FITNESS: Exercises To Burn Hip Fat

It's often possible to disguise your hip fat by wearing large, loose clothing. But the "out of sight, out of mind" concept regarding your excess fat might not hold true. Even if you can't always see it, the shape of your body can weigh on your mind. Instead of stressing, set a goal of burning your hip fat through frequent aerobic exercise and strength training.


Don't Fall for Spot Reduction Before you start to break a sweat, accept the fact that no type of exercise will specifically burn your hip fat. Your fellow gym members who claim to target their fat through certain exercises have likely fallen for the myth of spot reduction, which CNN Health regards as one of the most prevalent myths in the fitness community. Burning more calories than you consume will lead to fat loss across your body as a whole, including on your hips.

It's Hip to Move

Moving your hips is an effective way to burn calories -- in an aerobic workout, you'll keep many parts of your body in motion, including your hips. Aerobic exercises are an ideal way to burn fat because of this rapid calorie burn. In a single aerobic workout, you'll often be able to burn 500 or more calories. The exercises you choose depend on your workout setting and fitness level. Gym members can take a step aerobics class or ride a stationary bike, while road warriors can run, in-line skate or even walk briskly.

Many people primarily associate aerobic exercise with fat loss, but don't discount the benefits of strength training. Body-weight exercises or lifting weights might not immediately melt off the pounds, but increasing your muscle mass ties directly into your fat-loss goal. The stronger you are, the higher your basal metabolic rate, which means your body will burn more calories throughout the day. Frequent strength-building exercises can elevate your BMR by more than 10 percent.

Stop Thinking and Get Moving Once you know the right exercises to perform to bid farewell to your hip fat, it's time to turn thought into action. In general, the more you exercise, the faster you'll see results -- but avoid overtraining or exercising to the point of pain. Getting around 300 minutes of aerobic exercise and two to three strength-training sessions every week will put you on the fast track toward slimmer hips. Even if you don't see immediate results, keep active through these exercises to find success.