Understanding their causes can give you the best insight on how to get rid of those saddlebags. So, keep reading!
What Are The Causes Of Saddlebags?
Saddlebags may develop due to a host of factors. Genetics may play a role in lower body fat distribution (1). If your mother or grandmother had saddlebags, chances are you may have them too. Lack of movement, stress, and poor eating habits also lead to weight gain and accumulation of fat in different parts of your body (2), (3), (4). Research also indicates that advancing age in women has been associated with higher levels of fat in the buttocks, hips, and thighs (5). So, don’t be surprised if you gain weight around your buttocks and thighs as you age. Pregnancy may be another factor that can contribute to saddlebags. As your body goes through multiple changes, you may gain weight in the hip and thigh areas (6). Saddlebags may be stubborn, but don’t worry. There are many different ways to get rid of them. Let’s learn all about them in the next section.
How To Get Rid Of Saddlebags
Making changes in your lifestyle and engaging in physical activities can help reduce the appearance of saddlebags over time. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are the most important steps to reduce excess fat anywhere in your body, including saddlebags.
1. Change Your Diet Plan
Making changes in your diet can go a long way in reducing saddlebags and improving your overall health. You can follow these simple tips:
Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables (7). Avoid the consumption of processed foods (8). Limit your intake of alcohol (9). Consume lean proteins such as fish, chicken, and legumes (10), (11), (12). Eat complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, brown rice, and multigrain bread (13), (14), (15).
2. Get More Active
Along with a healthy diet, keeping yourself physically active can help reduce those saddlebags. If a trip to the gym is not your idea of exercise, there are plenty of other options out there. Swimming, dancing, jogging, yoga, or walking can help burn those calories and strengthen the muscles in your thighs and legs.
3. Targeted Exercises
If you work out regularly, try the following exercises to target your saddlebags:
Squats
Squats are one of those exercises that don’t require any equipment and are easy to do. When done right, they work on multiple muscle areas and can help you lose fat.
Single-Leg Hip Raise
This exercise targets your hamstrings and strengthens your hips, glutes, and abs.
Mountain Climbers
These are considered one of the best cardio workouts that can help you stay in shape.
Burpees
Burpees are a grueling yet effective workout for all those looking to lose saddlebags.
Fire Hydrants
This is an excellent exercise for toning your glutes and outer thighs and improving your hip stability. Is elliptical good for saddlebags? The elliptical helps you lose fat throughout your body. This, in turn, would help reduce saddlebags as well. However, it doesn’t work to target saddlebags as a spot fat-reducing treatment. Does skipping reduce saddlebags? Cardio exercises like skipping can help lose body fat, eventually reducing the outer thigh fat or saddlebags.
