Three Exercises to Lose Those Unlovely Love Handles

You just got into your favourite pair of jeans and then noticed a little extra fat hanging out of the top. And suddenly, you realise you now have to contend with love handles and must find a way to get rid of them.

So how do you melt love handles away? Like most other aspects of weight loss, getting rid of love handles requires the right combination of diet and exercise. Obtaining the nutrients you need is just as important as putting in the right amounts of physical activity. Therefore, you have to start by evaluating your meals. You may also incorporate supplements into your daily food intake. They can be very beneficial in how products like Dymatize ISO 100, Scivation and XTEND BCAA are formulated to help boost fat burning and subsequent weight loss.

Once you know what to eat, you can turn to selecting and performing the right exercise like the ones listed below to help you lose your love handles.

Side Planks

Lie down on your side on an exercise mat. If you opt to lie on your right, ensure that your left leg lies squarely on top of the right one. Next, bend your knees just enough to get them into a comfortable position. Now raise your torso and create support using your right arm. The hand should be bent at the elbow and lying at a right angle in line with your shoulder. Your head has to be in a neutral position while your hips, knees and ankles are directly on the mat.

To perform a side plank, use your contracted core muscles to lift your hips while keeping your knee on the mat. Hold for a second, then lower gently back to the starting position. Repeat for as many reps as you like.

Mountain Climbers

First, set up an exercise mat on a flat, even surface, then get situated in the middle. Once you are comfortable, get into a high plank position. From here, lift your right knee and bring it up toward your chest. Then take it back and straighten the leg. Once you are back in the plank, lift your left knee and bend it toward your chest, mimicking the movements you made on the right side. The end of the move on the second leg marks one rep. Repeat until you have completed as many sets as you can, with 30 as an approximate maximum. The better you get at it, the faster you can move.

Please note that while you are moving one leg toward your chest, you must maintain your balance and avoid shifting all your weight to the leg that is still straight. Doing so may create undue strain and cause injury.

Russian Twists

First, sit on your mat with your legs stretched out and your back straight. From here, you can slowly position yourself into the base pose for Russian twists. To do so, bend your knees and allow your heels to act as an anchor. Once you get there, clasp your hands loosely together in front of your chest and contract your abdominals. 

To begin the Russian twist movements, slowly rotate your torso to one side, pause for a second or two, then twist to the other side. Don’t rush; the only way to get the full benefits of this exercise is by making the full range of motion. With more practice and better conditioning, you can increase the difficulty by leaning back until about halfway to the floor.

The appearance of love handles does not have to spell the end of the world. Instead, you can take it as a subtle indicator that you may want to examine your fitness levels and decide whether you are where you want to be.