5 Targeted Exercises to Help Get Rid of Love Handles

Along with a healthy diet and exercise, our love handle workout can help tone your obliques and slim your waist!

But before we dive into the exercises, it’s important to note that you can’t spot-reduce body fat. To lose love handles, you need to reduce your overall body fat percentage.

Some of the best ways to do this include:

• Maintaining a balanced diet and cutting down on calories. Focus on a nutritious diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains while cutting back on processed foods, sugary drinks, and high-fat foods.
• Including healthy fats in your diet. Foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil can help control hunger and support weight loss.
• Staying hydrated. Drink plenty of water, which can help control your appetite and support metabolism.
• Easing stress. A lot of stress can lead to increased cortisol levels that contribute to weight gain.
• Exercising regularly. It’s important to incorporate both cardiovascular (aerobic) and strength-training exercises into your routine! Cardio workouts like running, cycling, and swimming can help burn calories and reduce overall body fat. HIIT workouts can be effective for burning calories and reducing body fat (including love handles).

Ready to get started? In addition to healthy lifestyle choices, the following five exercises can help slim your waist and get rid of love handles.

Workout instructions:

• Go through each of the five exercises as instructed.
• Rest for 1 minute, and then repeat the list two more times. (A total of 3 rounds!)
• Do this workout 3 times per week for the best results.
• Note: If you don’t have a dumbbell, a water bottle or other weighted item will work.

1. Full-Body Roll-Up (12 Reps)

Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

How to do a full-body roll-up:

• Start lying on the mat with your arms extended overhead, legs long, and feet flexed.
• Inhale as you lift arms up and begin curling your chin and chest forward. Exhale as you roll the entire torso up and over your legs, keeping abs engaged while you reach for your toes.
• Inhale as you begin rolling your spine back down one vertebra at a time, and exhale as the upper portion of the back lowers and arms reach overhead.  
• Repeat moving slowly, using the abdominals to lift and lower (not momentum).
• Complete 12 reps.

2. Russian Twist Exercise (12 Full Rotations)

How to do Russian twists:

• Start seated with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding both hands in front of your chest (a dumbbell is optional).
• Keeping the spine long and the abdominals tight, lean back slightly and lift the feet a few inches off the floor. (To modify, keep the feet on the floor.)
• Slowly twist the torso to the left and bring the hands beside the left hip. Return to center, slowly twist to the right, and bring the hands beside the right hip to complete one rotation.
• Do 12 rotations (24 twists total).

3. Side Plank Lift/Lower (12 Reps Per Side)

How to do a side plank lift and lower:

• Come into a side forearm plank by lying in one long line on one side, stacking your elbow under your shoulder, and keeping your forearm on the mat perpendicular to your body.
• Stack your feet and stay in one long line as you engage your core and lift your hips up, forming a side forearm plank.
• Dip your hips down towards the mat and lift back up using your obliques and core muscles.
• Perform 12 times on the right side and 12 times on the left side.

4. Mountain Climbers Exercise (30 Seconds)

How to do mountain climbers:

• Start in a plank position with arms and legs long. Keep your abs pulled in and your body straight. Squeeze your glutes and pull your shoulders away from your ears
• Pull your right knee into your chest.  As the knee draws to the chest, pull your abs in even tighter to be sure your body doesn’t sag or come out of its plank position.
• Quickly switch and pull the left knee in. At the same time you push your right leg back, pull your left knee into the chest using the same form.
• Continue to switch knees. Pull the knees in right, left, right, left—always switching simultaneously so that you are using a “running” motion
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

5. Oblique Crunch Exercise (12 Reps Per Side)

How to do an oblique crunch:

• Start lying on your side in one long line on your forearm, with your shoulder stacked over your elbow.
• Swing your legs forward and lean back on your glutes slightly (like you’re sitting on the back pocket of your blue jeans) and lift your legs off the mat diagonally with your arm extended.
• Contract your core as you reach your toes up to your hand. Then lower your legs and lift your arm to return to start.
• Do 12 reps on each side.

Now, go back and complete the list two more times! (And remember to stretch when you’re done.)

• Category: Fitness