Love Handles - What Are They?
When men have them they're called spare tires, but fashionable ladies, who are big into jeans, call them muffin tops.
No matter what you name you've given them, love handles are an unfortunate reality for many overweight women the world over.
But what are they? Where do they come from? And how can you get rid of them? Love handles-to put it bluntly-are the pouches of stored fat that appear at the waistline of some people.
And the strange thing is that you don't necessarily have to be overweight-or even unfit-to have them.
In fact, some overweight people might not even have love handles because there are a number of variables that contribute to you to have a little more to hold onto in the waist area than you'd like.
However, what is certain is that it is an indicator of your health.
People who have significant love handles are at serious risk for premature death from heart disease.
Even if you have a normal body weight and body mass index (BMI), you're at risk.
So if you have started to see love handles appear, start doing cardio workouts and get on a healthy diet plan that excludes less complex carbohydrates, like potato chips, cakes, and cookies.
As for exercises that will help you lose your love handles, it might surprise you to know that sit-ups are not the cure-all-this time.
In fact, while sit-ups are good for strengthening the abdominals, they virtually ineffective in getting rid of love handles.
How's that? Because they don't work the area where your muffin top is.
Love handles are located over the external abdominal oblique muscle, and sit-ups don't influence that area.
You want instead to get a good cardiovascular exercise program started, to boost your metabolism-that will help get rid of the excess fat that's stored there.
Then, to complete the one-two punch combination, you want to add some targeted exercises to rid yourself of your love handles once and for all.
These exercises should include: Torso Twists Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms stretched out to the sides, nice and high, shoulder height, with your elbows bent.
Then twist to each side, punching out with each hand (i.
e.
, you turn to the right and punch your left hand; to the left, it's your right hand that punches).
Repeat 100 times per day.
Crunch Twists Get on the floor like you're going to do a sit-up.
Raise both your legs off the floor, keeping them straight; raise your head with your hands unclasped behind it.
Then, bring your leg in toward you and make the opposite elbow touch your knee.
Repeat 25 times, working up to 50.
Swimmer Kicks Lie face down on the floor, arms at your sides.
Lift your head and your legs.
Kick your legs as if you were swimming, without letting them touch the floor.
Do for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10 minutes.
The British Heart Foundation states, "If you tend to gather weight around your middle, increasing the amount of activity you do and watching what you eat will help to reduce your risk of heart disease and of dying early.
"
No matter what you name you've given them, love handles are an unfortunate reality for many overweight women the world over.
But what are they? Where do they come from? And how can you get rid of them? Love handles-to put it bluntly-are the pouches of stored fat that appear at the waistline of some people.
And the strange thing is that you don't necessarily have to be overweight-or even unfit-to have them.
In fact, some overweight people might not even have love handles because there are a number of variables that contribute to you to have a little more to hold onto in the waist area than you'd like.
However, what is certain is that it is an indicator of your health.
People who have significant love handles are at serious risk for premature death from heart disease.
Even if you have a normal body weight and body mass index (BMI), you're at risk.
So if you have started to see love handles appear, start doing cardio workouts and get on a healthy diet plan that excludes less complex carbohydrates, like potato chips, cakes, and cookies.
As for exercises that will help you lose your love handles, it might surprise you to know that sit-ups are not the cure-all-this time.
In fact, while sit-ups are good for strengthening the abdominals, they virtually ineffective in getting rid of love handles.
How's that? Because they don't work the area where your muffin top is.
Love handles are located over the external abdominal oblique muscle, and sit-ups don't influence that area.
You want instead to get a good cardiovascular exercise program started, to boost your metabolism-that will help get rid of the excess fat that's stored there.
Then, to complete the one-two punch combination, you want to add some targeted exercises to rid yourself of your love handles once and for all.
These exercises should include: Torso Twists Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms stretched out to the sides, nice and high, shoulder height, with your elbows bent.
Then twist to each side, punching out with each hand (i.
e.
, you turn to the right and punch your left hand; to the left, it's your right hand that punches).
Repeat 100 times per day.
Crunch Twists Get on the floor like you're going to do a sit-up.
Raise both your legs off the floor, keeping them straight; raise your head with your hands unclasped behind it.
Then, bring your leg in toward you and make the opposite elbow touch your knee.
Repeat 25 times, working up to 50.
Swimmer Kicks Lie face down on the floor, arms at your sides.
Lift your head and your legs.
Kick your legs as if you were swimming, without letting them touch the floor.
Do for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10 minutes.
The British Heart Foundation states, "If you tend to gather weight around your middle, increasing the amount of activity you do and watching what you eat will help to reduce your risk of heart disease and of dying early.
"