A. Hey Shirley. You didn’t provide me with a ton of information about yourself, but since you said you have a flat-ish tummy…..I’m guessing you don’t have a ton of weight to lose. However, the part of our bodies most people get really frustrated with is usually the last place we lose it.

Obviously body type has a huge amount to do with our specific shapes, but if you simply have fat gathered on both sides of your belly….you , most likely, need to lose some more weight.  An exercise to make fat disappear from a specific place, sadly does not exist. To get rid of fat…..you’ll need to lose weight. It could be those last five pounds that make all the difference.

Spot reduction is not a reality outside of plastic surgery. You can’t crunch those love handles away, and you should ignore going under the knife.  This sounds like something you can do on your own. Consume fewer calories and burn a bunch with frequent workouts and an active lifestyle. Dig in and improve your overall fitness. A tapered waist requires awesome effort, but it’s well worth it. You’ll love it when you have it. Keep us posted on your success!

Punches & Kicks,

Fitz

Fitzness.com

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our Active Health Network’s fitness expert and celebrity trainer is now your own virtual personal trainer. Fitz will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Post your questions here in the Comments section below, DM us on Twitter (ActiveHealth) or send them to us from our Contact page. Learn more about Fitz here.

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All material and content provided in the Ask Fitz column/blog (and this entire site) is provided for informational or educational purposes only. It should not be viewed as medical advice or substitute for professional medical care. Consult a physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition

Ask Fitz: How can I Lose My Love Handles? is a post from: Sports Health Exercise

Fitz - Your Virtual Personal Trainer

Q. Dear Fitz, I love the summer weather, and really want to use the large outdoor pool at my gym. I do water walking and swim a couple of laps, but then I get so bored! Swimming 20 laps in a row is not fun for me. I’m pretty sure swimming burns a lot of calories, which is my goal. Help! Deanna

A. Hi Deanna, I’m so excited to help you, because I too love the benefits of training in the water. We always hear that it’s a terrific workout for those who want to avoid trauma from high impact activities. It also happens to be a fantastic workout for those who want to burn a massive amount of calories!

Quick personal story. About eight years ago, while in the midst of a competitive kickboxing career, I tore my right hamstring. This made it impossible for me to do almost any sort of activity that involved any sort of impact. After swimming most nights for three weeks I actually lost three pounds. I was sold! Swimming is awesome exercise!

So back to your question. Yes, swimming lap after lap can be boring. The fix is quick and easy though. A pool workout jammed with a variety of activities and strokes will keep you huffing, puffing and happy. Give this workout a try and then get back to me. This workout should take you about 20 minutes to complete. If you want to make the workout harder or easier, just remove one repetition or add one to each exercise. If you’re really ambitious, go through the entire workout twice!

Fitz’s Calorie Torching Pool Workout
• 4 laps Freestyle swimming
• 4 laps running
• 20 Dips. Put your hands on the edge of the wall while your body is facing the center of the pool. With bent elbows, lift your body out of the water onto straight arms.
• 50 jumping jacks
• 4 laps Freestyle swimming
• 20 Pool Push-ups. Put your hands on the ledge of the pool with feet behind you. Bring your chest towards the ledge and then push away.
• 2 laps Bunny Jumps (jump across the pool like a bunny)
• 4 laps using kick-board
• 20 Dips
• 4 laps running backward
• 50 jumping jacks
• 4 laps using kick-board
• 20 Pool Push-ups.

Don’t forget about doing a warm up and cool down to round out this fun, fit workout.

**This workout is designed for a lap pool, which does not go very deep. If you are using a regular pool do your runs and jumps in the shallow end.

All material and content provided in the Ask Fitz column/blog (and this entire site) is provided for informational or educational purposes only. It should not be viewed as medical advice or substitute for professional medical care. Consult a physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.

Ask Fitz – Now on Sports Health Exercise is a post from: Sports Health Exercise