Women's Safety Information

The anatomic term for love handles is “obliques,” and these are fats stored above your hips on the side of your abdomen. Many have tried repeating crunches, sit ups, and twists but ended up frustrated upon realizing these exercises aren’t actually the perfect solution of how to get rid of love handles.

At the end of the day, they get upset especially that this bulging area can often still be visible even when they wear light clothes. Experts say that it takes not only exercise, but also a change in diet in order to lose those stubborn fats, and to help you do this, try considering these weight loss tips.

If you want to remove that flabby part of your body, no, the answer is not a long-duration aerobic exercise. Consider this as a spot toning, that is, you have to focus on this spot and find specific solutions on removing the fats on it, but stomach toning is also not the perfect solution on how to get rid of love handles because in order to get results, what you have to do is simply get your entire body into shape.

Even while at home you must start cardio exercise routines, or check out websites that can help you gain access to numerous and varied exercise programs that you can just do at home. Nothing burns fat faster than regular cardio exercises, added with weight training in order to build muscles and raise your metabolism.

How to get rid of love handles cannot be very easy at first since it may take some effort especially when you have to get used to a new daily routine. However, this shall all pay off when you start to lose those love handles and see your belly fats melting away, and you should not forget that solid and intense exercise routines, as opposed to long and continuous, will yield faster results.

Side bends can also be a good exercise to get rid of love handles since these set direct stress on the external oblique muscles, which shall eventually force them to tone and shape up. This is done simply by standing straight with feet set apart then slightly bending your knees. Slowly lower the trunk just a few inches both to the left and to the right sides, and always remember not bend forward or backward to keep your body and legs in line.

Don’t forget that the aim is always to eat slightly less calories than your body burns (-500 or so), and this means that a bad diet can be a cause of delay in your results. Even along the abdominal machines that you buy, you’ll notice in the accompanying booklets that there is always a fine print stating that a healthy diet must be followed.

To sum it up, it only means that you have to get your diet in order and accompany it with proper exercise routines and a whole lot of self-discipline. How to get rid of love handles simply lies in your earnestness to achieve your goals. Bottomline: to really lose your love handles, you need a holistic approach. Here’s how:

Training:

Do theses exercise consistently in moderation (considering love handles are your only problem, not abs:
1. Side Bridge (Planks)
2. Ab Twisters
3. Side Bends
3. Side Crunches
4. Side Jacknife

For starters, do side bridges for 1 minute each side and do everything 10 each side every other day consistently.

Cardio: this is actually more important than your sit-ups and crunches since your love handles are actually fat. But not just any cardio will do.

1. Beginners should start with High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Long cardio and slow brisk walking are not just boring (useful in some situation), but also useless if your target is love handle. Basically, HIIT is doing an intense and slow cardio back to back after a warm-up. Example: let’s say jogging (you can apply the same concept in frog jumps or other cardio mentioned before as well) a. 4 minutes moderate jogging (warm-up) b. 30 seconds sprinting c. 30 seconds slow jogging d. Repeat b and c 4-12 times (depend on your fitness level, beginners should start with 4) e. 4 minutes moderate jogging (warm-down).

2. Intermediate/Advanced should combine HIIT, sprinting, Tabata and brisk walking. Once you reach plateau, combine them to challenge your body for the better. For example, do HIIT on Monday, sprinting on Wednesday and brisk walking on Friday.

Diet:

1. Have a daily calorie deficit of 500-1000, not more or less. Going over 1000 below your caloric maintenance level can actually decrease your metabolism. You’ll be weaker and eventually get fatter.

2. Eat a balanced meal in small quantity every 3-4 hours. Eating 2-3 times of big meal will only grow your love handles. You’re actually eating less. By doing so, you’ll grow it not because you eat a lot, but you gain weight because you decrease your metabolism.

3. Never skip breakfast. Doing so again decreases metabolism as you’re starving yourself while sleeping. Your body needs that.

