Make note of these 6 exercises if you want to lose that belly fat in your 40s
Shedding inches from your midriff has never been easy for anyone, especially if you are in your 40s. That’s because at this age, you are more susceptible to weight gain, but guess what? It’s pretty hard to lose all that flab. Although 40s are considered the new 30s, there’s one thing that’s clear — it’s a huge challenge to maintain a flat belly.
It’s time to find out why weight gain happens at this age:
Age-related weight gain is often genetic, but there are certain other factors that cause it. Hormones, muscle loss, low metabolism levels, and your diet all have a key role to play. Among these factors, hormonal imbalance is the primary cause, as it involves less estrogen production in women that is responsible for accumulating fat around the belly. Besides, a low metabolism is also a significant cause.
Here’s why losing belly fat is important in your 40s:
Belly fat is among the most dangerous types of fat, because it is linked with numerous health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Therefore, losing belly fat is more important than losing fat from any other part of the body.
But worry not, we’ve ranked the best exercises to reduce belly fat in your 40s.
1. Hold a plank
If you want a well-shaped frame, you just can’t afford to skip planks. Plank is a full-body workout, as it hits all the right spots including the back, chest, shoulder, and core. Performing a plank helps to strengthen and tone your entire body, thereby making it much simpler to lose belly fat.
2. Side, twist, or reverse crunches
There’s no doubt crunches are the best way to tackle all that extra flab around your tummy. Crunches come with several modifications and variations, all of which are specifically designed to help you lose belly fat. You can perform side, twist, or reverse crunches, whatever you can do comfortably.
Crunches fire up your upper abdomen, while also working as a warm-up exercise. They help to burn that stubborn belly fat and improve your posture.
3. Flutter kicks
Flutter kicks engage the muscles of your core, specifically the lower abdominal muscles and the hip flexors. When it comes to flutter kicks, both the speed and leg extensions matter a lot, so keep this in mind.
This exercise burns a whole lot of calories, so get ready to lose all that flab from your belly.
4. Mountain climbers
Mountain climbers include a combination of core and cardio exercises. This exercise targets your abs, shoulders, arms, chest as well as belly, making it the perfect exercise to lose that stubborn belly fat. What’s more, it also burns calories like crazy.
5. Burpees
Burpees make sure that all your major muscle groups are targeted, so that you’re able to achieve your goal weight. This exercise turns your body into a fat-burning machine. In addition, it increases your metabolism and helps to burn calories throughout the day.
6. Skipping
Last but not the least, to have a toned belly, make sure to practice skipping regularly. This is a cardio exercise, and is great for you. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition states that doing cardio at the end of your workout can help to get rid of excess belly fat
So ladies, these exercises are all that you need to shed belly fat.