Q: Is there any way to get rid of back fat and love handles? Mine just won't seem to go away. —Kathy, Wilmington, DE

A: Yes! The little extra padding on your back and around your waistline is just plain old excess fat. This means the real way to trim these areas is by reducing your overall body fat. You can get off to a great start by consuming fewer calories than you burn. To do this, try eating smaller desserts (such as a kid's-size cone instead of a sundae), and skip the cocktails and other empty calories.

Get some exercise into the equation and you'll be on the fast track — upping your daily activity even just a little bit (for example, adding a 10-minute walk) can make a fat-burning difference. You can also tone up the problem areas and make them less flabby. Pilates, with its emphasis on strengthening the lower, middle and upper back — as well as the abdominals — is perfect for this. Here are three exercises you can do every day to tighten and tone your torso; no equipment necessary!

MORE FROM ELLEN


1. Pilates Spine Twist: Sit upright with both legs extended straight out in front of you and your arms extended out to the sides like airplane wings. Keeping your ears stacked over your shoulders, exhale and twist the torso to the right. Inhale and return to center. Exhale and twist to the left. Inhale and return to the center. Keep alternating for one set of 16 repetitions (eight per side).

2. The Mermaid: Sit on your mat in a sidesaddle position, both legs slightly bent and off to the right. Extend your arms out to the side like airplane wings. Exhale and cartwheel your arms to the left until the hands reach the floor. Maintain straight elbows. Rest on the floor as you inhale, then exhale and cartwheel the arms back up to the starting position by retracing your path. Repeat 10 times on the left side, then switch and do 10 on the right side (for a total of 20 repetitions).

3. Side Imprint: Stand tall with your heels together, toes turned out to a 45-degree angle. Inhale and reach your right arm up overhead as if hailing a cab, then exhale and pull the right elbow down as you raise your right knee at the side. Feel the muscles of your side waist tighten. Inhale, return to the starting position and repeat the move. The pace should be strong and steady, as you maintain control of the movement throughout, and your torso should remain vertical. Repeat 10 times on the right side and then do 10 on the left side (for a total of 20 reps).

A big Pilates motto is: "Quality over quantity." You'll notice that I recommend just one set of each exercise. That's because these exercises should be performed with mental focus and control. You don't need a lot of repetition to get the job done if you do each one with gusto!

Ellen Barrett is the author of three books and owns a fitness studio in New Haven, Connecticut. You can read more about her here.