A certified trainer’s five daily moves target love handles after 55, without another treadmill session.<\/p>\n
Treadmills are fantastic for plenty of things, such as supporting cardiovascular health<\/a>, improving endurance, and torching calories. Spot-reducing belly fat, however, isn\u2019t one of them. That\u2019s because no amount of walking or jogging can tell your body to burn fat in one specific area, which is why so many people log mile after mile and still feel like their love handles haven\u2019t budged.<\/p>\n The best way to trim love handles is to increase your physical activity level while doing exercises that target your core and obliques (side abs). Building and maintaining strength in those muscles is what firms and defines your waistline as your body sheds fat. After 55, research<\/a> shows that core strength becomes essential as muscle naturally becomes harder to hold onto with age.<\/p>\n The good news is that you don\u2019t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to trim love handles. The five moves below target your obliques, core, and surrounding muscles using nothing but your own body weight. The best part? You can do them daily, anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n To learn more, we chatted with James Bickerstaff, CPT, a personal trainer at OriGym<\/a>, who put together the following list of daily exercises. Read on for the detailed instructions, and when you\u2019re done, check out these 5 Standing Exercises That Firm Your Midsection Faster Than Gym Classes After 60<\/a>.<\/p>\n \tStanding Cross-Body Knee Drives<\/p>\n 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n First up we have a high-intensity dynamic exercise that works your waistline muscles while boosting your heart rate to burn more calories. \u201cThese are a great low-impact exercise for challenging your obliques and core,\u201d Bickerstaff explains. \u201cThe rotational movements also strengthen muscles around your waist, while the alternating motion raises your heart rate.\u201d<\/p>\n How to do it:<\/p>\n Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head. \tBodyweight Squats<\/p>\n Squats might not be the first exercise you associate with love handles, but they help engage the large muscles of your lower body and burn more energy than an isolated ab move. \u201cSquats recruit large muscles in the legs and glutes, making them an efficient full-body exercise,\u201d says Bickerstaff. \u201cAlso, they help maintain lower-body strength as we age.\u201d<\/p>\n How to do it:<\/p>\n Stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart.
\nDrive one knee upward while rotating your torso to bring the opposite elbow toward it.
\nReturn to the starting position with control.
\nAlternate sides at a steady pace.
\nComplete two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per side.
\nRest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.<\/p>\n
\nBrace your core and push your hips backward as you bend your knees.
\nLower as far as feels comfortable while keeping your chest lifted.
\nDrive through your feet to stand back up.
\nPerform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
\nRest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.<\/p>\n