Health aNd Fitness Guide

Love handles (excess fat around the waist) do not look as sweet as they sound. Here are a few exercises that can help if you want to get rid of love handles. Get going and have a ball.

Basic oblique crunch
Lie down, on your back. Fold one knee. Place the other foot on that knee. As you get up, twist your waist and turn your elbow towards knee. While doing the exercise, your oblique muscles should twist and turn to the side. Do three sets, each of 20 repeats.
Precaution: People with conditions like spondylitis should be extra careful and consult their fitness trainer before doing it.

Plank position
Keep the bosu in an inverted position and hold it. Increase the holding time gradually from 30 seconds in the beginning to about 2 minutes. It works up the core muscles. It is an excellent isometric contraction for the whole body, including the abs. You can do it with bosu, Swiss ball, or on the floor.

Advance crunches
Lie down supine. Take leg up in the air. Exhale and raise your head towards your leg. Do three sets, each of 20 repeats.
Precaution: Dont arch your lower leg. Only people with strong back and abs should do it.

Swiss Ball oblique crunches
Sit on the Swiss ball. Lie down, get up twisting your waist to one side. Do 3 sets, 20 each. The exercise is best for people with a sensitive back as the ball supports your back. It also provides you a better range of motion.
Precaution: Choose ball according to your body size. Ball should be properly inflated.

Basic crunches
Sit on bosu. Lie down and raise yourself up. It is an advanced version of basic crunches. Since bosu is unstable, you need to put in an extra effort, and it works up core muscles.

Medicine ball crunches
Lie down straight without arching your back. Exhale and raise your head, neck, hands and legs up simultaneously. Inhale and bring your head, neck, hands and legs down. Do three sets, 20 each. Medicinal balls overload the rectus abdominis muscles (muscles at the front of the abdomen).

Magic ring basic crunches
Lie down straight on your back, with your knees folded. Hold the ring between the thighs. Raise your head. Do three sets, 20 each. This isolates the movement of abs, and doesn’t let the other muscle help abs. It is a compounded movement, because you are not only squeezing the thigh muscles but also using the adductors.