Denise Austin’s 6 Favorite Workouts To Lose Belly Fat After 50: ‘It’s Never Too Late!’
These easy, anti-inflammatory moves melt fat fast—no gym membership or long routines needed!
Chronic inflammation is at the root of many health conditions—including excess belly fat that just won’t budge. Fortunately, regular physical activity can help keep it in check and make it easier to lose weight around your midsection. Here, fitness icon Denise Austin shares the best easy workouts to lose belly fat and tame inflammation naturally. These moves (and lots more!) are available in her magazine Fit Over 50: Your Anti-Inflammation Guide, which is on newsstands and online now.
How inflammation contributes to belly fat
While acute inflammation—which helps the body recover from injury and illness—is usually short-lived and beneficial, chronic inflammation can affect your health (and waistline). It can stem from lifestyle factors such as poor diet, stress and lack of physical activity. Over time, this low-grade inflammation can cause everything from fatigue to heart disease to stubborn belly fat. (Check out Denise’s anti-inflammatory diet here.)
The good news? One of the most powerful, evidence-based tools for managing chronic inflammation is also one of the most accessible: regular exercise. These workouts put together by Denise are designed to reduce lingering inflammation and help you lose belly fat in the process. And the best part is how quick and effective they are for women over 50.
Woman's World Answers
Denise Austin’s 6 top workouts to lose belly fat
“It’s never too late to start on the path to a healthier body!” Denise says. So whether your goal is to feel confident when wearing a body-hugging dress, to firm up and gain more energy or to fend off inflammation—all super important as we age—Denise’s beginner-friendly workouts to lose belly fat can help.
Tip: When performing these exercises, lift the weights in a slow, controlled manner using proper form, Denise advises. Move your muscles through a full range of motion and squeeze your target muscle as you do each move. If you focus your thoughts on the muscle you’re working, you’ll get better results, Denise adds.
What you’ll need: A small pair of hand weights (or even soup cans!)—about 3 to 5 pounds is a great place to start. If you’re a beginner or recovering from an injury, consider doing these moves using just your body weight at first. As you build strength and start to notice fat loss around your midsection, you can gradually work your way up to heavier weights.
Standing crunch
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a weight in each hand at shoulder height
- Engage the core and lift your right knee toward the chest as you bring elbows down in front of you, crunching through your abs
- Return to starting position, then repeat on your left side, controlling your movements throughout
- Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, resting in between, for a total of one minute
Ab and torso trimmer
- Stand holding a weight in each hand
- Slowly bring weight to your right side while bringing your right knee up at the same time
- Then move your right leg to the back while slowly moving the weight to your left side, shifting your body weight to your left leg
- Keep the hand weight at eye level
- Repeat all reps on one side, then switch
- Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, resting in between, for a total of one minute
Ab cross crunch
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a weight with both hands at chest height
- Engage the core and lift your right knee across your body as you twist your torso to bring the weight toward your knee
- Return to standing position, then repeat on the left side
- Keep the movement controlled and focus on using your oblique muscle groups with each twist
- Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, resting in between, for a total of one minute
Standing side crunch
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a weight in your right hand above your head
- Keep your core engaged and your back tall as you slowly bring your right knee up while you lower your right arm to your raised knee
- Return to center, then repeat
- Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, resting in between, for a total of one minute
Standing side bend
- Stand with your feet together, holding a weight in both hands above your head
- Keep your core engaged and your back tall as you slowly lean to the side, focusing on the side of the waistline
- Return to center, then repeat on the other side
- Continue alternating with control
- Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, resting in between, for a total of one minute
Criss-cross
- Lie down, pull your knees into your chest and pull your chin forward
- Rest your head in your hands
- Lift your upper body (head, neck and shoulders) off the floor
- Extend your left leg out while twisting your left elbow toward your right knee
- Return to center and switch, extending your right leg out and twisting with your right elbow toward your left knee
- Alternate legs 12 times total (six on each side) and complete two sets
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
