head wrap for working out

WORKOUT TO MELT AWAY LOVE HANDLE FAT!

Love handles can be challenging to lose, but with a combination of total-body strength training, cardio workouts, and a balanced diet, you can reduce overall body fat and keep it off.

The following exercises are designed to target your core, including the obliques, lower back, and abdominals. Strengthening these muscles will help tighten and tone this area. When paired with a nutritious diet and a slight reduction in caloric intake, these exercises can have a noticeable impact on your body composition and help you achieve a leaner waistline.

Getting rid of love handle fat can be challenging due to the unique structure of the lower back muscles, which attach to the spine and pelvis in different directions—some running vertically and others diagonally.

The most effective exercises for reducing love handles target these lower back muscles from various angles. This workout focuses on tightening and toning from all directions, creating a “cinching” effect similar to a waist trainer, which helps minimize the appearance of love handles and slims the waist.

By working these muscles together in one session, we’re able to target, tone, and engage the entire area around the love handles like a corset. Check out the video above for demonstrations of each exercise!

THE LOVE HANDLE WORKOUT

Complete 15 repetitions of each exercise. Repeat for 3 sets for a full workout targeting the core and love handle area.

Side Plank Lifts

  • Lay on your side, supporting yourself on your elbow (aligned under your shoulder).
  • Stack your feet, placing one on top of the other, and lift your hips off the ground.
  • Hold for two seconds, then lower down gently. Repeat for 15 reps on each side.

Plank Dips

  • Begin in an elbow plank position, keeping your core tight.
  • Slowly rotate your torso to dip your left hip just above the floor, then return to the plank.
  • Dip your right hip next to complete one rep. Alternate for 15 reps.

Heel Touches

  • Lie on your back, bending your knees with feet flat on the ground.
  • Raise your shoulders slightly off the floor and reach down with your right hand to touch your right heel.
  • Return to center, then reach with your left hand to your left heel. Alternate for a total of 15 reps per side.

Ab Bikes

  • Balance on your tailbone, leaning back to form a “V” shape with your torso and legs.
  • Place your hands behind your head and bring your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
  • Bring your right knee in towards your chest and twist to touch it with your left elbow. Alternate, bringing the left knee to the right elbow for a total of 15 reps on each side.

Side Crunch

  • Kneel and lean to your right, placing your right palm on the ground.
  • Extend your left leg out, pointing your toes. Place your left hand behind your head with your elbow pointing up.
  • Raise your left leg to hip height, reaching your left arm over the leg while engaging your left side. Return and repeat for 15 reps, then switch sides.

Windshield Wipers

  • Lie on your back with arms extended out to the sides, forming a “T” shape.
  • Lift your feet off the floor, bending your knees at 90 degrees.
  • Rotate both legs to one side, keeping your shoulders pressed to the floor.
  • Bring your legs back to the center, then rotate to the other side to complete one rep. Alternate sides for 15 reps.

conclusion

By combining these targeted exercises, you’ll strengthen and tone the muscles around your love handle area, helping to reduce their appearance over time. Remember, consistency is key—pairing these moves with a balanced diet and regular cardio will maximize your results and help you achieve a slimmer waistline. Stick with it, and you’ll be on your way to a stronger core and a more sculpted midsection!

10 TRICKS TO DECORATING YOUR HOME WITHOUT PAYING

Are you looking to refresh your home’s decor without breaking the bank? This guide will show you how to transform your living space with simple, cost-effective tricks. From DIY projects to repurposing old items, these tips will help you create a stylish and inviting home without spending a fortune.

MAKE NEW PILLOW COVERS

New pillow covers are one of the easiest ways to make a big statement with just a small change. However, they can get expensive, often costing $20 or more each. Luckily, making your own pillow covers is simple and can be done with almost any fabric. Materials like fabric scraps, placemats, and even old sheets work great. One time, a dress destined for the Goodwill pile turned into an adorable pillow cover! For those not too confident with sewing, try an easy envelope pillow method—no zipper required. Alternatively, no-sew hem tape offers a quick and simple way to create a great pillow cover without sewing at all.

USE A BLANKET TO COVER AN OLD COUCH OR CHAIR

There’s no denying it—new sofas are expensive. Even budget-friendly options from places like IKEA can still run several hundred dollars. While $500 might be a good deal for a sofa, there are times when spending that much just isn’t feasible to upgrade an old, unattractive couch. A simple and affordable fix is to cover it up instead. You can use a spare blanket, a tablecloth, or even an extra set of curtains to hide an unsightly sofa. Drape the blanket over the back and add some throw pillows to help mask the look.

