Trimming the waistline: Effective exercises to eliminate love handles

“Trimming the waistline necessitates burning the fat around the waist using targeted workouts and sustainable dietary adjustments.” - Serah W.

Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels

Love handles, or muffin tops, are the excess fats that are deposited around the waistline. To effectively eliminate love handles, one has to combine weight loss training and make dietary adjustments that create a calorie deficit.

Here are 10 effective exercises to get rid of love handles:

1. Russian Twists

● Start by sitting on the floor or on a mat with your knees bent together while feet flat on the floor.

● Slightly lean back with the chest out.

● Hold a weight, dumbbell, plate, or fold your hands together.

● Twist your torso to the left side and then to the right side and tap the used weight or hands on the floor.

● Ensure that your knees are steady throughout the movement.

● Challenge yourself by lifting the feet up off the floor.

● Repeat the workout till the set is complete.

2. Bicycle Crunches

● Lie flat on your back with your hands held behind the head and bend your knees.

● Lift your shoulders off the floor and raise your legs.

● Bring your right elbow to your left knee while you extend your right leg out straight.

● Switch sides, bringing your left elbow to your right knee while extending your left leg straight.

● Alternate sides in a cycling motion until you complete the set.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels

3. Plank with Hip Dips

● Start in a plank position with your hands directly under the shoulders and body in a straight line.

● Engage your core and keep the lower back stable.

● Dip your hips to the left side and then to the right.

● Engage your core to bring you back to the starting position.

● Repeat this movement for 40 to 60 seconds.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

4. Mountain Climbers

● Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders.

● Squeeze your core, shoulders and glutes to create a full body tension.

● Drive one knee up high to your chest.

● Return your leg to a straight position and do the same with the other leg.

● Keep alternating the legs and brace the core until the desired reps are done.

Photo by Polina Tanklevitch on Pexels

5. Abdominal Scissors

● Lie on your back and face up. Place your hands under your butt to give your lower back support.

● Engage your core and lift both legs high off the floor.

● Lower the right leg a little higher from the floor.

● As you lift the right leg up, lower down the left leg.

● Continue switching the legs for desired amount of reps.

● Remember to engage your core throughout the movements

6. Plank

● Begin by positioning yourself in a plank position. Face down with your forearms and toes planted on the floor.

● Keep your elbows under your shoulders while you look on the floor.

● Engage your abdominal muscles and draw your navel towards your spine. Keep your torso straight and firm as you stay in a straight line.

● Hold onto this position for around 30-60 seconds.

● Repeat for 2-3 more sets.

Photo by Mike Gonzalez on Pexels

7. Woodchoppers

● Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a weight; dumbbell or kettle with your hands.

● Start by rotating your torso to the left and raise your weight until it is over your left shoulder.

● Go low to a squat and rotate your torso to the right side and swerve the weight across your body until it is close to your right hip.

● Repeat and switch sides.

8. Side Plank Dips

● Lie on the floor or exercise mat on your right side with your elbow under your shoulder and legs stacked on top of each other. Place your free hand on your hip.

● Straighten your body and legs.

● Brace your core and lift your hips off the floor.

● Slowly lower your hips down towards the floor and keep the movement until the desired reps are acquired.

● Repeat on your left side.

Photo by April Laugh on Unsplash

9. Dumbbell Side Bend

● Stand up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp a dumbbell in your left hand tight with your palm.

● Position your right hand behind your head.

● Slowly bend to your left side as far as you can go while you engage your core muscles to enable you to pull your torso down.

● Remain in this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

● Keep on this movement until the desired set is done and then switch to the right side.

10. Alternate Heel Touches

● Lie on your back with your feet and back flat on the floor.

● Bend your knees and keep your arms extended at your sides with fingers pointing downwards towards the feet.

● Lift up your head to crunch forward to your torso.

● Hold this position and ensure to keep neck neutral while facing up the ceiling and avoid tucking your chin down.

● Start reaching one hand at a time towards your heels in a side bends motion.

● Keep alternating each heel touch while you squeeze your oblique muscles.

● Each rep should be done slow and easy.

Apart from these exercises, it is important to make long-term sustainable changes in maintaining a healthy diet and consuming fewer calories than expended. Remember that you cannot spot-reduce fat. So, it is important to focus on overall body weight loss rather than just toning your mid-section part of the body. Combining a healthy diet, resistance training, cardio, anaerobic and targeted exercises is the best way to trim your waistline and eliminate those love handles.