less time and have been shown to increase metabolism and build strength. High-intensity interval training, has been proven to enhance metabolism and build strength, and it offers the same health benefits as low- and moderate-intensity aerobic exercises in a lot less time.
Pro Tip: For intense intervals, aim for a heart rate of 85 to 90 percent.
Determine your rest-to-work ratio:
- Week 1: 30-sec work/60-sec rest
- Week 2: 30-sec work/45-sec rest
- Week 3: 30-sec work/30-sec rest
- Week 4: 45-sec work/30-sec rest
Beginner Workout:
Squats
Drazen Zigic/Getty Images
- Point your toes forward and space your feet just wider than hip distance apart.
- To move your hips back, gently extend your knees while bending at the ankle and knee.
- Keep your shoulders back and your heels and toes firmly planted on the ground as you kneel.
- In order to be parallel, which should be the ultimate objective, the knees should be at a 90-degree angle.
- Set your heels down and lengthen your legs to stand up straight. Your knees shouldn’t go over your feet while squatting. Instead, they should be behind the toes.
Jumping Jacks
DragonImages/Getty Images
- Holding your hands at your sides, stand straight with your back straight.
- Jump while kicking your feet wide and raising both of your arms.
- Repeat.
Forward and Backward Lunges
Morsa Images/Getty Images
1. Step forward while keeping your hips separated, then slowly stretch both knees until your back knee is barely off the ground.
2. Step backward with the leg you used to stand up, then bend both knees to crouch down with your back knee just above the floor.
3. Keep going. Change legs after the set is complete.
30-sec work/60-sec rest or preferred rest-to-week ratio.
High Knee Run
Guido Mieth/Getty Images
- Start by jogging while keeping your knees elevated.
- Slowly advance while jogging with your knees raised and your arms pumping back and forth.
- Proceed for 30 more seconds.
Squat Side Step
AzmanJaka/Getty Images
1. Start by assuming a straight posture and placing your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Pushing your hips back, squat.
3. Get to your feet, move to the side, and squat down once more.
4. Go back to your starting posture and continue performing this side-to-side motion until the set is finished.
30-sec work/60-sec rest or preferred rest-to-week ratio.
Lunge Pulses
LaylaBird/Getty Images
1. From a standing start, advance like you would when lunging.
2. Partial lunge, similar to a standard lunge, about a fourth of the way down. This is where everything begins.
3. Start your workout by pulsating up and down, then perform a lunge by rising and descending by around three inches. Make sure you remain in the lunge stance the entire workout, never standing up.
30-sec work/60-sec rest or preferred rest-to-week ratio.
If you want to add more intensity to this workout, keep reading for intermediate and advanced modifications to suit your fitness needs.
Intermediate Workout: Alternating Jump Lunges
- Bend your knees and take a deep lunge to get ready to jump. As you contract your abdominal muscles, naturally gravitate forward. Throughout the exercise, your core muscles will continue to be engaged.
- Put your weight down swiftly, then drive both feet into the ground with explosive force, launching your body upward while fully extending your knees and hips.
- Bring your feet together quickly as you jump into the air, then switch feet as you start to land. As you do this, you should alternate your arms.
- Keep your feet in a balanced stance as you land. The front knee shouldn't go past the front foot. Try to softly land on your forward mid-foot, letting your heel make contact with the ground. Avoid staying on the forward foot's toes. Allow your hips and knees to bend fully to absorb the landing while keeping your hips back. Keep your knees from locking.
- As you get ready to begin the next jump lunge, lower yourself to a deep lunge stance.
- For the duration of your workout, repeat the jump-lunge motion.
Intermediate Workout: Rear Leg Lift
- Beginning on all fours, place your hands under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.
- Set one leg out in the back of you. Avoid crossing your legs over since doing so can make your lower back hurt. Instead…
- The leg should be raised to hip level and then slowly brought back down.
- Continue until the set is finished with the opposing leg.
Advanced Workout: One Leg Drop
- Lay on your back on a mat with your legs straight and parallel to the floor.
- Start the exercise by slowly lowering your right leg until it nearly reaches the floor while maintaining bent knees. To lower the leg, try to take three to five seconds. Raise your leg to the starting position after a brief pause.
- Continue as necessary with the right leg, then switch.
Advanced Workout: Pile Squat
- Place your feet wider than shoulder-width apart when standing. Make a 45-degree turn outward with your toes. If your flexibility allows, you can turn your feet out further. But make sure your hips, NOT your knees, are doing the moving. You should have a straight line from your toes to your knees.
