Love handles can be the bane of your existence. They can be challenging to eliminate and can cause despair when you think that all the work you are doing in the gym is not yielding any results. The best way to get rid of those love handles is to combine a proper diet with more focused exercises geared toward targeting your core and making the most of the muscle in that area.
Love handles are a colloquial term referring to the skin you can see extending from your hips outward. They become more prominent when there is more pronounced fat retention in your body due to more calories being ingested than what is used up or burned off. This fat tends to accumulate in certain areas of the body first, especially in the core areas around your abdominals and hips. These areas are more prone to fat accumulation due to several factors such as age, slow metabolism, unhealthy diets and excess hormones.
Exercise has shown that it is an effective weapon against love handles, with many targeted moves and routines being established in gyms and the internet to help you along. However, the main caveat here is that exercise alone is not an all-encompassing answer. Diet also plays a significant role and must not be overlooked. What you eat is just as vital as what you do.
If you have noticed an abundance of love handles and would like to embark on a journey that may rid you of them, you need not despair of the difficulty. Here are a few exercises you may perform to set those concerns to begin disappearing.
Targeted Exercises
As mentioned above, performing some targeted exercises can help you focus on burning the excess fat so that your love handles melt away with time. Targeted exercises that give you the best chance of seeing results work the abs, hips, and back. Try:
Side Planks
Start by lying on your side on your exercise mat. Next, use your arm to prop your body into an elevated position. Ensure that your forearm is flat on the mat at a right angle to the rest of your body. Check that you have proper alignment by making sure your elbow and your shoulder are in line. Once you are established, stack your legs, one on top of the other, then recheck your form. Your body should now form a straight line from your head to your hips.
You can perform side planks by holding this line for some time; you can build up from 30 seconds to a minute, one and a half minutes, and so on as your strength and abilities grow. Simply certify that your glutes are squeezed and abs tight to maintain good support. Alternatively, you may add hip dips where you lower your hips a couple of inches, then slowly raise them again for 30 seconds to a minute or more.
Bicycle Crunches
While lying on your back, bend your knees and place your hands behind your head. Do not clasp them. From here, engage your ab muscles and lift your shoulders and upper back. You should also raise your bent knees, with your shins positioned at a right angle to the ground. Next, perform slow twisting movements as you move an elbow towards the opposite knee. You should also extend the leg to a straight position as you do so. If you decide to start with your right elbow, you will move it toward the left knee as you extend your right leg.
Russian Twists
This move is also performed while seated. First, position yourself comfortably on your backside with your knees bent, and your feet placed flat on the floor or mat. Lean your torso slowly back to about 45 degrees while ensuring that your abs are engaged. Next, lift your feet while maintaining the knee bend until you are balanced on your butt. You may cross your ankles and clasp your hands if you feel you need extra support.
Once positioned, begin twisting your torso from side to side, slowly moving from one side to the other while moving your hands in the same direction. Your lower body should remain as still as possible.
Up and Down Planks
Get into proper plank position with your arms straight and your wrists in line with your shoulders. Your body should form a long, straight line from head to toe. Be careful not to bend your hips or leave your butt sticking out. If you are properly situated, your glute and ab muscles should be engaged. Lower one arm to a low plank position where your forearms are on the ground, but your elbow remains in line with the shoulder. Do the same for the other arm. Move back to the high plank, always going one arm at a time.
General Exercises
In addition to the targeted exercises, you may also do some cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting. Alternatively, try taking up outdoor activities like hiking and swimming to keep your body moving, your health at its peak, and your love handles nothing but a distant memory.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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