If there’s one thing that is sure to be a major blow to our confidence – it’s love handles. Even after spending hours of cardio or high-intensity workouts at the gym, that stubborn belly fat doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere! And while there are no such health risks associated with love handles, they can seriously affect our body image as we wriggle into those jeans or that super sexy black dress.
Nope. Nothing to love about love handles.
But don’t resign yourself to a loveless, lifelong relationship with them just yet. These 5 easy exercises could be your one-way ticket to a sleek waist. You can either perform them alone if you have less time for your workout or in combination if you have more time to spare. The best part? You don’t even have to head to the gym; all you need is a mat!
1. Lunge Twists
Not only does this lunge variation work for your entire body, but that extra twist ensures that your abs and abdomen get a little extra attention.
How To Perform
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, keeping your knees slightly bent. Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees by your hips.
- Now lunge forward with your right leg and then rotate your torso and your arms to your right.
- Rotate your torso and arms back to your center as you quickly push off your right foot to bring yourself back to the starting position.
- Do as many reps as you can, alternating sides.
Note: Do this exercise if you have 10 minutes to spare for your workout.
2. Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are a type of vigorous cardio activity that can speed up the overall burning rate of your abdominal fat since they’re high-intensity by nature. Jumping jacks also boost your metabolism, and are, thus, ideal for helping you deal with stubborn fat like love handles.
How To Perform
- Start by standing with your knees slightly bent. Rest your hands on your thighs.
- Push through the balls of your feet while straightening and pushing your knees to jump up.
- As you jump, spread your legs outwards to the sides while raising your hands upward and outward till they meet right above your head.
- While landing after your jump, bring your feet back together and let your hands fall back to your sides.
- Do as many reps as you can.
Note: Do this exercise along with the lunges if you have 12 minutes to spare for your workout.
3. Reverse Crunches
This exercise brings yet another effective yet refreshing variation to your abdominal workout routine. It triggers muscle contraction in your lower tummy regions that don’t just melt your love handles but can also give you some impressive abs if you’re looking to build any that is.
How To Perform
- Lie on the ground keeping your feet flat on the floor and your hands beneath your head.
- Press your lower back against the floor and draw in your belly to raise your feet off the floor. Do this while holding your knees together, keeping them bent at right angles.
- Now use your core to pull your knees into your chest till your tailbone raises lifts itself off the ground while simultaneously lifting your shoulder blades off the floor. Don’t use your hands to lift your head and shoulders – they are placed in that certain position to protect your neck. Instead, use your abs. Squeeze them tightly, the more you engage them, the faster you’ll melt your love handles!
- Slowly lower your shoulders, hips, and legs and return to the original position, but stop when your feet reach just above the floor.
- Repeat these steps as many times as you can. However, don’t increase your momentum as you do the next reps; instead, focus on working your ab muscles to power your movements.
Note: If you think you can do a 20-minute workout, doing this exercise along with reverse lunges and jumping jacks will do wonders for your abdomen!
4. Mountain Climbers
This is another great high-intensity exercise that encourages center-stability and therefore, in the process, keeps your abdominal muscles engaged. Each time you pull your knees into your chest, it contracts your abdominal muscles, thus melting away all that extra fat around your belly.
How To Do
- Start by bringing your body to the basic plank position. This means you need to lie face-down, keeping your palms placed flat on the floor at a width that’s slightly more than that of your shoulders.
- Come up to a push-up position by applying a push-force on your arms and keeping your body straight.
- Now pull your right knee into your chest while pulling your abs in tighter so that your body isn’t tempted to sag out of its plank position.
- Quickly switch by bringing your right foot back to its original position and pulling your left knee into your chest at the same time, just like you’re climbing a mountain.
- Continue to switch knees and try to move faster as you progress so that you’re in ‘running position.’ Make sure to keep your body in plank position – aligned in a straight line with your spine. Also, don’t let your head stoop. Maintaining your core body stability is crucial for this exercise to work effectively on your love handles.
- Do as many reps as you can.
Note: If you have 25 minutes to spare, add this exercise to your routine along with the ones mentioned above.
5. Side Plank Hip-Lifts
This exercise is a variation of the basic plank and is a good way to challenge your body’s stability centers and initiate muscle contraction of your core. A beginner’s tip: You may want to start practicing in front of a mirror to help yourself perfect the technique of this exercise.
How To Perform
- Lie on your side keeping your right elbow planted firmly on the ground. Let your legs and hips rest on the ground.
- Engaging your abs and keeping your body in a straight line, slowly lift the lower half of your body off the ground to form a straight plank.
- Lower yourself and repeat as many times as you can.
Note: If you can dedicate 30-35 minutes to your workout, consider adding this exercise to your routine along with the exercises mentioned above.
