A trainer says these five daily moves beat the occasional gym session for a trimmer waistline after 50.<\/p>\n
After 50, you may have noticed a soft overhang at the front of your midsection, sometimes called an \u201capron belly.\u201d The standard advice you see online is always the same: do more crunches, buy a gym membership, and work out harder. However, as you age and your metabolism naturally slows down<\/a>, this advice isn\u2019t necessarily the best approach.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t pick and choose where your body loses fa<\/a>t. No exercise burns fat off the specific patch of skin it sits under, which means no amount of ab work will selectively trim a belly overhang. What exercise actually does is increase the amount of calories you burn, protect the muscle you already have, and make a modest calorie deficit easier to sustain. The combination of those three is what changes body composition over months, not days.<\/p>\n But with all the conflicting information online, knowing where to start can feel daunting. That\u2019s why we talked to James Brady, CPT, a certified personal trainer at OriGym<\/a>, who shares his top five daily exercises designed specifically to help trim belly overhang after 50. Read on for the exercises and detailed instructions. Then, when you\u2019re finished, be sure to check out these 4 Kitchen-Counter Exercises That Flatten Belly Overhang Faster Than Gym Classes After 60<\/a>.<\/p>\n \tBrisk Walking<\/p>\n Walking is the backbone of the whole routine as it is a fantastic exercise for elevating your heart rate and burning calories. \u201cBrisk walking is an easy way to raise your heart rate and increase daily activity without placing too much stress on the joints,\u201d explains Brady. \u201cGradually adding short, faster intervals can also make it more challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n How to do it:<\/p>\n Start with 10 to 20 minutes at a pace where you can talk comfortably while slightly out of breath. \tBodyweight Squats<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Squats recruit the largest muscles in your lower body, including your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. \u201cBigger muscles working together mean more energy burned per rep and more muscle preserved,\u201d says Brady.<\/p>\n How to do it:<\/p>\n Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly outward.
\nStand tall with your shoulders relaxed and let your arms swing naturally.
\nLand midfoot and roll through to push off from your toes.
\nOnce the pace feels easy, add short faster intervals of 30 to 60 seconds every few minutes.
\nBuild toward 30 minutes on most days, breaking it into two shorter walks if that\u2019s easier.
\nAim for 20 to 30 minutes daily.<\/p>\n
\nPosition a chair behind you if you want a target and a safety net.
\nSit your hips back and down as though reaching for the seat, keeping your chest upright.
\nLower as far as is comfortable while keeping your heels planted and your knees aligned over your toes.
\nPress through your whole foot to stand tall again, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
\nComplete two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.<\/p>\n