Losing belly fat is difficult for everyone regardless of age or gender. Seniors may face a tougher challenge than other age groups, but the remedy is much the same. Exercise is the key factor in losing excess weight around the stomach along with a healthy well-balanced diet. Seniors should discuss their exercise plan with a doctor before beginning any new program.
Aerobic Activity
Aerobic activity burns fat and calories and increases stamina. Walking and biking are aerobic activities that will help burn off the fat that is gathering around the stomach. Swimming is another fat burning activity that is less stressful to the joints. Many seniors find water aerobics and swimming a good alternative to land based activities because of joint pain.
Look for water exercise classes at your local YMCA and slowly build your endurance. Build up your aerobic routine to 20 or 30 minutes at least three times a week. If joint pain is discouraging your activity, break up your exercise sessions into 10-minute batches. This will give you all of the benefits of exercise without causing excessive pain in your joints.
Overworking your muscles or joints in the early stages of an exercise program could cause you to give up on exercise. Listen to your body and stop whenever you experience pain or are too fatigued to continue. Some seniors face difficulty accepting the changing condition of their bodies. Your local YMCA may have classes that are developed specifically for seniors and the limitations that they face. Consult with your doctor which exercises are appropriate for you. The doctor is the best person to determine what physical activity you are capable of doing safely.
Strength Training
Strength training will help to improve your muscles and burn calories when you are not exercising. Fat burning is essential to losing belly fat.
Remember to work all the muscle groups in your body when you are working on your strength training exercises. Give your body plenty of time to rest in between workouts. To increase muscle strength, you will have to allow the muscles to rest. Overworking the muscles without at least a day in between workouts will not increase muscle strength and may cause the opposite effect.
Strength training helps to combat the natural loss of muscle mass that occurs as the body ages.This natural decrease in muscle strength can affect a senior’s ability to perform daily activities such as walking up stairs or shopping. Muscle strength also helps to support joints that may be affected by osteoarthritis and joint pain. The goal of strength training is not to become a bodybuilder, but to maintain strength in muscles that are deteriorating with age.
If you are overweight or have excess weight around your belly, these exercises will help your body work efficiently to burn off fat. Discuss weight training or strength training with your doctor before beginning to determine what type of strength training is right for you. Resistance bands and free weights can be used in your program.
Relaxation
You should include some relaxation and stress reduction activities in your program to eliminate belly fat. This is especially important for those who are under chronic stress. The body under stress will store excess fat in the belly area to use for energy. The body is actually preparing for attack when it stores this excess fat. Include a day of yoga in your routine or include meditation exercises to reduce the amount of stress that your body is experiencing.
Psychological or emotional stress can occur at any age, but seniors face some unique changes to their lives that may increase their stress levels. Seniors can become psychologically stressed about their changing health and perceived loss control over their lives. We may think of our retirement years as a time of relaxation and rest, but some seniors feel less productive and useful during this time. Incomes tend to decrease during the senior years as well, causing even more emotional turmoil.