Flawless skin isn’t the only thing we’re envious of our favourite K-pop stars. There’s a question that is always on our minds: how do K-pop idols get such slim, smooth, and beautiful legs?
We’d be lying if we say that we didn’t notice those gorgeous pins whenever they’re performing their dance routine. No wonder there’s a rumour that K-pop stars, like AOA’s Seol-hyun, take out insurance on their legs!
Our legs are certainly one of the most neglected parts of our body and they’re subjected to every stress imaginable, including soreness and water retention. If you’ve been envious of the beautiful legs of K-pop stars, these leg-caring tips may just answer your question on how to get “K-pop legs”.
1. Girls’ Generation’s 5-3-2 exercise
Girl’s Generation is undoubtedly one of the most well-known K-pop groups around and all eight members have gorgeous legs that look flawless.
Good news for us: the popular K-pop girl band has shared their secret to beautiful legs; it’s an easy-to-follow workout routine called the 5-3-2 exercise.
The interesting name of the workout is named after the leg ratio that’s said to be most visually pleasing: five for your thighs, three for your calves, and two for your ankles.
Here’s a video that shows you how to do the Girl’s Generation 5-3-2 leg workout:
The key to it is definitely discipline. Do these simple steps regularly and who knows – you might just be able to achieve those slim-looking legs that the members of Girl’s Generation have!
2. Apink’s Na-eun’s “look good in leggings” routine
Apink’s Na-eun is probably best known in Korea for how good she looks in leggings, thanks to her fit and toned body, and of course – her slim and slender legs. These attributes certainly don’t come easy but the idol has generously shared her routine with us. Watch this video to see how she does it:
3. Practise low squats like actress Choi Yeo Jin
A screen shot from The Body Show, where Choi is demonstrating her method to attaining slim calves
In a celebrity fitness program that was the first in Korea to focus on styling body shapes, actress and main emcee Choi Yeo Jin shared her secret to her smooth, slim calves: low squat. This workout position puts weight on your calves and stimulates the muscles in the area, so that your calves stay slim and toned even though you have big muscles.
The only key thing to look out for is to keep your lower back straight and not bent, so that you don’t end up straining your back with this exercise.
4. Massage and stretch your legs like Girl’s Day’s Min-ah
What’s standing in between you and beautiful legs could be water retention. Min-ah from Girl’s Day recommends daily massages to help alleviate this problem. She said that she pushes firmly down on the bone that runs down the centre of her lower legs in order to reduce the appearance of swelling.
The idol also says that she stretches throughout the day and does a lot of stretching before she sleeps. This doesn’t just help relax muscles that are tensed in the day, but can also have an effect on reducing swelling.
Besides massages and stretching, drinking sufficient water and cutting down on sodium-laden foods can also help reduce water retention.
5. Exfoliate your legs
You probably already know why exfoliation is great for your facial skin – it gets rid of dead skin cells that are settling on the surface of your skin to reveal new, radiant, and smooth skin underneath. Considering all that friction from walking, exfoliation is certainly an important part of your leg care routine.
While there are feet and leg scrubs out there, you don’t really need to use any special products to help achieve smoother, softer skin on your legs and feet. A regular body scrub will do the trick, otherwise, you can also consider getting a feet brush that can help slough away dead skin cells on your legs and feet.
6. K-pop idols’ “fat-melting” aesthetic procedure
K-wave websites have been discussing a “mysterious spot” that they often see on the legs of K-pop idols and there have been lots of speculation about why so many of them seem to have it.
A few websites say that the spots are probably from fat-melting injections that are popular in Korea for making legs look slimmer. Known as Carboxy shots or PPC injections, these injections are usually administered at the inner thighs or calves, and are said to be a go-to aesthetic procedure by K-pop idols who wish to contour the shape of their legs.
However, do note that doctors in Singapore aren’t allowed to administer such procedures because the Ministry of Health ruled that they have little scientific merit.
Featured image credit: SM Entertainment
