When referring to love handles, you are talking about the fat covering your oblique muscles. The obliques are responsible for rotation and lateral flexion of the trunk. When you want to reduce love handles and stomach flab, you have to do more than targeted exercises for these areas. You also have to do fat-burning exercise.
Running
Running is an aerobic exercise that melts pounds by burning calories. Since you cannot spot reduce, the pounds lost from running take place throughout your whole body, including your sides and stomach. Perform 45 to 60 minutes of running three to four days a week. If you do not like the impact that running causes, do some other aerobic activity like elliptical training, rowing, swimming or stair stepping.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are calisthenic exercises that do two things--they burn calories and work your abs. Regular mountain climbers work your midsection and a variation works your obliques. To do regular mountain climbers, get into a racing stance with your hands on the floor, left foot forward and right foot behind you. Quickly shift your foot position back and forth on the ground.
To target your obliques, move your opposite knee toward your opposite elbow when bringing your leg forward and keep your toes off the floor. With both exercises, keep your hips and back as low as possible.
Side Plank with Moving Knee
Side planks with moving knees work both oblique areas at the same time. While lying on your right side with your legs stacked and forearm perpendicular to your body, lift your hips in the air and form a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. After placing your left hand on your hip, lift your left leg and move your knee up toward your shoulder. Hold for a full second, stack your leg back on top of your other leg and lower your hips to within an inch of the ground. Slowly rise back up, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides.
Obliques Peak
The obliques peak exercise requires a towel and slippery floor surface. After placing your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor, place your toes together on the towel behind you. Your arms should be fully extended at this point and your back should be straight. Keeping your abs tight, slide your feet to your right as you move your knees past your elbow. Steadily return to the starting point and repeat on your left side. Alternate back and forth in a smooth motion.
Upward Bow
Upward bow is a yoga pose that lengthens and tightens the abdominals. While lying face-down on your belly, lift your chest and legs off the ground and reach back and grab your ankles with your hands. When you do this, lift your legs and upper body as high as possible and balance on your lower belly and pelvis. Hold this position until you feel fatigued and release.
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