Exercise to Lose Love Handles: 3 Targeted Moves That Work

“Love handles” is a term often used to describe the extra bulges of fat along the sides of your waist. Getting rid of these little (or not-so-little) bulges of fat can be challenging!

There are several exercises that help you lose love handles:

Side Bends:

This exercise works the oblique muscles that are located on the sides of the abdomen. Standing with your feet approximately shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and arms straight down at your sides, tuck your pelvis forward slightly to stabilize your lower back, and then gently lean your upper body to one side. Slide your hand down the side of your leg as you go, bending sideways as far as you can without pain. Then slowly rise back up until you are standing straight. Do the same bend to the other side, bending slowly and gently as far as you can, then come back up to a straight stance. Go back and forth like that for as many reps as you can – 25-30 reps provides a great workout for those muscles. If you want to increase the intensity over time, hold dumbbells in your hands as you bend slowly from side to side.

Oblique Twists:

Another great waist-slimmer is oblique twist exercises. Standing once again with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and pelvis tucked forward, lift your arms out to your sides at shoulder height. Slowly twist your upper body at the waist so you are facing to the right, but keep your hips and lower body facing front. Pause and then start turning your upper body all the way to the left, once again keeping your hips and lower body stationary. Continue “twisting” back and forth like this for several reps and you’ll definitely feel it in your obliques! Just be careful not to strain your lower back with this exercise, which can happen easily if you twist too quickly, too far, or forget to tuck your pelvis forward.

You can also do oblique twists while seated, or combine them with another exercise like sit-ups. When you sit up, pause and twist your upper body to the right, then come back to facing front again, lie back down, then sit up and twist to the left, come back to face front again, and so on.

Floor Side Bends:

You can also do a variation of the side bend exercises while lying on the floor. These are done by lying on your side with your body in a straight line (legs lined up with hips, spine, neck and head). Rest your head on the arm that is resting on the floor, and bend your other arm up so your fingertips are resting behind your ear and your elbow is pointing toward the ceiling. Slightly lift your upper body off the floor, bending at the waist and pointing your bent elbow down toward the wall that your feet are pointed toward. Hold for a second or two, then relax back to a prone position and repeat, then flip over to your other side and repeat for 20-25 reps, or however many you are capable of doing.

These exercises will get you off to a great start in losing your love handles – but remember that the exercises themselves will probably not be enough for most people. Love handles are nothing more than collections of fat, and like all fat deposits, the way to get rid of it is to burn it off!

Building lean muscle is great, but you also need to watch your diet and use cardio exercise to burn fat. Tackling the problem from both directions at once is an excellent way to lose your love handles for good.

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