Stubborn belly fat is difficult to lose for most people, but it seems to get a lot harder as you get older, and for good reason.
Many factors make it more difficult for seniors to get rid of belly fat, including changes in hormone levels and a slower metabolism due to inactivity.
If you want to find out more, books a great resource that you can turn to.
Not only does it provide crucial information on the causes but also offer solutions on how you can change your diet and lifestyle to combat belly fat.
Below, we describe some exercises for belly fat for seniors that will complement your positive lifestyle changes.
Exercises for Belly Fat for Seniors
It’s important to maintain a regular exercise routine throughout your life. A combination of eating well and a daily workout will help you look great and, even more importantly, feel great.
In particular, exercises that work your stomach will not only help you to lose that extra belly fat but will also help to strengthen your core.
The reason for this is that these exercises will strengthen and tone your entire torso, front and back.
Exercises that target your core are incredibly beneficial both for balance and stability.
With a strong core and properly supported spine, you’ll find that you can bend, flex, reach, twist, and turn more easily.
It is estimated that 2.8 million American seniors are injured in a fall each year.
These exercises will help prevent you from becoming part of that statistic—as if you needed any more reason to lose that belly fat!
Before You Start
Try to remain conscious of your breathing when you exercise. Don’t hold your breath at any time, as this can lead to dizziness and may cause a change in your blood pressure.
Instead, breathe deeply and evenly, trying to match your breath to the movement of the exercise.
Exhale when you crunch or initiate your movement, and then inhale on the release.
You’ll benefit more by performing these exercises more slowly and in time with your breathing than if you rush through them. Remember, it’s not a race!
Exercise #1: Ab Curl-Ups
Ab curl-ups are a great exercise alternative to sit-ups, especially for seniors. They’ll still work out your abdominal muscles but are much less strenuous.
Lie down on your back, either on the floor or your exercise mat, with your legs bent so that your knees are pointing towards the ceiling.
Keep your arms down by your sides with your palms facing down. Lift your shoulders off of the floor slowly and then gently lower down again.
Aim to repeat the shoulder lift 15 times per day and rest before moving on to the next exercise.
Exercise #2: Pelvic Lifts
Stay lying down on the floor with your knees bent and arms by your sides to perform pelvic lifts.
Instead of lifting your shoulders to work the upper abdominals, this time, you’re going to lift your entire pelvic area. Doing this will exercise your lower abdominals, back, and glutes.
Lift your pelvis up towards the ceiling. Hold this position for 10 seconds before releasing slowly to the ground.
Repeat this movement 10 times and then take another short rest.
Exercise #3: Pelvic Tilts
The next exercise is very similar to the previous one. It also requires you to stay lying down on the floor.
The difference between a pelvic lift and a pelvic tilt is that in a pelvic tilt, you tilt your pelvis while keeping your lower back on the floor.
You will feel more of a squeeze in your lower abs and glutes, as this exercise is really great for the tummy and bottom.
Tilt your pelvis up and hold for 10 seconds before gently releasing to the ground and repeating 10 times per day.
You could also choose to alternate pelvic lifts and tilts, doing one and then the other for two sets of 10 repetitions each.
If you want to make the exercise a little more challenging, add an extra set of ab curl-ups in between these two sets of pelvic exercises.
Make sure you take a short rest break before moving on to the next exercise.
Exercise #4: Hollow Belly
Exercise four now requires you to sit up. Do so gently and turn over so that you’re facing downwards while on your hands and knees.
Keeping your back straight, let your belly hang down naturally and bring your attention back to your breathing.
Take a deep breath in and, on your exhale, tilt your pelvis upwards towards your waist.
As you tilt, you’ll find that the motion naturally forces you to suck in your stomach. It will leave you with a hollowed-out belly (hence the name).
Hold your hollow belly position for 10 seconds and then gently release and repeat 10 times each day.
Exercise #5: Reverse Crunches
Our final recommended exercise for belly fat is the reverse chair crunch, which isn’t half as scary as it sounds.
Once you’ve gotten yourself up from the floor, you’ll need to find a firm chair to sit on. This is a great exercise that you can perform any time of the day whenever you’re sat on a firm chair.
If the chair has a back, you’ll need to make sure that you’re sitting forward on the chair to have some spare space behind you.
Sit upright with your hands in front of you, and keep your back straight. Take a deep breath and notice that your weight at this point is centered on your sit bones.
As you exhale, slowly lean back until your weight shifts to your tailbone. Then, inhale again and return to the center.
As you lean back, you’ll notice that you have to keep your abdominal muscles tight to maintain your balance.
Try to repeat this exercise up to 15 times, but stop if you start to feel any strain on your lower back.
Unfortunately, you may find that exercise alone won’t help you achieve the flat stomach you so desperately want. As always, it’s important to follow a healthy diet, too.
Conclusion
You should aim to complete the above five exercises for belly fat for seniors at least five times per week. If completed regularly, you should start seeing and feeling results in a few weeks.
As you perform these exercises more regularly, you’ll also notice that they will become easier to do, and you won’t have to stop as often due to lower back strain.
Combine these exercises with a healthy change of diet, and you’ll achieve your goals much faster.
