I can remember looking in the mirror around age 41 and seeing the belly fat. I tried to accept this as the new me, the middle-aged, over 40, size 16 woman that I didn’t recognize. I wasn’t ready to take the challenge of losing belly fat after 40…yet. Was it even possible at this point in my life?
Belly fat is often one of the first gains for women over 40 and often the hardest to get rid of. It is not a change after 40 that we have to accept.
We are often fooled into thinking losing belly fat after 40 is solely based on diet. That’s where so many women get it wrong and end up getting discouraged enough to just give up. Don’t give up! You can lose belly fat after 40 with the right plan.
When you spend a few minutes a day on this popular plank challenge that uses plank variations, you will feel the plank benefits from day one. Not only will you be able to burn belly fat, you will get results of an overall body muscle toning that increase your metabolism to burn fat everywhere.
When I first started on my weight loss journey, I thought to have a healthy body weight was about cutting back on calories and eating vegetables. Well, it took a little while, but I learned that was really not the case. Yes, you probably need to cut calories and most people need to eat more vegetables, but there is much more to losing weight, especially for women over 40.
For women over 40, muscles you easily had 20 years ago no longer exist unless you have been active in sports or exercising. Did you know your metabolism has a lot to do with your muscle tone? I’m not talking about bodybuilding muscles, but just firm everyday strong muscles.
Everyday strong muscles would be having enough muscle mass to do everyday tasks without increased injuries. How far you go with toning and building muscle is up to you. You may find you love the results so much you keep pushing yourself until you have a body and energy that you never thought you could have!
Losing Belly Fat After 40
Losing belly fat after 40 is so much more than just doing some crunches and dieting. Yes, you can tone some ab muscles with crunches, but there are so many other options that you can do to change things up a bit.
A quick note on nutrition for getting rid of belly fat…it’s true that you will never out exercise a bad diet. Your commitment must be inside and out. It’s vital to put good stuff inside your body as you work outside. Make sure to stop by the nutrition page to brush up on some easy ways to improve your nutrition.
Doing this 30-day plank challenge is one of the easiest and quickest workouts to lose fat, tone muscles and lose weight.
Reducing Cortisol Levels Through Shorter Workouts & More Rest Days
I know, shorter workouts and more rest days sound counter-intuitive to losing fat after 40. What if I also told you to make sure you’re eating enough calories?
All of these can contribute to increased cortisol levels which in turn increases fat storage. As women over 40, our bodies react to increased stress with more cortisol, which is perfect for belly fat cells to multiply and stick around.
Workouts are getting shorter, with fewer days of high-intensity style training due to the effects of stress on our body’s hormones.
So, instead of exercising for an hour 6 days a week, research is proving 30 min or less 4-5 days a week is the perfect combination for losing belly fat after 40.
In addition to fewer days, it’s best to keep your heart rate 50-60% of your maximum heart rate for the majority of your workouts. Strength training with a little cardio can be a good balance. Adding in a day or two a week of HIIT training is a good idea also.
I remember when a trainer told me I was over-training – I thought he was crazy. Didn’t he realize how hard women over 40 have to work to combat the middle-age weight gain? I tried his advice…and indeed he was right. My body was hanging onto those fat layers due to over-training. (When he told me this I was doing over 10 workouts a week.)
Easily Lose Belly Fat After 40 with this Popular Plank Challenge
If awards were given out for exercises, I would give planks the ultimate blue ribbon. Plank workouts can work almost every muscle in your body to a toned perfection. I love a good plank workout to keep my core toned, shoulders, arms, lift the mom butt and strengthen back muscles.
If you aren’t familiar with planks, you definitely have to take a look at how to do a proper plank.
The really awesome thing about this 30-day plank challenge is it provides benefits for ANY fitness level. With plank variations, including time and positions, it truly is an exercise for anyone.
Often I hear one of the biggest obstacles for women in the Fit Found Me Weight Loss Challenge is not having time for workouts. This 30-day workout will take less than a minute on day one, yet I’m betting your muscles will be sore from it on day 2.
Plank exercises are great for helping to create a habit of daily workouts. Additional plank benefits can be seen and felt within a few weeks. Consistency when losing belly fat and toning muscles is the key to success. Anyone has a few seconds to start this plank challenge!
Go ahead, go start to win the battle of losing belly fat after 40!
When you are ready for a new challenge, be sure to check out 30 Day Walking for Weight Loss Challenge, the 30 Day Fitness Challenge, or even the HIIT Treadmill for Beginners Workout, both are great additional workouts to boost fat burn.