4. Eat as natural as you can. There’re many misconceptions about good food vs. bad food, good carb vs. bad carb, good fat vs. bad fat and so on. Discussing this alone is very complex (perhaps another post). But the worst enemy is unnatural processed foods that contain fructose corn syrup, deep fry hydrogenated oil and pesticides.

5. Have one cheat day where you just eat everything you want. After a strict 6-day discipline, you need to indulge so that you can maintain that discipline for a long time (just like quitting smoking).



By: Ed Mohaideen

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If you are looking for the ultimate aerobic workout to add to your women’s fitness and exercise program, give indoor cycling a whirl.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this indoor cycling exercise, I’ll try and explain it a bit. Indoor Cycling is an aerobic exercise that takes place on a specially designed stationary bicycle called a spinning bike. In a class of other stationary cyclists, you pedal while motivating music plays and an instructor talks you through a visualization of an outdoor cycling workout. Emulating hill climbing and traveling down hill, you are sometimes pedaling as fast as you can, other times cranking up the tension and pedaling slowly from a standing position. Cycling helps you to focus inward and to work on your mind and your body. This is an ultimate workout for any women’s fitness program.

Cycling burns a big bunch of calories, if you feel the need to count them that is. An average 340 to 450 calories can be burned in 45 minutes. Cycling is an awesome aerobic workout that causes your heart to pump to a healthy and fast pace. It also tones your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and outer thigh muscles.

The great thing about cycling on a stationary bike is that you are in complete control. You adjust the tension and you determine your speed. However, be prepared to be mesmerized by the visualization process which may magically transform you into the heat of the race.

It’s good to note that indoor cycling doesn’t require a tremendous amount of coordination like other aerobic activities. This just makes it easier to concentrate on your form for total women’s fitness benefits.

Get some good shoes with a hard rigid sole that are functional for a cycling class. The pedals can be hard on your feet, so check with the shoe salesman for the best suggestions on what they offer. You might want to do your own research for the best shoes for you. Since this is about the only piece of equipment you need for cycling, invest a little money to get a shoe that will benefit your cycling experience.

I always get the best workout when I attend indoor cycling classes. But I’ll let you in on a secret… I was drenched in sweat after the first 20 minutes of my 45 minute class! It was challenging and I loved the way it made me feel.

As a personal trainer with a passion for women’s fitness, I’m always on the lookout for aerobic exercises that provide a great cardio workout and that are fun and easy to do. Cycling passes the test for the ultimate health and fitness exercise.

You can find cycling classes at most gyms and some community schools. You may decide that you wish to purchase your own stationary bike. However, it’s always wise to attend a couple of classes to determine if you want to invest in a bike of your own. If you do decide to purchase a stationary bike, there are many to choose from that range in price.

When you begin cycling, you’ll probably notice a change in the way that you feel mentally as well as physically. That’s one of the attractions of cycling. Your confidence will soar as you complete class after class. This exercise is healthy for your mind as well as your body. It’s a great way to keep your workout fun and exciting, too. Uphill, downhill, fast then slow, cycling is fun for women’s fitness and health.

By: Karen Ficarelli

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However, women have always been special cases. Women are able to give birth. Women experience health concerns which are not experienced by the male species.

Here are some exercise secrets for women-

Cardiovascular fitness for women

For women, the secret is not stressing yourself with more and more aerobic exercises every day. That can result to exercise injuries. The stepwise principle is to be followed.

Allow your body to gradually accept the increase in physical activity day by day. And then try increasing the amount of the same form of exercise. Maybe a 20-minute walk can turn into a 30-minute walk. Or 2 laps in the swimming pool can become 4 laps the next day.

In this way, you can prevent injury and eliminate the frustration felt by feeling that you do not do much aerobic exercise to show some effect.

Fitness for pregnant women

Pregnant women are special women. They have special needs when exercising, yet it’s even more important that they stay in shape and healthy.

It is always pointed out that before going into a fitness program, the woman should consult with her doctor first. There are special exercises that can be arranged by the doctor so as not to stress the baby inside and the woman’s body.

