JOE continues with its weekly exercise tips to help you tone up and drive towards your ideal physique. This week we look at possible ways to lose any unwanted “love handles”.
By Frank McCann
What are love handles?
Love handles are the additional layers of body fat on the abdominal area. Usually accumulated around the sides and the rear of the body, love handles can form on both men and women.
If not kept under control, love handles have the potential to bulge, becoming unsightly and more difficult to get rid of.
How can you stop love handles from getting bigger?
The first thing you must do is cut down on your calorie intake.
If you are taking in more calories than you are burning, your love handles will increase as you accumulate additional body fat.
Most likely to store around your hips and mid-section, going over your daily allowance of calories will result in your love handles increasing in size.
What type of exercises can I perform to lose my love handles?
The Hip Shrug
- Make sure you stand straight with good posture.
- Lift your heel up towards your buttocks.
- Follow that movement by shrugging your hip up towards your shoulder.
- Repeat the lifts as many times as you feel comfortable with, maybe performing 20 each side if possible.
- This exercise will strengthen your legs, while also working on your love handles.
The Matrix Twist
- Spread your legs to the length of your shoulders.
- Extend your arms into an airplane shape.
- Keep your knees springy.
- Turn so your left arm aims towards the back of your right knee…and vice versa.
- Continue this for 5-10 minutes, taking breaks in-between.
Trunk Twists
- Stand straight with your legs slightly spread
- Twist your waist to the right while trying to keep your legs and knees stable, moving the left arm in the direction of the twist.
- Repeat the same motion for the left twist.
There are also many other exercises you can perform to lose your unwanted love handles, however, these techniques must be in conjunction with a balance diet (that means less calories).
If you eat well and perform these exercises regularly, you should see results before too long. Just make sure you stick to both.
If you’re looking for more of a visual aid, this guy also provides some useful tips on losing those love handles:
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
