5 Daily Exercises That Shrink Love Handles Faster Than Ab Workouts After 50

By Alexa Mellardo

January 16, 2026

Here’s a newsflash: Nobody loves love handles. In fact, most individuals would be happy if they were banished forever. The first step most people may take is to plan ab work in their routine to build and strengthen the oblique muscles. This will help you achieve a toned, firmer physique in this area. But if you’d like a faster method, we have a different plan. We spoke with a fitness pro who shares five daily exercises to shrink love handles quicker than ab workouts after 50.

“All too often, we will find that no matter how hard we are working with crunches and situps that our “love handles” (visceral fat around the obliques) remain unchanged,” explains Eric North, The Happiness Warrior—a wellness speaker, coach, and advocate redefining what it means to age with purpose, strength, and emotional vitality.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

What makes things worse? Spot reduction is a myth. That means you can’t melt fat in a specific area by training the muscle underneath it.

“Crunches strengthen the abdominal wall, but they don’t specifically dissolve the fat layer over the obliques. Fat loss is systemic, meaning our body decides where to pull energy from, usually based on genetics and hormones,” North adds.

The good news is, full-body and standing exercises are an effective way to reduce the circumference of your waistline—more so than isolated ab movements such as crunches. The reasons for this? “Energy demand, hormonal response, and the myth of spot reduction,” North says.

So let’s get into the exercises that are effective for shrinking love handles faster than ab workouts.

5 Daily Exercises That Shrink Love Handles

“Classic abdominal training often misses the mark because it doesn’t burn enough energy to reach the fat stores over the obliques,” North tells us. “These compound movements engage the legs and back to trigger a higher metabolic response. Consider interval training if [you are] able to do cardio as well.”

Standing Woodchoppers

Standing woodchoppers activate the upper back, shoulders, abs and obliques at the same time. The exercise calls for you to twist your body under tension, which promotes a great core challenge.

1. Hold a dumbbell with both hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lift the dumbbell toward your right side, keeping your arms straight.
3. Twist your torso, and carefully rotate your legs to bring the dumbbell down to your left.
4. Bend at the knees while dropping your hips to bring the dumbbell toward the ground.
5. Repeat by lifting the dumbbell back to the right and overhead.
6. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.

Single-Arm Farmer’s Carry

The single-arm farmer’s carry with a dumbbell or kettlebell is an excellent way to build everyday strength while training the core. If you don’t have free weights, you can easily use a loaded grocery bag or laundry detergent in one hand.

1. Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell—50% of your body weight—in one hand at your side.
2. Start walking forward, keeping your torso still and perfectly upright.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. Perform 3 sets of 45 seconds on each side.

Kettlebell (or Dumbbell) Swings

1. Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet before you, feet wider than shoulder-width.
2. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football.
3. Explosively drive your hips forward. Imagine propelling the kettlebell to a target in front of you.
4. Keep your arms relaxed.
5. Perform 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.

Cross-Body Mountain Climbers (Elevated)

Mountain climbers fire up your abs and shoulders.

1. Assume a high plank with your hands placed on a countertop or sturdy chair.
2. Quickly drive your right knee toward your left elbow.
3. Swiftly return to a plank.
4. Repeat the movement with your left knee.
5. Continue to alternate at a fast pace.
6. Perform the exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.

Lateral Lunges With a Twist

The rotational movement in this exercise works your obliques.

1. Begin standing tall.
2. Take a big step out to the right, lowering into a lateral lunge.
3. While you sink into your right hip, rotate your torso to your right leg.
4. Return to the center.
5. Repeat on the other side.
6. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.