Exercising in your 50s is a great way to stay healthy and keep your body in top shape. But an area in the body that is more difficult to lose weight in the abdominal area.
Some even tend to accumulate more fat in this area than any other body part. Often the belly is the first place we gain weight and the last place we lose weight. That’s why we call belly fat, the stubborn belly fat.
The weight gain and extra belly fat in the 50s and beyond are not inevitable, but often the natural part of aging.
This is partly because the loss of lean muscle mass begins to occur and your metabolism slows down as a result.
A slowing metabolism can lead to weight gain every year, even if you don’t eat much more than usual.
To prevent your metabolism from dropping, it is important to maintain lean muscle mass. This is because muscle is more metabolically active than fat, they will use more energy in the form of calories.
So staying active as you age, especially in your 50s, is key to preventing weight gain and belly fat. Research shows that the average person loses about 1 percent of their muscle mass per year.
Fortunately, regardless of your age, it is never too late to exercise and keep your body in shape. And lose your stubborn belly fat and avoid high health risks that come with it.
That’s why we’ve rounded up 5 of the best exercises to gain lean muscle mass and accelerate belly fat loss in your 50s.
But let’s talk about losing fat quickly before we get to them.
How to lose fat and belly fat?
To lose fat and belly fat, you need to keep your metabolism high so you can continue to burn around the clock. To do this, you need to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
A diet such as the Mediterranean diet that is based on whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins is recommended.
For exercise, high-intensity cardio activities are effective for burning calories.
Combine that with strength training to build lean muscle.
In your strength training regimen, focus on compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups at once. They help you target more body parts at once and help you burn more fat.
Sounds like a lot? Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The exercises below cover both exercises for high-intensity cardio compound strength training.
In fact, you can tackle all of that in one routine to help you lose fat and build a lean body in your 50s.
1. Burpees
The burpee is an excellent fat burning exercise when performed regularly.
Burpees’ powerful moves are great for burning calories. They also build lean muscle in your hamstrings, calves, and glutes.
Burpees are great for boosting your metabolism. It’s an exercise that works every part of your body, including your abs. You will continue to burn calories and fat long after your workout is complete.
We have a whole article on how to do a burpee the right way. But here’s how to perform burpees.
To do a burpee:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides. Start by squatting. From there, quickly move low to the floor and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your body. Keeping your arms straight, jump your legs back and land in a plank position. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe. Jump your feet to your hands to return to the squat position, then jump in the air with arms reaching for the ceiling. Make sure to elongate your entire body. That’s one representative. Aim for 12-15 reps per set.
2. Crunch
The crunch is a basic core exercise. It’s an effective exercise that isolates your abs and engages them exclusively.
This exercise specifically works the frontal abs, creating the lean look in your torso.
It’s also a great way to feel the burn in the abs and build the muscles in the area.
Want more challenging crunch exercises? We have discussed the crunch exercise and its variations more in this article.
To do a basic crunch:
Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat. Bend your knees and keep your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands just behind your ears, but don’t grip them tightly or pull on the head. Tighten your abs and inhale. Exhale and lift your upper back off the floor to engage your abs. Keep your head and neck relaxed and don’t pull out your neck. Pause for 1 second and slowly return to the starting position.
3. Jumping Jacks
Although jumping jack itself cannot reduce fat, it is a great gymnastics exercise that burns calories and helps you lose fat all over the body.
Add jumping jacks to your belly fat workout in combination with strength training moves.
Combine them with other bodyweight exercises like planks and crunches to get the full toning and fat-burning effects.
How to do jumping jacks:
Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Keep a slight bend in your knees and hands at your sides. In one movement, open the arms and legs out to the sides. Arms flap above head and legs spread wider than shoulders. In one movement, return your arms and legs to the center of the starting position. Complete 30 reps.
4. Squat
The squat is a simple exercise that builds strength in your legs, glutes, and core.
To do a basic body weight squat:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang by your sides. Adjust your feet so that your toes are slightly turned out to open the hips. As you begin to squat, extend your arms out in front of you. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position. Repeat for 12-15 reps.
5. Bird Dog
Bird Dog is a simple exercise that works your abs and other core muscles. It’s a great exercise for strengthening the lower back muscles and building stability in the torso.
The bird dog improves flexibility in the hips, glutes, lower back and abs.
To do the bird dog:
Get on all fours: hands and knees. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and knees in line with the hips. Contract your abs as you lift your right arm and left leg off the floor and straighten them. Pause at the top for 1-2 seconds. at the same time Pull your right arm and left knee together at the same time. Try to touch your left knee with your right elbow just below your torso. Extend your right arm and left knee back to the starting position. That’s one repetition. Complete 12-15 reps and switch sides.
6. Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is a simple bodyweight movement that you perform by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. It’s a great exercise to increase glute strength, core stability, and lower back strength. It can also help increase hip flexibility and reduce lower back pain.
To do a glute bridge:
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor hip-width apart. Rest your arms at your sides with your palms facing down. Consider using a yoga mat for comfort. Lift your pelvis off the floor by pressing the soles of your feet until your lower body is in line with your knees. Tighten your glutes and keep your stomach flat to avoid straining your spine. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower back to the starting position. Complete 12-15 reps.
7. Shelf
The plank is a basic abs exercise that builds core strength and stability. By keeping your body in the plank position, you train a wide variety of muscles in your body. The longer you can hold the plank, the stronger your abs are.
The plank is another abs exercise that I like to include in my abs routine.
To create a shelf:
Start in plank position. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders and knees directly under the hips. Keep your head relaxed and pointed downward. Tighten your abs and pull your navel toward your spine. Lift your knees off the floor to lift up and form a straight line from head to toe. Keep your body strong in a straight line from head to toe. Resist bending your back and don’t let your hips drop. This is the neutral position of the spine. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.
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