If you're looking to get leaner and thinner thighs, there are a few exercises that are a must for women to shape up whether they want to fit into your skinny jeans or a bikini.

There are also exercises that many women seem to do, but are not effective in achieving their results. Such as the following:

Abductor and Aductor -these machines are the ones that you "squeeze in with your inner thighs" and then push away. You may feel the burn, but essentially it doesn't do anything to shape and tone your thighs. A better exercise would be squats, these target the thighs and glutes.

To perform these there are several different ways. Simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart with dumbbells and go down as if you are sitting on a chair. Now it's important that your feet are pointed forward and not out, as it can cause your hips to be tight.

Go down as far as you feel comfortable with good form and your head is up and body upright. When you come back up, squeeze your thighs and glutes.

This exercise also burn a lot more calories then the abductor and aductor machines because of the way your body is positioned. Keeping in mind as well, if you want thinner thighs you must burn more calories.

If you stick with the best thigh exercises, not only will you get results but you will save time from doing exercises that just don't work.

Additionally, another great slimming thigh exercise is an elevated one legged squat. To perform this you would simply get up on a bench and put in close to wall. You can hold a weight in the arm that is furthest away from the wall and place your other hand on the wall for support.

While standing on the bench with one leg, the other leg will be off to the side and then the opposite hand is holding the weight as you bend at the knee and touch your foot to the ground.

This is the same motion you are doing when performing a squat. You can also do this exercise without any weight. Do anywhere from 8-15 repetitions on each leg.

Leg lifts- This is a very old school approach that was presented in the days when aerobics were popular. You lie on your side, and raise your leg up and lower down and squeeze your thighs and glutes. Again, you may feel it working but it doesn't do anything to get the results you want.

You may have perceived that to be true, because the women that were doing them in the classes were already in shape to begin with, thus giving you the illusion that it works to create slimmer, thinner thighs.

Again, if you're looking for only the best exercises to firm your thighs. Side to side lunges are the ones to do.

For this exercise you need a set of dumbbells. Use weight that is challenging. Stand with your feet together, holding the dumbbells to your sides.

Then take a step out to the side and as you do that move the dumbbells so that one is to the inside of your inner thigh, and the other is to the outside of your thigh.

As you step to the side, you also bend down, much like you would as a squat. Then step back to the middle. Perform each side at a time, then move to the next.

Stick to doing what works, and you will see your thighs getting slimmer and sexier in just a few short weeks.