- Straighten your spine, hold in your abs, and stand tall. For balance, you can also extend your arms in front of you or to the sides.
- Bend your legs, push your knees out, and lower yourself until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor while maintaining your upright posture. Avoid bending forward and avoid letting your lower back round.
- Stand upright and repeat.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by LaylaBird/Getty Images
RELATED
Kayla Nicole says she wore a dress that was once worn by Braxton herself for the Halloween costume. “It’s not a secret Toni is more on the petite side. I’m obsessed with all 5’2” of her,” she tells xoNecole via email. “But I’m 5’10'' and not missing any meals, honey, so to my surprise, when I got the dress and it actually fit, I knew it was destiny.”
The episode was the perfect way for the multihyphenate to take control of her own narrative. By addressing the viral moment on her own platform, she was able to stir the conversation and keep the focus on her adoration for Braxton, an artist she says she grew up listening to and who still makes her most-played playlist every year. Elsewhere, she likely would’ve received questions about whether or not the costume was a subliminal aimed at her ex-boyfriend and his pop star fiancée. “I think that people will try to project their own narratives, right?” she said, hinting at this in the episode. “But, for me personally – I think it’s very important to say this in this moment – I’m not in the business of tearing other women down. I’m in the business of celebrating them.”
Kayla Nicole is among xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, powered by SheaMoisture, recognized in the Viral Voices category for her work in media and the trends she sets on our timelines, all while prioritizing her own mental and physical health. As she puts it: “Yes, I’m curating conversations on my podcast The Pre-Game, and cultivating community with my wellness brand Tribe Therepē.”
Despite being the frequent topic of conversation online, Kayla Nicole says she’s learning to take advantage of her growing social media platform without becoming consumed by it. “I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out,” she says.
On The Pre-Game, which launched earlier this year, she has positioned herself as listeners “homegirl.” “There’s definitely a delicate dance between being genuine and oversharing, and I’ve had to learn that the hard way. Now I share from a place of reflection, not reaction,” she says. “If it can help someone feel seen or less alone, I’ll talk about it within reason. But I’ve certainly learned to protect parts of my life that I cherish most. I share what serves connection but doesn’t cost me peace.
"I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out."
Credit: Malcolm Roberson
Throughout each episode, she sips a cocktail and addresses trending topics (even when they involve herself). It’s a platform the Pepperdine University alumnus has been preparing to have since she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism, with a concentration in political science.
“I just knew I was going to end up on a local news network at the head anchor table, breaking high speed chases, and tossing it to the weather girl,” she says. Instead, she ended up working as an assistant at TMZ before covering sports as a freelance reporter. (She’s said she didn’t work for ESPN, despite previous reports saying otherwise.) The Pre-Game combines her love for pop culture and sports in a way that once felt inaccessible to her in traditional media.
She’s not just a podcaster, though. When she’s not behind the mic, taking acting classes or making her New York Fashion Week debut, Kayla Nicole is also busy elevating her wellness brand Tribe Therepē, where she shares her workouts and the workout equipment that helps her look chic while staying fit. She says the brand will add apparel to its line up in early 2026.
“Tribe Therepē has evolved into exactly what I have always envisioned. A community of women who care about being fit not just for the aesthetic, but for their mental and emotional well-being too. It’s grounded. It’s feminine. It’s strong,” she says. “And honestly, it's a reflection of where I am in my life right now. I feel so damn good - mentally, emotionally, and physically. And I am grateful to be in a space where I can pour that love and light back into the community that continues to pour into me.”
Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
Featured image by Malcolm Roberson
Meanwhile, frankincense and myrrh originate from the Middle East and Africa (you know, like the Bible does — some folks need to be reminded of that—eh hem — Trumpers) and ginger? It too helps with indigestion (which can definitely creep up at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables); plus, it’s a key ingredient for ginger snaps and gingerbread houses. So, as you can see, holiday-themed scents have a rhyme and reason to them.
Tying this all in together — several years ago, I penned an article for the platform entitled, “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry ‘Christmas Sex’?” Well, in the spirit of revisiting some of that content, with a bit of a twist, I decided to broach some traditional holiday scents from the perspective of which ones will do your libido a ton of good from now through New Year’s Eve (check out “Make This Your Best NYE. For Sex. EVER.”).
