9 Best Exercises to Reduce Love Handles Fat

Love handles are the excess fat deposits on the sides of the waist. It is caused mainly due to poor eating habits, junk food intake and alcohol consumption. Women also undergo a lot of hormonal changes when preparing the body for childbirth, which is again a reason that contributes to love handles.

Exercises To Reduce Love Handles:

Here are a few exercises which can help you reduce the love handles and tone them to have the perfect curves of your dreams. Follow them rigorously to get rid of love handles.



1. Bicycle Crunch:

Bicycle crunches help reduce waistline and visibly reduce love handles in 3-4 weeks of continuous exercise.

How to lose love handles through bicycle crunch:

• Lie down flat on the back and pull the legs inwards, with knees folded and hands above the head


• Now lift the right leg and try to touch the knees to the left elbow, lift upper body simultaneously
  Get back to normal position and repeat with the other leg


• Do this 25-30 times for both the sides. Do not thread fingers behind the head. It may cause jerking on the neck.

2. Plank Crunch – Sideways:

The level of difficulty for this particular exercise is higher than others, but it is an excellent work out to get rid of the love handles.



To Perform:

• Lie sideways lifting the upper body on the left elbow and legs resting one over the other


• Now raise the hips to have the head, hips and legs in a straight line (the plank position)


• Put the right hand over the head with elbow folded


• Now lift only your right leg and bend the right elbow to touch them both


• Hold for 2 seconds and get back to plank position

Do this on both sides for 20 times in sets of 10. See the results in a matter of 4-5 weeks.

3. One Hand Toe Touch:

This exercise helps burn excess fat from the lower abdomen and waist and is the best love handle workout. Losing love handles is made easier with this exercise.



To Perform:

• Sit with your legs out in front of you at shoulder length distance


• Pull your right leg inside, resting the sole flat on left inner thigh


• Now point the left hand’s fingers at the ceiling while you lift the hand


• Bend till you touch your left toe


• Hold for 5 seconds, then repeat


• Stretching for 10 times on both sides at least twice is important for this exercise to be effective.

4. Front Bends:

Front bends twist and turn your abdominal muscles and help reduce love handles. It also is a great stretching exercise for overall body.



To Perform:

• Stand with legs apart, wider than shoulders


• Put the arms stretched out on the sides parallel to the shoulders


• Breathe in and bend the body forward touching the right hand on left toe and neck looking at the left hand


• Get back in position and repeat on the other side

This exercise needs to be done at least 10 times on each side and 3 such sets are a mandatory recommendation. Lose love handles easily.

5. Side Stretching:

Side stretching targets love handles and is also a great relief in case you are suffering from shoulder or back problems.



To Perform:

• Stand with feet parted at shoulder width


• Lift and touch right hand on the left shoulder bringing it from top back


• Now hold the right elbow with the left hand firmly and bend to the left


• Stretch and bend as far as you can, outing a little pressure on the elbow


• Hold in position and repeat for other side

Stretching tones the love handles and makes you slimmer from the sides.

6. Knee Drop:

Knee drop is technically done with exercise ball, but can be done at home with a simple ball made with a towel.



To Perform:

• Lie down on a mat with knees folded and soles flat towards the wall in front


• Hold the ball in between the knees and stretch the arms parallel to the shoulder


• Now bend the knees sideways to touch the floor keeping the ball intact in between


• Repeat on the other side

Do this at least 25 times for both the sides to see toned abdomen and how you have lost love handles in a few weeks’ time.

7. Donkey Kicks – Sideways:

Donkey kick is an excellent workout for the lower body. It tones the muscles and strengthens the limbs.



To Perform:

• Let down on all fours with the face looking at the wall at front


• Now lift the right knee and kick to the sides, such that the left thigh is parallel to the floor on the side


• Bring back to position and repeat 10 times before changing legs.

Do at least 3 sets of 10 kicks each day. Do not over stretch the muscles, it may get injured. This is the best exercise for love handles.

8. Side Squats:

Side Squats target the thighs and waistline and tone the lower body.



To Perform:

• Stand with legs parted wide and hands in front


• Now put all the weight on the left leg and bend it at the knee


• The target should be to sit on the left foot with knees folded and right leg stretched out


• Slowly get up to initial position and go down on the right side

20 squats on each leg should be done. Throughout the experiment, remember to keep your upper body straight.

9. Side Kicks:

Side Kicks reduce the love handles and is an excellent cardio exercise for warm up.



To Perform:

• Stand with legs wide apart and toes pointed to the front wall


• Maintain the straight upper body, lift the right leg on the side as high as possible


• Bring back to initial position and repeat on the other side

Do this at least 25 times on each side.

10. Losing Love Handles for Men:

Do a 30 Side Plank Hip Lifts with 15 on each side.



How to Lose Love Handles:

• Get into side plank position with your elbow on the ground and your legs and hips resting on the ground.


• Engage your ab sand keep your body on a straight-line pose.


• Now, raise the lower half of your body up off the ground into a straight plank position. Lower again and repeat.


• Do 15 on your right side, and then 15 on your left side.

Diet Plans To Reduce Love Handles:

a. Remember to eat high fibre whole grain breakfast cereal. Substitute this for granola.

b. A mustard low-fat mayonnaise on your sandwich is a great substitute for the regular mayonnaise.

c. There are no aliment fresh fruits cannot cure.

d. Quinoa is a seed grain hat is packed with high levels of protein and soluble fibre. Cook them in oatmeal and add some almond milk to it.

e. Lentils are the next best food to trim your love handle. Add them to your regular diet.

f. Chickpea and black beans make you feel more energized. Toss them into your salad. Chickpea digests slow and keep your energy level up.

g. Don’t skip chia seeds! They contain high proteins. Add them to your drinks, protein shakes and yogurts.

Exercise alone is a futile measure if not backed up with a healthy and nutritious diet. So, make sure you eat healthy and have a nutritious supply of food to complement your exercise and see yourself lose those love handles. Supplement your food with adequate lentils, peas and other beneficial seeds. Take a look at some of the exercises and diet plan to sufficiently eliminate the extra pounding flesh hanging around your waist.