Truth be told, it gets increasingly difficult to get rid of belly fat the more we age. However, that’s not to say that it cannot be done.
As it turns out, all you need is proper guidance from your trainer and if you’re motivated enough, you’ll get to see your belly return to its glory days.
Sarah Kush, an LA-based trainer and fitness expert says that one of the main reasons why individuals aged over 40, and particularly women, fail to see results after workout routines is because of poor feeding habits and the lack of strength training.
According to her, the fastest ways via which you can notice changes in your body are eating healthy and lifting weights, regardless of their weight. As such, light ones will also do the trick.
And if you’re really interested in losing that belly fat, she says that this is how you should go about it.
Step One – Start Moving
Kush says that when it comes to exercising, you need to be consistent. What’s more, you don’t even need a complicated workout plan – a simple routine will suffice.
The trick is to make sure that your routine will wean you into being flexible and stronger while not consuming much of your time or asking for too much effort. According to the trainer, a 20-minute daily workout will work wonders for you.
To tone your body and strengthen your muscles, Kush goes back to weightlifting. She cites studies that support her claim, with one revealing that two weightlifting sessions per week in postmenopausal women resulted in a reduction in waist circumference and total body fat six weeks in.
For toning to work better, you need to pair it with fast-paced exercise that will up the body’s metabolism. For this, you can choose to do push-ups, squats, plank taps, or jumping jacks.
To strengthen your core, you can play around with these fast-paced exercises by including side planks, plank holds, hip lifts, and any other routine you feel comfortable with. Just make sure it is a fitting core routine.
After doing all of is, Kush insists that you should conclude your workout session stretching. As the trainer puts it, this will help you release tension, improve your flexibility, and enhance recovery from the strain of exercising. She says it also feels amazing which is a plus.
Step Two – Healthy Feeding
Here, Kush says that you should first and foremost avoid processed foods as much as you can. Instead, embrace whole foods such as lean proteins which include lentils, fish, and poultry, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains.
When you center your feeding plan around whole foods, your plate will always feature foods dense in nutrients. These, in turn, will boost your energy levels, build muscle, and fight inflammation.
There’s also a bonus in that such foods have no added sugar nor extra calories, allowing you to keep these off your diet without even trying.
Prevention.com reports that for this step, some of the must-have food items include hard-boiled eggs, avocados, blueberries, and spinach. All apart from blueberries are excellent protein sources, while the fruit is packed with fiber.
