The Best Exercises and ways to get rid of your saddlebags
Providing you with information on how to get rid of saddlebags from the position of a personal trainer.
The dreaded saddlebags or excess fat on the outer thigh is a concern for so many. Although you can’t spot reduce any one area, you can work to trim those outer thighs down. While also focusing on lower body strengthening as a whole. This will help you to feel better about the saddlebag appearance. Do understand that this is a part of your genetic makeup, and this is how your body deposits of fat. The goal should be decreasing overall body fat. Yet here are some of my personal preferences on how to get rid of saddlebags.
Here are some things to help you get rid of the saddlebags.
First, I do want to let you know that if you carry excess fat around your outer thighs rather than your belly, that is a good thing! This fat stored in the lower body, around the outer thighs and hips is known as “saddlebags.” This is subcutaneous fat and is not as dangerous as visceral fat, also known as belly fat, which is usually found in the midsection around the organs.
Second, while working on reducing the saddlebag fat in your outer thighs you will have the added bonus of losing excess fat from all over your body. We can’t really spot reduce one particular area, but by focusing on an exercise regimen it will help.
Lastly, I do want to make sure I am very clear. If your problem area is your outer thighs, this has a lot to do with your body type. This will be the absolute last place you will see a change. Many of us are predisposed to hold weight in certain areas of our body and that is very difficult to change. While you are exercising to decrease your thigh size, start to focus on your mindset. Be thankful for all that your amazing body (including those thighs) are doing for you.
The good news is that once you practice the things below, you will also notice that All areas of your body will be getting smaller. Since your body holds the accumulation of fat more in this area. This area will still be larger in proportion to the rest of your body. I encourage you to learn to accept this and stop criticizing yourself so much. Mindset will do so much more for your overall health than something like cosmetic surgery.
Best ways to get rid of saddlebags (outer thigh fat):
- Get in regular exercise: Workouts should consist of strength training. I like full-body workouts, so I don’t need to be in the gym every day. High-Intensity Interval Training is a great way to do this. This exercise regime with weight training should be 2-3x per week.
- Make sure to also get some physical activity in for your cardiovascular health. By doing some Zone 2 cardio such as walking, bike riding, or an easy jog. Zone 2 cardio is where you can still talk to a friend but may be a bit breathless during the conversation.
- Exercises similar to the videos below to help focus on the upper thighs and butt muscles, specifically the gluteus medius which sits along the outer hip.
- Even if you workout throughout the week, if you are living a sedentary lifestyle outside of your workout this can wreak havoc on your overall health. Make sure to get in a lot of walking throughout the day to help regulate hormones and reduce body weight.
For best results you need to consider lifestyle choices as well:
- You will want to practice eating a healthy diet. Focus on a balanced diet, eating lean proteins. Try to get 30-40 grams of protein at each meal (lean meats such as chicken and fish). Eat some healthy fats, and healthy carbs. When you think about carbs-don’t think of white bread and pasta. Instead think about fibrous foods like fruits and vegetables. Eating lots of fruits, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage). This will help to flush the system of the hormone estrogen.
- Make sure to drink plenty of water to help flush your system and to allow for cellulite to appear less dimply.
- Stear clear of the fast food diet. You will want to stay away from highly processed foods. These are junk foods and do not provide your body with any nutrients.
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep, as sleep can have an effect on overall hormonal imbalances which can create excess fat accumulation.
By practicing the above lifestyle choices and making them a part of your daily routine, you will probably start to notice more positive changes in your overall health and well being as well.
Here are some of the best exercises you can do to start to strengthen the thigh muscles of the lower body. This will help you to decrease the appearance of saddlebags and the outer thigh area while strengthening and increasing muscle tone. So let’s get rid of the saddlebags with some of my favorite specific exercise!
If you enjoy these videos and need help with losing weight, than head to our Free Community. You may also enjoy the article I have written on belly fat, as the lower abdomen tends to be another area of concern for women in midlife.
