Hips don’t lie, sang Shakira, and they really never do! If they’ve become a repository of fat, you need to get moving.
Across the world, women are more afflicted by the problem of weight gain on the hips. The reason is simple. Women have double the amount of body fat as men, mainly to be able to carry and nourish babies. We have no control over where the fat cells decide to swell and shrink.
But studies have shown that fat cells in the lower body, the hips and thighs where women tend to put on inches, are more prone to fat storage.
Weight gain mounts as we age and it isn’t easy to lose the kilos when you are older. If you are consistently gaining weight on the hips, it is important to identify the underlying factor(s) causing the gain. For some, it could simply be lack of exercise or excess calories in the diet. But those are the easy cases. Umpteen women gain weight due to factors such as low thyroid functioning, stress, excess estrogen and other hormonal issues.
To get the weight off, you will need to try a combination of diet, cardiovascular and strengthening exercises. Special efforts will be needed to lose weight after menopause. Cut down on sugars/salt, refined flours or grains, oily and deep fried foods, packaged /processed foods and instant mixes. Include fresh fruits and vegetables 3-4 servings in your diet. Take the stairs and keep yourself active and walking throughout the day. Include uphill walking or trek once a month.
Try these exercises to get those handles off your hips and keep them off:
Clamshell:
Image Courtesy: www.womenshealthmag.com
These exercises can help you work on balancing the muscular effort between your pelvic floor and your inner and outer thighs.
Single leg glute bridge:
Image Courtesy:www.top.me
This one exercise can help sculpt and tone your butt, abs and hamstrings.
Side-step exercise:
Side step-ups activate the glutes, improve balance and total body movement.
Deadlifts:
This compound exercise targets the quads, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, lower back, traps and forearms.
Side lunges with weight:
Regularly pairing side lunges with weights can strengthen and tone muscles in your glutes, thighs and hips.
Side-stepping curtsey:
Image Courtesy:www.onefittwofit.com
A variation of the side-step, the side-stepping curtsey is a great way to tone your glutes and legs.
Written by Meenakshi S.
“Fitness begins at home, the food we eat and daily core activities like sleep and mind, body and spirit relaxation,” says nutritionist and physiotherapist Meenakshi S. Along with a master’s degree in physiotherapy from Oxford College, Bangalore and MD in alternative medicines, Meenakshi is also a child birth educator, pre and post-natal fitness expert and ACSM health and fitness specialist. Attributing the root cause of most lifestyle diseases to today’s sedentary pace, she shares HealthifyMe’s vision that healthy habits must be incorporated into your existing lifestyle. “Do not think of diet and exercise as sacrifice, make it a habit and enjoy it instead,” she says, recommending small changes to ease the mind and body towards a more wholesome life. Being skinny isn’t a sign of being fit or healthy, says Meenakshi, of the opinion that it’s important to test other physical fitness parameters like muscle strength, endurance and body composition. She’s charged for change – are you?
Your Weight Loss Tips Are Very Impressive, The Way You Explained With Photos Are Awesome.
The Tips You Listed Are Very Simple And Can Be Used In Home Too.
Thanks For The Tips.
Very informative
Great post.Thanks for sharing such a nice information with us.The tips you listed about weights loss is really very nice.These tips are very useful.
Useful article. Clam shell n stairs are easy one. It woul be helpful if you mention number of time it has to be done in one go. Also in a day how many times it can be repeated & breathing pattern during activity.
Good