Can Jogging Burn Off Love Handles?

Jogging is an excellent calorie-burning workout that can help shed unwanted body fat in problem areas – even love handles. But jogging regularly isn’t a guarantee you’ll reduce body fat. Certain types of jogging workouts, combined with dietary changes, are most effective if you want get rid of love handles for good.

Long-Duration Jogging

Distance jogging is effective for weight and fat loss if you burn more calories than you consume daily. A 2009 review published in “The Ochsner Journal” recommends overweight individuals perform cardiovascular workouts five to seven days weekly, with durations lasting at least 45 minutes. Authors of this review suggest that after 30 minutes of aerobic exercise -- such as jogging -- your body uses stored body fat as its predominant source of energy, making it easier to lose love handles.

Interval Training

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Incorporating interval training into your jogging routine is an excellent fat-burning strategy you can use to burn love handles quickly. A study published in 2012 in the “Journal of Obesity” found that interval workouts are effective for shedding abdominal and trunk fat. Authors who conducted this study report that in a similar study, women who sprinted for eight seconds -- followed by 12 seconds of lower-intensity exercise -- for 20 to 40 minutes, three days weekly for 15 weeks lost more body fat than women who participated in steady-state aerobic workouts.

Resistance Workouts

To boost your chance of shedding love handles, add resistance training to your jogging program. A review published in 2009 in “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” reports that resistance training increases fat losses and reduces chronic disease risks. After your daily jog, train at least one major muscle group using weight machines, dumbbell weights or your own body weight. Try squats, lunges, abdominal exercises, chest presses, deadlifts, pushups, biceps curls, triceps extensions, shoulder presses, lateral raises, front raises and bent-over rows.

Dietary Changes

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Even with a top-notch jogging workout routine, you may not eliminate love handles if you’re eating too much. Burning off 500 to 1,000 more calories than you eat daily will help you shed about 1 to 2 pounds of body fat weekly. To effectively achieve a slim midsection, choose healthy foods -- such as vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits, low-fat dairy foods, nuts, seeds, lean meats and soy products -- and avoid added sugars, refined grains and sugary beverages.