What Are Love Handles? Everything You Need to Know to Get Rid of Love Handles

Do you know what are love handles? Well, "love handles" is a term you must have come cross, whose definition you may not be aware of completely. If you're wondering what are love handles and how to get rid of them, then keep reading to understand what are love handles before diving into the right exercises and more!

What are Love Handles?

If you want to address extra bodyfat, you need to know what are love handles. To answer what are love handles, one may define them as the accumulation of excess fat that surrounds the oblique muscles, which are located on either side of the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle) in the abdominal region.

The oblique muscles are divided into two groups -- the external obliques and the internal obliques. The external obliques are the largest and most superficial of the oblique muscles, running diagonally down the sides of the torso. The internal obliques are deeper and run perpendicular to the external obliques.

Both the external and internal oblique muscles are involved in rotating and bending the trunk, as well as in lateral flexion (side bending) of the spine. When strengthened and toned, these muscles can help create a more defined and streamlined waistline, reducing the appearance of love handles.

How to Reduce Love Handles?

Cardio exercise (Photo via Gabin Vallet/Unsplash)

Now that you know what are love handles, next you need to know about reducing love handles. It can be a challenging process that requires a combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and targeted workouts. Here are some tips on how to reduce love handles:

Incorporate cardio exercises

Cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, or swimming can help burn calories and reduce overall body fat, including love handles.

Strength training

Resistance exercises that target the oblique muscles, such as side planks, Russian twists, or bicycle crunches, can help strengthen and tone the muscles in the waist and hip area, reducing the appearance of love handles.

Eat a healthy diet

Focus on consuming a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and excess alcohol intake, as these can contribute to the accumulation of love handles.

Hydrate

Drinking plenty of water can help flush out toxins and excess fluids from the body, which can contribute to the appearance of love handles.

Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep can disrupt hormone levels, leading to an increase in appetite and the accumulation of body fat, including love handles. Ideally, you should try to sleep for seven hours at night for better weight management.

Remember, it's easy to know what are love handles, but reducing love handles takes time and patience. Consistency is key, and it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle that incorporates regular exercise and a balanced diet for long-term results.

Exercises for Love Handles

More often than not, knowing what are love handles and how to reduce them will not help completely. You should tone the muscles while you're losing the surrounding fat. Here are some effective exercises that can help tone and strengthen the muscles in the waist and hip area, reducing the appearance of love handles:

Side Planks

Instructions:

Keep your elbow directly below your shoulder and turn to your side.
Once you’ve taken this position, stack your legs one on top of the other.
Keep your core engaged and steadily lift the hips off the ground.
Next, create a straight line from your head to feet.
Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.
Repeat for several sets.

Russian Twists

Instructions:

Sit on the floor by bending your legs from the knees and keeping your feet pressed onto the floor.
Slightly lean backwards and steadily lift your feet off the floor.
Ensure that your balancing your upper body by keeping your core engaged.
Holding a weight or a medicine ball, twist your torso to the right, then to the left.
Repeat for several sets.

Bicycle Crunches

Instructions:

Lie down on your back and keep your hands behind your head.
Lift your legs and bend them from the knees. From here, steadily lift your shoulders and move your right elbow towards your left knee.
Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Continue alternating sides for several sets.

Standing Side Bend

Instructions:

Keep your arms on your sides and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Slowly bend your upper body to the right, sliding your right hand down your right leg.
Move back to the starting position before bending on the left side.
Repeat for several sets.

Mountain Climbers

Instructions:

First, move to a plank position. From there, keep your hands under your shoulders and your feet should be hip-width apart.
Bring your right knee towards your chest, then quickly switch legs, bringing your left knee towards your chest.
Continue alternating legs for several sets.

Can You Spot Reduce Fat?

Now, sometimes one of the questions that follow "what are love handles" is -- can you spot reduce fat?

Spot reduction refers to the idea that you can target fat loss in specific areas of the body through exercises that work those particular muscles. However, scientific research suggests that spot reduction is not an effective way to lose fat.

When you exercise, your body burns calories from fat stores throughout your body, not just in the area being exercised. So, while targeted exercises like oblique crunches or side planks can strengthen the muscles in the waist and hip area, they won't necessarily burn fat specifically in those areas.

Instead, the best way to reduce body fat, including love handles, is to create a calorie deficit through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise. This will lead to overall fat loss throughout your body, including the areas where you store excess fat.

In summary, it's not possible to spot reduce fat, but you can reduce overall body fat through a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and regular exercise.