Are you ready to check some of them out, so that, whether it’s via a candle, a diffuser, some essential oil, or some DIY body cream (check out “How To Incorporate All Five Senses To Have The Best Sex Ever”), you can bring some extra festive ambiance into your own boudoir? Excellent.
1. Vanilla
Unsplash
When it comes to holiday desserts, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find recipes that don’t include vanilla — and that alone explains why it is considered to be a traditional holiday scent. As far as your libido goes, vanilla is absolutely considered to be an aphrodisiac — partly because its sweet scent is considered to be very sensual. Some studies even reveal that vanillin (the active ingredient in vanilla) is able to increase sexual arousal and improve erectile dysfunction in men. So, if you adore the smell, here is more incentive to use it.
2. Frankincense
Unsplash
Although, typically, when people think about frankincense (and myrrh), it’s in the context of the gifts that the wise men brought Christ after he was born; it’s a part of the biblical Christmas story. However, frankincense goes much deeper than that. Sexually, since it has an earthy and spicy scent, some people like to use it to meditate (check out “What Exactly Is 'Orgasmic Meditation'?”). Also, since it has the ability to put you in a better mood, soothe and soften your skin and maintain your oral health — with the help of frankincense, every touch and kiss can be that much…sexier.
3. Cinnamon
Unsplash
I already gave cinnamon a shout-out in the intro. Personally, I’ve been a fan of it, in the sex department, for a long time now (check out “12 ‘Sex Condiments’ That Can Make Coitus Even More...Delicious”). When it’s in oil form, it can be very sweet to the taste while sending a warm sensation throughout the body — which is why the giver and receiver of oral sex can benefit from its usage. Beyond that, cinnamon helps to increase blood flow to your genital region, elevate sexual desire and, some studies say that it can even help improve fertility. Beautiful.
4. Peppermint
Unsplash
If there’s a signature candy for the holiday season, it’s probably a candy cane — which automatically puts peppermint in the running for being an official holiday scent. Pretty much, in any form, it’s got your sex life’s back because it’s hailed as being a sexual stimulant; in part, because its smell is so invigorating. Plus, it helps to (eh hem) ease headaches, it gives you more energy and it can definitely help to freshen your breath. Also, that minty sensation? The same thing that I said about cinnamon can apply to peppermint too (if you catch my drift).
5. Ginger
Unsplash
Whether it’s in a meal or in your bedroom, ginger is going to produce results that are hella spicy. On the sex tip, science has praised ginger for being able to increase sexual arousal, improve blood circulation (which intensifies orgasms) and strengthen fertility for many years. Scent-wise, I find it to be one that both men and women enjoy because it is both woodsy and sweet. So, if you’ve got some massage oil in mind, adding some ginger is a way to please you both.
6. Pomegranate
Unsplash
September through December is the time of year when pomegranates are considered to be in season. And, as someone who is a Rosh Hashanah observer, I have a personal adoration for them because I am aware of the various things that they symbolize in Hebrew culture including the fact that they are a fruit that represents love and fertility. So yeah, they would absolutely be an aphrodisiac — one that is perfect for this time of the year. While consuming it helps to boost testosterone levels in both men and women, the floral bittersweet smell that it produces can help to reduce stress while promoting relaxation (like most floral scents do) — and the more relaxed you are, the easier it is to climax.
7. Nutmeg
Unsplash
Another signature seasoning during the holiday season is nutmeg. It’s perfect in Thanksgiving sweet potato (or pumpkin) pie and Christmas morning French toast. And yes, it can also make your sex life better. If you consume it, it can intensify your libido and, overall, its warm-meets-spicy-meets-sweet smell is so inviting that it is considered to be a pretty seductive scent.
8. Cloves
Unsplash
I ain’t got not one lie to tell you — if you’ve got a toothache, put some clove oil on that bad boy and send me a Christmas present for putting you on game. Aside from that, as I round all of this out, cloves are another holiday scent that can do wonders for your sex life. For men, it has the ability to significantly increase sexual arousal and improve stamina and endurance. For men and women alike, it also has a reputation for strengthening sexual desire. And for women solely? Well, if you want an all-natural way to increase natural lubrication down below — the scent and and feel (in DILUTED oil form) can make that happen. It can make the holidays especially special…if you know what I mean.
Ah yes — the atmosphere of the holidays and what it can do.
Take it all in! Scent ‘n whatever stimulating that comes with it! #wink
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Giphy