fitness articles

Three edged answer to Love handles

Women tend to accumulate it in their hips, buttocks, and thighs, and men tend to accumulate it in their abdomen. The fat that accumulates on the hips, thighs, and buttocks, although perhaps not cosmetically appealing, is not dangerous for your health. In fact, there is some evidence that it is actually good for your health.

Fat is stored in special fat cells called adipocytes located all over the body. Adipocytes get large by feeding them. If you eat more calories than you burn, some of the excess carbohydrate will be stored as sugar, or glucose, in the muscles (called glycogen), and the rest of the excess will be stored as fat in the fat cells.

You can get these adipocytes to release fat into to bloodstream through

• Exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic
  
  

• Following a Low fat diet
  
  
  

• Specific reconstruction exercises
  

Aerobic exercise stimulates the adipocytes to release lots of fat. That fat will be burned by the muscles during exercise, and if not, it returns to the adipocytes for storage. Aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, in-line skating, swimming), performed three to five times a week for 30-60 minutes will help you increase your daily calorie deficit. Weightlifting also stimulates the adipocytes to release fat. Another advantage to weightlifting is that it builds muscle. Muscle is the engine that burns calories and sets your metabolic rate. With regards to diet, just reduce the total amount of calories you consume daily. Multiply your weight by 11. The figure you get is the approximate number of calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight. If you reduce that amount by just a couple of hundred calories a day, it will create a deficit between the calories you take in and the calories you expend.

Some of the reconstruction exercises that can be added into your weight loss program to eliminate the Love handles :

Alternate Knee-In

Lie on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you, but about three inches off the floor. Place the palms of your hands flat on the floor and under your back. Support yourself on your elbows. Flexing your abdominal muscles as you go, bending at the knee, bring your left knee as close to your left shoulder as possible. At this point, begin to straighten your left leg, while at the same time beginning to bend your right knee, bringing it to your right shoulder. Continue this bicycle-like movement until you have completed your set. (You will do 15 reps for each side, for a total of 30 reps per set). Move on to the next exercise. Perform 3 sets).

Alternate Twisting Crunch

Lie on your back on the floor or a bench, and place your hands behind your head. Raise your head a few inches, bend your knees, and place the soles of you feet flat on the floor. Raise your left knee off the floor and simultaneously twist and try to touch it with your right elbow, all the time flexing your abdominal muscles. Return to start and repeat the movement for the other side of your body. Continue this alternate movement for the other side of your body until you have completed your set (15 repetitions for each side, for a total of 30 reps per set).

For a complete fitness program log on to, http://www.womenfitness.net/wf4months.htm.

Patience and realistic expectations are important when it comes to weight loss and fitness. The bottom line to losing fat in the hips, thighs, buttocks, love handles, or anywhere else is to stimulate the adipocytes through exercise to release fat into the blood stream.