That stiffness and fat in your side core muscles are sometimes hard to get away with. No matter how much calorie deficit you go, the fat – which are also called love handles colloquially – doesn’t seem to budge at all. However, the secret to your toned love handles and belly could be in your daily workout. Always remember that fat deposition and fat shedding are genetic. As such, no one can say which part of the boy will lose fat with diet and calorie burn. But, you can work on toning and strengthening your muscles with a set of few exercises meant for that purpose.

Recently, fitness trainer Juhi Kapoor took to her social media to share three exercises that can strengthen and tone your side core muscles.

3 exercises to reduce love handles

It can take a lot than just exercise to tone your waist and belly. Eating the right kind of food at the right time and in the right quantity, apart from being physically active, can go a long way in helping you shape up.

Here are some exercises to help you tone up, according to Juhi Kapoor.

1. Parighasana (Dynamic version)

Also known as the gate pose, this asana boosts several benefits from boosting respiration to stretching and stimulating the digestive organs to improve the health of your cardiovascular system to name a few.

How to perform this pose?

• Start in a kneeling position. Step your left foot out to the side, keeping your left heel in alignment with your left knee.
• Activate your right thigh muscle. Tuck in your tailbone and push the top of the foot into the ground.
• Place your hands at the back of your head. Bring your left hip forward so it’s directly under your knee.
• Bend towards your left waist towards your left leg as you ease your body down into the leg. Keep your body aligned sideways and resist leaning forward.
• Stretch through your whole right side opening up your chest, arms, and hips.
• Come back to the normal position by bending your right arm forward and left leg back to the kneeling position.
• Repeat the same on the other side.
• Practice three sets of 30 counts each on both sides.

Also read: Reduce your love handles and hip bulges with these 3 yoga poses, suggests Malaika

2. Vaishishtasana (Dynamic core variation)

This pose gives strength to the wrists, arms, belly, and legs. It gives a deep stretch on the back of your legs and enhances a sense of balance.

How to perform this pose?

• Go into a mountain pose and stretch your tailbone up.
• Inhale, and push your shoulders forward so that you go into a plank posture. Push your shoulders in front of the wrist. This is the most proper way to perform a plank for this pose.
• Now, gently keep your right hand down and take your left hand up. Bring your right knee in a bent position.
• Keep your hips lifted upwards and don’t push them down.
• To perform this variation, bend your left arm towards the ground while parallelly bringing your left bent leg upwards.
• Practice three sets of 30 counts each on both sides.

3. Utkatkonasana (with side crunches)

This pose opens up the hip and chest and strengthens and tones the lower body. It gives stimulation to the urogenital, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems.

How to perform this pose?

• Stand straight, and open your legs in a wide-legged squat pose like you are sitting on a chair.
• Place your hands at the back of your head and start moving your upper body sideways in both directions.
• Practice three sets of 30 counts each on both sides before coming back to normal.