Being pregnant is not an excuse for not doing any exercise. In fact, it is more reason to be engaged in physical but less strenuous activity.

Strength-training for women

Like men, women also engage in strength-training through the use of weights. But take note however, women’s bodies have special conditions and limitations. However, weight training is bar none the best way to keep your body weight under control and the idea that strength training is only for men or will turn them into She-Hulk is the biggest mistake made by women when planning to exercise. Lean muscle mass will not only look good (and not like a bodybuilder!) but burns more calories every day while you’re not even doing anything! Don’t be shy; use those weights!

Of course, it is advised that the doctor pattern a special strength-training program for the woman trainer.

Weight loss tips for women

Many women go into the exercise routine to lose weight. But oftentimes, between men and women, it is the women who find it hardest to lose weight.

Women’s body structure is different from men. Women’s metabolism rates are also not the same as compared to men. This is the reason why most women fight the weight loss problem to the end.

Women must understand that health is not just about weight loss. Though it is a factor. And weight loss is not just about dieting and eating less.

In all cases, exercise is very, very important; and I cannot just stress it enough.

To attain weight loss, women should balance strength-training with aerobics and also proper nutrition.

The above tips are not exactly secrets for the women to discover. They are actually known already, and it is up to the woman to discipline herself in following them.

In exercise and overall fitness, discipline is the key.

By: Rose Basile

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Midlife, for most women, means having to face the painful reality that life will be a downhill slope from there. The focal point of life for most women is at age 39 (yet most women consider middle age to occur only at 40). It is often at this stage that women experience menopausal symptoms and start gaining layers of fat on their bodies. These are the reasons why women have different nutritional needs during these years.

Fitness for Aging Women

For women who are starting to age, the strongest influence on body fat distribution is still genetics. Yet there are many ways to counter obesity or rapid weight gain during the process of aging. Here are some great ways:

o Women, at this stage, should be encouraged to maintain (if not add more) physical activities. Arthritis should not be a deterring factor to perform any kind of chores or sports activities. It is also preferable that an aging woman would have at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day. Walking is a good way to spend these 30 minutes and so is aerobic exercise. Aerobics burn calories and causes fat loss (plus it is not as strenuous as other types of workouts).

o For more calorie-burning moves and muscle toning, it’s also good to try weight training. Weightlifting can help reduce body fat by burning calories. Lifting different weights increases an older person’s metabolic rate to its youthful level. Weightlifting is also important in building bone tissues-which is a great way of fighting osteoporosis.

Nutritional Requirements for Aging Women

o Women who are over 40 years of age should have a daily consumption of 3-4 servings of low fat dairy food. This is to have a sufficient provision of calcium which is a very important mineral for aging persons. The non-dairy sources of calcium include fish, fortified breakfast cereals, some types of nuts, green vegetables, and beans. If calcium supplements are prescribed by a physician, then the best absorption rate is at 500-600mg once or twice each day. For those who have inadequate sun exposure, Vitamin D supplements may be a necessity.

o A serving of lean protein to each meal would help an aging person feel full longer. Fish is a good source of protein and weight loss is better achieved by consuming fish rather than meat.

o Aging women should have more fibre on their diets. Fibrous foods stop hunger pangs and they even cause toxins to be flushed out of your system. Aside from flushing toxins out of your system, fibre also keeps your energy levels high and your blood sugar at its normal level.

o After the menopausal stage, the iron requirements for women decrease (this is because iron is no longer lost due to menstruation). Thus, the iron requirement for postmenopausal women would be the same as the requirement for adult men which is 8.7mg/day.

o Vitamin C is highly important for aging women because it protects the immune system by increasing white blood cell production and increasing interferon levels (necessary in keeping viruses away from healthy cells). Vitamin C is also best at fighting certain types of cancer.

Women have different nutritional and physical needs as they age; yet they can still maximize their energy by being physically active and eating a well-balanced diet.

By: Benedict Yossarian

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