ROSIE - Those dreaded love handles

So, there's been a rather desperate request for a piece on "love handles" - those pesky pieces of flesh that hang over the top of your jeans at the back. The blight of women everywhere (unless your name is Victoria Beckham) and even most men over the age of 30 or with a desk job.

So, how to cure them? Well, as I have religiously stated in most of my blogs on this sort of topic, it's impossible to spot reduce individual areas of your body. The way to lose any fat or weight generally is to follow the mantra "calories in must be less than calories out". That means you WILL reduce your body weight - unless you have a VERY rare medical condition it's not possible that it won't! So, to lose JUST those love handles is pretty difficult.


There are some ways, however, that you can specifically focus on your mid section. If you are generally happy with your body and there are just some stubborn pieces that just won't go, you need to pump up your exercise regime. It's a funny thing - in the exercise classes that I take (they are at a ladies only gym) - the ladies all laugh at me because I'm so "bouncy". When I do a jumping jack, I seem to do it with more energy with anyone else. When I do a grapevine, I do it with a hop in the middle. So, I am known to have quite some energy (my husband always jokes that I'm either in 5th gear or asleep on the sofa). But this is not just the reason for my "bounciness". I reckon that jumping/impact/bouncing - or whatever you want to call it - is the best way to shift those stubborn pounds. I always KNOW when I haven't been running (this is included in the above!), as everything just feels a little bit more wobbly.

So - number one action for love handles = impact. Be it running, skipping, jumping jacks, plyometrics. X-trainers, bikes, steppers, rowers, don't count - I'm talking landing with one or both feet on the ground with your full body weight.

The other action for love handles --> work those lower tummy muscles. A couple of months ago (17th February to be precise) I posted a blog on my favourite ab exercises. Check it out (you can go to the history on the blog; on the right hand side, click on February and it's called Rosie - Ultimate Abs).

Sitting down never helps that mid section. Get up and move as much as you can, be it at your desk at work, at home, or on the bus. Even standing on the train helps. Sitting weakens the abs, and fat gets stored there so easily.

Finally - WATCH WHAT YOU EAT. Again, it's a bit of a Bingham girls mantra, but even overeating by 100 cals per day can really pile on the pounds in the long term and if you're prone to putting it on mid-section then those love handles will grow.

Bam - let's blitz those bits over flowing from our jeans!!! I have to say - wowee - WAY too many Easter eggs eaten this year, I'm definitely back on the band wagon again! But let's wait until Monday to start that diet, hey? he he!!!