Stubborn, unsightly and hard to shift – love handles are a common complaint among both women and men. Love handles are the pinchable layer of fat around the midriff, particularly around the sides above the hips. They can be very prominent, making many people self-conscious when wearing jeans, low cut tops and swimming costumes.

So, how do you get rid of love handles? There are dozens of exercises you can do to work your stomach muscles, lose weight and reduce the size of your love handles. However, stomach exercises alone won’t get rid of a chubby tummy. It’s also important to embark on a good diet programme, as well as taking reliable, safe supplements and health foods.

If you need the focus, motivation and guidance of a personal trainer, we can connect you with a trainer in your area, or arrange an online course. A trainer could help you stay on course to achieve your goals of losing those love handles, as well as helping you design a diet plan to suit your tastes.

Love handle exercises

It’s hard to target specific areas of your body to lose fat. Love handles won’t disappear if you cut out a certain foodstuff for example – but, if you eat right and exercise well, then you could see the difference.

A good way to start is by working on your diet and trying exercises to add muscle to your midriff – toning your stomach and seeing the rolls of fat replaced by tighter muscle. Here’s a few suggestions to get rid of love handles:

• Stomach crunches and sit-ups
• A gentle weightlifting routine – building muscle helps you maintain your weight and avoid love handles
• Lunges and leg squats
• Go for a jog, cycle or vigorous walk at least twice a week. Aerobic exercise burns fat and tones muscle under your love handles
• Eating a low-fat, balanced, healthy diet to reduce your calorie intake
• Sticking with your programme and don’t expect to see results in a week
• Stay focused and enjoy your exercise!
• Learn some yoga positions, which can strengthen your muscles and improve circulation

Getting rid of love handles – get your diet right

Think of the fat cells in your body as sponges. If you feed them, they expand and get larger. Every time you eat more calories than you need you’re feeding your fat cells (or adipocytes, to give them their technical name!).

Take a look at our nutrition pages to find out how to cut down on your calories and start eating healthy, delicious food (and getting rid of those love handles!).

Using a personal trainer to get rid of love handles

There is some evidence that excess belly fat can be a danger to health – more so than fat on your bum, thighs and legs. This means that it could be important to reduce you love handles not just to look good – but for your overall wellbeing.

A personal trainer can help you work on your love handles and fitness in the most effective way possible, keeping you focused, motivated and having fun along the way. We can connect you with a trainer who can guide you on both love handle exercises and fitness programmes to increase your health and vitality. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you lose your love handles and feel fantastic.