Are you in your menopause with a significant increment in your abdominal girth, looking for the best exercise for menopause belly? Many menopausal women undergo numerous bodily changes, including weight gain and abdominal bloating, besides the common hot flashes. Due to hormonal changes, the body begins to store more fats around the belly, leading to a protrusion.
This belly fat not only ruins your good looks but can also cost your health and how you get around daily activities. It therefore pushes more women in their menopause to start looking for ways to burn this belly fat and maintain a trim and toned midsection. With specific exercises and workout routines, you can keep the menopause belly at bay and regain your comfort and confidence.
Below, we discuss the most effective exercise routines to reduce menopause belly, and some tips for keeping you motivated. We’ll also reveal why exercise produces the best results with menopausal belly.
Why Belly Fat Happens During Menopause
Before diving into the best exercise for menopause belly fat, let’s first understand why it happens in your menopause stage. Every major or minor symptom of menopause is directly related to the hormonal fluctuations that women experience during this phase.
The reduction in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone affects how fat is distributed in the body. With the reduced hormone level, fat redistribution from the highs and hips to the abdomen region starts happening. This explains why most women will start having a wider waistline and belly fat in their early menopause.
The hormone imbalance also increases the body’s susceptibility to stress, leading to the increased production of the stress hormone, cortisol. With cortisol going up, your body may start retaining more water as you experience frequent stubborn bloating. This further exacerbates the protruding belly appearance.
During menopause, the decline in female hormones also triggers slower metabolism and muscle mass loss. These too can explain why belly fat sneaks up. Even though menopause belly fat is common, it doesn’t mean it can’t be tackled. With the right exercise routine and persistence, you can stay in control of your belly fat during menopause.
8 Best Exercises For Menopause Belly
The goal is to stay focused on a balanced approach through exercises that develop muscles, boost metabolism, and burn fat. Check out these 8 best exercises for menopausal belly fat that you can do at the gym or at home to stay fit and comfortable.
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Core-Strengthening Exercises
Core exercises work a great deal to slim the belly, but it goes beyond the crunches. Strengthening your core can help you build better posture, stability, and improved overall body alignment. This can help you relieve back pain among other discomforting symptoms of menopause.
- Planks: Planks are great for strengthening the core because they target the whole body without exerting pressure on your neck or back. Start with holding 20-second plank positions and gradually work your way to a minute to build core strength.
- Bicycle Crunches: This exercise adds a little bit of cardio to a classic ab workout. Bicycle crunches are important for your obliques (side abs) as they deliver a slimming effect to your waistline.
- Russian Twists: If you want to strengthen your torso, you have to keep up with Russian twists movement. It also supports a slimmer waist while reducing the appearance of love handles.
A good core strengthening routine should aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions per exercise at least twice a week.
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Aerobic Exercise: Walking, Running, and Swimming
Aerobic workouts assist in burning calories and improve cardiovascular health, which is essential for losing body fat and preventing belly fat formation. Walking and swimming are especially good during menopause since they are low-impact but effective.
- Brisk Walking: You can significantly boost your metabolism through brisk walking at least 30 minutes every day. It can also help you burn off excess belly fat, and it’s easy on your joints. This makes it especially more manageable for those with joint issues or arthritis.
- Running or jogging: If you can handle a bit more impact, running or jogging can further boost calorie combustion and improve weight loss. It doesn’t have to be intensive, going short jogs a few times, every week can make a difference.
- Swimming: Swimming is one of the best exercises for menopause belly because it’s a full-body aerobic workout that tones the muscles without straining the joints. It’s also excellent for managing hot flashes during menopause.
Try to carry out a total of at least 150 minutes of light aerobic exercises every week, such as swimming or walking. If you can take it, you may opt for 75 minutes of intensive activity, like running, to keep the menopause belly in check.
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High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT combines short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest, and this makes it effective at burning belly fat. This strategy also boosts metabolism, which accelerates the burning of belly fat more than most other forms of exercise. So, if you’re short on time, HIIT can deliver great results will little time input.
You can create a HIIT session that includes:
- 30 seconds of jump squats followed by 15 seconds of rest.