DECORATE WITH NATURE

There’s often an abundance of beautiful items just outside our doors that can add character and charm to our homes. Simply gather what’s available—flowers, seashells, branches, acorns, pinecones, or river rocks. Arrange them in pretty jars or bowls to display around the house. Just be sure to clean everything thoroughly first!

FRAME SENTIMENTAL ITEMS AS ART

I love filling our home with items that hold personal significance. It’s even better when those special things are on display rather than tucked away in boxes.

If you’re like me, you probably have a collection of picture frames waiting for the perfect piece of art. (And if you don’t, you can find frames for just a few dollars at yard sales or thrift stores—almost free!)

Instead of framing photos or artwork, try framing something more meaningful—love letters, handwritten recipes, old baby clothes, dried bouquets, tickets—anything that you’ve kept because it holds sentimental value.

PRINT FAMILY PHOTOS TO FRAME

One of my favorite tricks is printing family photos at home and putting them in frames. I usually print on cardstock, but regular printer paper works just as well. For frames that need a mat, I cut a piece of poster board to size, place the photo on top, and secure it with clear tape. Once it’s behind the glass, you can’t tell the difference.

If you don’t have white poster board, you can use wrapping paper instead—most have a plain white back and can be easily cut to fit. Alternatively, poster board from the dollar store is an inexpensive option if you’re willing to spend a little.

USE FREE PRINTABLE ART

There are so many beautiful free printables available that can create stunning artwork for your home. Simply print them at home and pop them into a frame.

If you’re looking for a larger art piece and don’t mind spending a few dollars, you can get them printed at Staples or your local copy center as an engineering print. Black and white prints up to 24″ x 36″ cost less than $4.

If you’re unsure where to find great printable art, try searching Pinterest for “watercolor printables,” “vintage printable art,” or whatever style you’re after.

A couple of my favorite sources for free printables are Picture Box Blue for vintage maps and illustrations, and We Lived Happily Ever After for beautiful watercolors and farmhouse-style prints.

GIVE FURNITURE YOU ALREADY OWN A NEW PURPOSE

Sometimes, you may already own something that perfectly suits your needs. An old dresser can be transformed into a beautiful buffet for the dining room or a TV stand for the family room. You could even cut down the legs of an unused dining table to create a charming coffee table.

Or repurpose an old door, tabletop, or even a gate into a rustic headboard. The key is to look at your belongings with fresh eyes—rather than seeing them only for their original purpose, imagine all the other ways they could be used.

SWITCH THINGS UP BETWEEN ROOMS

Get creative and consider bringing in a few items from other areas of your home. We often become so accustomed to seeing things in specific spots that we overlook their potential in different settings. Sometimes, all it takes to refresh a space is swapping a few items between rooms.

If you have a living room and a family room, try switching the sofas or coffee tables between the two. You could also exchange dressers between different bedrooms or move some bookcases from a bedroom to a den. This simple reorganization can give your home a new look and feel!

REARRANGE THE FURNITURE

Once you’ve decluttered, take a moment to assess what you have left to work with. You might find that you don’t need to buy anything new to completely refresh a space.

Sometimes, all it takes is rearranging what you already have. Start with the largest piece of furniture in the room—be it the couch, table, or bed—and experiment with different placements.

You can sketch it out or visualize it in your mind, but I find that physically moving things around often yields the best results. There have been many times I was sure that a piece wouldn’t fit in a certain spot due to its size, only to discover it was the perfect location after all.

Once you’ve positioned your main furniture piece, start rearranging everything else around it. And if you end up with everything back in its original spot, at least you’ll know for certain that it was the best arrangement!

DECLUTTER WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN

Okay, so decluttering may not be the most exciting decorating advice, and it might feel odd to suggest getting rid of items when you can’t afford to replace them right now. However, I genuinely believe that when you’re unhappy with a space, the best first step is to remove everything that isn’t working.

Even if it seems like you have nothing to spare, taking a closer look with fresh eyes often reveals several items you may not actually like or that don’t belong there.

Of course, some pieces—like an old, unattractive sofa—might have to stay for practical reasons if you can’t afford a replacement.

But if you find decorative items that no longer resonate with you, let them go. Additionally, if there are unnecessary furniture pieces, consider moving them out. Sometimes, having a cleaner, more open space is far better than keeping items that weigh the room down.

CONCLUSION

By following these 10 tricks, you can easily decorate your home without spending a dime. Remember, creativity and resourcefulness are key to achieving a stylish and inviting space. So, start exploring your home for hidden potential, get crafty with DIY projects, and embrace the joy of budget-friendly design. With a little imagination and effort, you can transform your home into a beautiful and personalized sanctuary.