An exercise from yoga which works well to improve the strength in your shoulders, abdomen and obliques, is called planks. The exercise that works best is called side planks but they can be very difficult to do, at least initially. If you are just beginning you should start out with abdominal planks first. Abdominal planks are done by lying on the floor with your face to the floor, your legs extended and your arms shoulder width apart with your hands planted in the position as you would if you were going to be doing push-ups. Push yourself out into a push-up position with your back completely flat your head completely straight and your arms straight without locking the elbows. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and build up to holding for two minutes.
Once you can hold an abdominal plank for up to two minutes you can start adding in side plank. Lie on your side keeping 1 foot on top of the other and your forearm firmly planted on the ground. Now lift your body, resting only on the forearm and the foot that is touching the ground. Your body should form a straight line. Begin by holding the position for 20 to 30 seconds and then releasing. Turn to the other side and repeat. Once you can hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds you can raise and lower your hips slowly several times to increase the amount of muscle work your obliques are receiving.
The last exercise you can use is to stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a 5 pound weight in your left hand. Place your right hand on your right hip and lean to the left side and straighten back up again. Do three sets of 25 on each side and once that becomes easy increase the number to 50 per set.
While love handles do have something to do with genetics and the amount of fat that we carry in our bodies, we can get rid of them with a bit of hard work and a good mindset. Don’t forget about exercising the rest of the body because the more muscle mass you have the faster the excess fat will melt away.
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