- Mountain climbers for 30 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
- 30 seconds of modified burpees, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
If 30 seconds seems a little difficult, you can shorten them to 10–20 seconds, which can still deliver powerful results in burning belly fat. If you’ve never done HIIT before, begin slowly while focusing on form to avoid injury.
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Yoga and Pilates for Core Stability
What is the best exercise for menopause belly that also improves flexibility and reduces stress? That would be yoga, Pilates, or a combination of both. They’re both beneficial, especially during menopause, since they focus on enhancing balance, alignment, and inner peace.
- Yoga: Practice poses like downward dog and boat poses to strengthen your core as well as stretch the whole body. Yoga helps with mindfulness and is effective at reducing cortisol levels, often associated with increased belly fat.
- Pilates: These low-impact, controlled movements target the core muscles to make them stronger. Exercises such as the hundred and leg circles are good for toning the midsection and improving body posture.
Including yoga or Pilates, at least once a week into your exercise routine, can complement other intense workouts. This exercise strategy can lead to developing a balanced, well-rounded fitness routine.
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Strength Training
Strength training offers a more effective way of burning menopause belly fat and building strong muscles. This exercise also boosts your metabolism level to keep you energised and motivated. Create a routine that involves using body weight, light weights, or resistance bands to achieve better results. If working out at home, you can do lunges, dumbbell rows, bridging, and squats as forms of strength training.
Combining a good diet with exercise can promote weight reduction and burn more menopausal belly fat.
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Weighted Deadbugs
Another best exercise for menopause belly that targets the core muscles is weighted deadbug. This exercise involves lying on your back on a flat surface, holding a dumbbell or weight plate with both hands. Extend your arms away from your belly towards the ceiling and keep it in that position. Lift your legs to bend the knees to form a 90-degree angle. While doing this, ensure your core is also engaged to maintain a neutral position of the spine.
Now, alternate stretching one leg towards the ground without touching it while holding the dumbbell in position. At all times, maintain core tension and control to continuously burn fats without straining the spine.
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Leg Lifts
This exercise is targeted at your lower abdominal muscles. To perform leg lifts, lie on a yoga mat with the back and legs stretched on the floor. Now, slowly lift both legs from the ground while maintaining a straight gait until you achieve a perpendicular position with the floor. Lower your legs slowly to complete the first rep. Repeat as many reps and sets as you can manage.
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Deadlifts
Deadlift is also effective in combating menopause belly fat as it engages your whole body as well as the core muscles. To perform deadlifts, stand with the legs apart. With a dumbbell or barbell in front of you, bend the knees while hinged at the hips and the back straight. Grab the weight and extend your knees and hips to lift it. Repeat the same about five times or more.
Staying Motivated and Safe During Exercise
Exercising is just a part of using body activity to burn belly fat, another is maintaining consistency. If you want to achieve desirable results with a menopausal belly, you have to be consistent with your exercise.
Work with Realistic Goals
Focus your energy on goals that help you improve how you feel as well, rather than just the scale. When you’re in a good mood, get quality sleep, and feel energised, you’ll be motivated to stick to your exercise routine.
Find a Workout Buddy
Even with the best exercise for menopause belly, performing it alone can be a bit challenging. Partner with a friend and accompany each other to the gym or work out at home together to make the experience fun and make you more accountable.
Listen Closely to Your Body
Menopause comes with other symptoms such as lower bone density that can affect your daily activity. So, this is not the time to go hard on yourself. Listen to any discomfort and don’t hesitate to modify it to match your comfort level or needs.
If working out causes you any serious pain, it’s important to check with your doctor before starting your exercise routines. Your doctor may recommend working with a personal trainer experienced in menopause fitness to tailor the exercises to your needs.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with menopause belly fat can be challenging to many women considering that they’re also battling with many other symptoms of menopause. However, with proper exercise routines and consistency, it’s possible to reduce belly fat and maintain a more confident and comfortable midsection. From aerobic to core strengthening exercises, these 8 best exercises for menopause belly can also boost overall health, strength, and confidence. Remember that consistency is key to achieving desirable results.
Want the advice of a professional menopause care expert before starting an exercise routine? Dr Nadira from Pause and Co Healthcare offers top-notch menopause health consultations in Birmingham. Book your consultation today and get help on how to manage menopause belly fat and other menopausal symptoms today.