Having skinny legs is considered an ideal beauty standard in South Korea, especially for Kpop idols. Kpop idols go through intense diet and exercise routines to achieve extremely lean legs. While genetics play a role, there are several strategies Kpop idols use to get skinny legs.
Diet
Diet is one of the biggest factors for Kpop idols to get skinny legs. They follow very strict low-calorie diets that are high in protein and low in fat and carbs. Some common diet tips include:
- Eat small portioned, low-calorie meals 5-6 times a day
- Avoid high-calorie foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheese, sugar
- Eat lots of vegetables and lean protein like chicken breast and fish
- Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and flush out toxins
- Take supplements like collagen for skin elasticity
Kpop idols are closely monitored by their agency and team to stick to the diet. The low daily calorie intake coupled with intense exercise leads to very low body fat percentages and skinny legs.
Exercise
Kpop trainees and idols spend hours dancing and exercising every day. Targeted exercises to tone and slim down the legs are a big part of their workout routine.
Some common leg exercises they do include:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Leg presses
- Leg curls
- Calf raises
- Plyometric exercises like jumping jacks
- Stair climbing
These exercises help tone the leg muscles and burn fat. Kpop idols often do these moves during dance practices too. They typically exercise for 3-5 hours daily. The intense cardio helps keep body fat very low.
Thigh Gap
Having a thigh gap is seen as an attractive trait, especially for female Kpop idols. A thigh gap means there is space between the inner thighs when standing upright with feet together. To get a thigh gap, Kpop idols focus on slimming down the inner thighs and hips. Some tips include:
- Inner thigh exercises like squeezes, leg lifts
- Lots of squats and lunges to tone inner thighs
- Eat foods rich in vitamin C to improve skin elasticity
- Drink pine tea which is thought to break down fat cells in the thighs
However, extensive dieting and over-exercising for a thigh gap can be unhealthy and lead to problems like malnutrition or osteoporosis. But it remains an important beauty standard in the Kpop industry.
Extreme Diets
Some Kpop idols go to extreme lengths to get skinny legs, often depriving their bodies of proper nutrition. Here are some extreme diets they try:
- Juice cleanses
- Fasting
- One meal a day diet
- No carb diet
- Paper cup diet – Eating only the amount of food that fits in a paper cup per meal
These extreme diets are obviously very unhealthy and can cause health issues. They should never be followed without medical supervision. But the pressure to achieve the “perfect” body motivates some to take dangerous risks.
Surgery
Plastic surgery procedures are very common in South Korea, and some Kpop idols get surgical procedures on their legs. Popular procedures include:
- Calf reduction – Cutting away muscle to make calves thinner
- Thighplasty – Reducing fat and skin in the thighs
- Leg liposuction – Removing fat deposits from the thighs or calves
These invasive procedures carry risks like infection, scarring, and numbness. Most fans can tell if an idol got surgery due to the drastically changed leg shape. But some idols resort to surgery to quickly slim their legs.
Unhealthy Habits
The extreme pursuit of skinny legs has led to unhealthy habits among Kpop idols. Some unhealthy ways they try to get skinny legs are:
- Over-exercising – Exercising past the point of exhaustion. Can lead to injury.
- Dehydration – Drinking less water falsely gives the impression of weight loss.
- Eating disorders – Anorexia, bulimia, food restriction
- Smoking – Done as an appetite suppressant
- Laxative abuse – Misusing laxatives to expel food before nutrients are absorbed
These unhealthy habits are extremely dangerous and can cause long-term health consequences. However, the pressure to lose weight combined with a lack of education on health leads some down this path. Agencies should prioritize idol health over looks.
Genetics
It’s important to note that genetics play a huge role in body shape and size. No matter how much they diet and exercise, some idols are naturally curvier or thicker. Shake-ups in the Kpop industry like the rise of “Thicc” idols shows that tastes are slowly expanding.
Some idols with naturally curvier lower bodies include:
- Hyuna
- Jungyeon from TWICE
- Hwasa from MAMAMOO
- Yoona from Girls Generation
While they work hard to be fit, these idols have embraced and flaunted their natural leg shape. As fans increasingly push back against rigid beauty standards, there is more room for bodies of different shapes in Kpop.
Healthy Exercise and Diet Habits
While fast results require extreme dieting, sustainable healthy and skinny legs can be achieved through smart exercise and eating habits. Here are some healthy tips:
- Eat a balanced, nutritious diet with sufficient calories and nutrients
- Do a mix of cardio, strength training, squats, lunges
- Sleep 8 hours and drink lots of water
- Slowly increase workout intensity vs overexerting
- Take rest days for full recovery
This allows for steady fat loss and muscle tone without endangering one’s health. However, the intense competition and short careers of idols makes it hard to focus on healthy and gradual fitness.
The Dark Side
Achieving extremely skinny legs through extreme dieting has many health risks including:
- Malnutrition
- Muscle loss
- Bone density loss, osteoporosis
- Fainting, fatigue
- Menstrual issues in women
- Impaired immune system
The constant pressure on idols to attain an unrealistic body shape encourages disordered eating and exercise habits that can take a long-term toll. Fans have spoken out against the promotion of extreme thinness, but it remains an issue in the industry.
Setting Better Standards
Kpop agencies have a huge role in promoting healthy beauty standards for idols. Some positive steps they can take include:
- Provide nutrition education and access to dieticians
- Monitor idol health and well-being, not just weight
- Allow sufficient rest and recovery time
- Cast idols with a diversity of natural body types
- Shift focus from numbers on a scale to fitness and ability
Idols’ careers depend on meeting agency body image standards. Better agency policies that support overall idol health and well-being could curb disordered behavior taken in pursuit of skinny legs.
Conclusion
Kpop idols resort to intense diet regimens, strict exercise, and sometimes extreme methods to achieve the ideal skinny leg and thigh gap aesthetic. But this comes at a cost of poor nutrition, health risks, and disordered habits. As fans push back against unrealistic standards, there are calls for agencies and the industry as a whole to prioritize idol health over numbers on a scale. With better role modeling and policies from the top-down, Kpop idols can achieve fit legs through safe, sustainable habits.