5 Bodyweight Exercises To Flatten Side Fat After 55

Shed those pesky “love handles” for good with these simple bodyweight moves.

Side fat is commonly referred to as love handles. This type of fat, known as subcutaneous fat, tends to accumulate around the hips and waistline. The result? Pesky bulges that spill over the waistband of your favorite pants.

Side fat can occur due to consuming more calories than you torch, in addition to hormonal shifts, stress, and genetics. This fat is not deep visceral fat—it’s actually just under the skin, but it’s still quite stubborn. In fact, it’s commonly the most difficult fat to lose.

Fear not, because we spoke with Denise Chakoian, Rhode Island Certified Fitness Trainer and Owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree, who has 16+ years of experience under her belt training individuals of every age and level of fitness. Below, Chakoian shares five bodyweight exercises that flatten side fat faster than crunches after 55.

“These exercises are more effective than crunches because they target the obliques, the muscles that actually shape the sides of the waist, through rotation, lateral bracing, and stabilization rather than simple spinal flexion,” Chakoain tells us. “Crunches compress the lumbar discs and primarily work the rectus abdominis, which does little to slim or define the waistline, and the compressive load becomes riskier as disc health naturally declines after 55. If done consistently two to three times per week, they build a stronger, more defined lateral core while protecting the lower back rather than stressing it.”

Side Plank

1. Begin by lying on your side and placing your elbow below your shoulder.
2. Your feet should be stacked.
3. Lift your hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Hold for the prescribed amount of time.

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Standing Oblique Crunch

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1. Begin standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands behind your head, elbows wide.
2. Activate your core and lift your left knee toward your left elbow as you crunch your torso to the side, keeping your chest tall.
3. Use control to lower.
4. Lift your right knee toward your right elbow as you crunch your torso to the side.

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Dead Bug With Lateral Reach

1. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees lifted in a tabletop position.
2. Press your back into the floor and engage your core.
3. Lower one leg toward the floor while keeping the other leg bent.
4. At the same time, reach the opposite arm out to the side to perform a lateral reach, hovering it above the ground.
5. Return to the start position.
6. Repeat on the other side and continue to alternate.

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Woodchop

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart, hands clasped above one shoulder.
2. Activate your core.
3. Breathe in, chopping your hands diagonally toward your opposite foot and bending your knees.
4. Use control to reverse the motion.
5. Repeat on the other side.

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Russian Twists

1. Sit on a workout mat.
2. Bend both knees and lift your feet off the floor.
3. Lean back slightly so your upper body forms a 45-degree angle with the ground.
4. Keep your hands clasped at the front of your chest.
5. Engage your abs as you twist to your left side, then back to the center, then to the right.

Alexa Mellardo

Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa