Saddlebags are those pockets of fat that hang below your behind and are situated on the side of your thigh. You will often find them on women rather than men because of genetic factors.
If you don’t have muscle in this part of the body, it will get soft and fall to the side,, giving saddlebags. That being said, there are many ways on how to get rid of saddlebags.
WHAT CAUSES SADDLEBAGS?
The primary reason is genetics. As a woman, you are susceptible to accumulating fats around the hips because of reproduction and evolution.
Since women bear children and nurture them with their bodies, they have to store additional sustenance sources. This was certainly the case during man’s early days when famine was a common experience.
Some individuals are pear-shaped, while others are apple-shaped. Sometimes, you have no control over where fat accumulates in your body because it is genetically encoded.
Additionally, you may have saddlebags because of the lack of exercise. As mentioned above, if any part of the body is not toned, the fat around there will sag and lead to features like saddlebags. If you have not made an effort to build muscle in your thigh and butt area, then the chances are that it will become underused and look undesirable.
Hormones also have a role to play because when there are hormonal imbalances, the chances are that there will be more fat in the thigh area. An excessive amount of estrogen often leads to these outcomes.
In this research, waist/ hip ratios changed when women increased the estrogen in their bodies.
CAN WALKING GET RID OF SADDLEBAGS
The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no. Walking and even running are a way of getting you active and adding cardio into your regimen.
According to this study, cardio workouts are imperative in burning fat.
However, if you need to tone your muscles as is the case with saddlebags, you need to combine walking, running, or any other cardio form with resistance training and other toning exercises.
In other words, walking will jumpstart the process of burning that fat but exercise will help to improve the appearance of your hips and thighs.
7 BEST EXERCISES TO GET RID OF SADDLEBAGS
These exercises are designed to build muscles in your lower body and give you a natural butt lift.
SQUATS
These are a staple for anyone who has trouble with their butt area. Here is how do do squats:
Spread your legs while standing.
You may clench your fists as you put them in front of your chest.
Once you have assumed the proper position, bend your knees and dip your hips to squat. Then return to the original position and repeat.
CURTSY LUNGE
This exercise isolates the muscles on your hip specifically and is one way to get rid of saddlebags fast.
Stand with your legs slightly apart and your arms folded but spread outward. Let your hands meet at the knuckles.
Make a curtsy by moving your left leg behind the right leg and bending it. Then alternate and repeat.
SINGLE-LEG BALANCE
If you wonder how to get rid of saddlebags, this is one of the simplest exercises you can try.
Stand on one leg for a minute then alternate on the other side.
Standing on one leg forces your whole leg to develop the stamina and muscle needed to support you. That way, you start to develop saddlebags.
STANDING WEIGHTED HIP ABDUCTIONS
Hold a weight with one hand and place it on your outer thigh.
On the opposite side, stretch your arm outward as a way of maintaining balance.
Lift the leg with the weight and count to 20. Do this on the opposite side.
SUPERMAN FLIES
Another way of how to get rid of saddlebags is to do exercises that involve the glutes exclusively.
The superman fly requires you to lie on your stomach on a hard surface. Fold your hands and rest your head on them.
Spread your legs slightly apart in the start position then lift your entire lower body upward. Ensure that you tighten your glutes as you do so because that will tighten your muscles.
FIRE HYDRANT CIRCLES
For this saddlebags fat removal exercise, get on your hands and knees.
Lift your knee outwards and rotate that knee to form a big circle. Repeat this 10 times then go anticlockwise and finally do the same on the other leg.
5 EASY TIPS ON HOW TO GET RID OF SADDLEBAGS
ENGAGE IN CARDIO
Cardio is essential in removing saddlebags and love handles. It works by burning the fat that causes saddlebags.
Working out also helps in building muscle and reducing sagging in your hips as proven in this study. You want to combine cardio and the simple exercises mentioned above at any one time.
Overall, always ensure that you maintain an active lifestyle.
DO RESISTANCE TRAINING AND TONING EXERCISE
Isolation exercises are usually not helpful in eliminating fat in a certain body part. However, they work by toning your muscles and improving the appearance of that section of your body.
In this case, the exercises suggested above help ensure that you build up muscle, minimize fat sagging and thus get rid of your saddlebags.
WATCH WHAT YOU EAT
Even though saddlebags accumulate around the hips, the reasons why they are there in the first place is excessive weight gain. You may be taking more calories than you need.
Therefore, to reduce overall body fat, you need to adopt healthy nutritional choices.
First, cut down on high fat, high sugar and highly processed foods.
Consider monitoring the calories using a calorie-counting app to eat what you require for optimal body functions.
Ensure that you also know your body type to balance out the types of macronutrients that are best for you.
BE CONSISTENT
People often come across an article like this, get excited, and then try to implement these changes all at once.
However, few people actually stick to it. It is necessary for you to work the above tips consistently before you see any changes.
GET YOUR HORMONES CHECKED
If you try any of the above tips and still see no changes,, it may be time to seek medical advice.
You may be approaching menopause or could simply be experiencing a surge in estrogen in your body.
This is especially true when the saddlebags come suddenly. Such unexpected changes imply that there have been bodily changes which have to be corrected.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Saddlebags are mostly a female problem because of inactivity, hormones and DNA.
Even though these reasons seem like they are cast in stone, you can still try several interventions to deal with them.
The best way of how to get rid of saddlebags is to be active. This will burn fat and minimize the muscle atrophy that comes from inactivity.
Isolation exercises also form an important part of this regimen because they help to build muscle. Try squats, superman flies and fire hydrant circles to work this trouble spot.
Overall, you will need to make interventions that reduce fat and build muscle to get rid of saddlebags.
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