Tackling Menopause Belly Fat with Exercise: A Guide to Strength Training, Workouts and daily Movement

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Wouldn't life be simpler if losing weight was actually a calorie-in/calories-out math equation? But in reality, eating less and exercising more does not guarantee you lose belly fat. And as you get older, it can create the opposite and cause you to increase in weight and inches instead. So, let's get this figured out. In menopause, your body needs supported hormones and strategic exercising to burn fat faster without burning you out.

STOP DOING SO MUCH CARDIO

A few decades ago, cardio was all the rage. Women couldn't get enough of it and thought this was the magic pill to weight loss. We now have the research to prove this is not true, and excessive cardio is not beneficial for women at any age. But in menopause, you for sure do not need more cardio. 

Let's also clear up the confusion around cardiovascular disease and cardio exercise. Doing one doesn't negate the other. The cause of cardiovascular disease is visceral belly fat and other genetic & lifestyle factors. Cardio exercise does not address these issues and can backfire by causing an increase in your cortisol levels. Over-exercising creates a vicious cycle. High cortisol will steal muscle, disrupt hormone levels, and purposely trigger your body to store fat around your middle as a protective measure. 

Over-exercising and cutting calories is a stress for your body. When your body is under stress, it will spike your cortisol levels. Say hello to the dreaded middle-age spread.

BEST EXERCISES FOR WOMEN IN MENOPAUSE

Two exercises to focus on over the age of 40 will positively impact your waistline, hormones, and overall health: strength training and High-Intensity Interval Training. 

Strength training will give you the most bang for your buck and is the best place to start. Training with weights is the only exercise that is going to help you reduce belly fat. Strength training helps increase muscle and rev your metabolism to burn fat faster. When you train to build muscle, you can decrease your risk of bone and muscle loss and limit your chance of falls and fractures later in life.

You don't need to strength train every single day. Research has shown us that less is better with this exercise as well. What matters in weight training is the heaviness of your lifting weight and the number of reps. 

LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS

The key is to lift heavy weights. You know how heavy you must lift when your last three repetitions are hard. When you strength train, tearing down muscle fibers so they can build back up stronger is essential. After that, the magic is in the recovery. In menopause or midlife, you want to wait a couple of days between each weight-training workout. The best practice is to wait 72 hours, but you can also try an every-other-day routine. 

Have you done the math? That's only two days a week, with two days of recovery in between! You want to start with a well-rounded, safe beginner-level workout. Do not jump into an advanced workout if you've never done weight training. Getting injured just as you begin is a real downer. 

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR THE WIN!

Not only can you reduce the risk of injury while you are slimming your waistline, but you also are improving your blood sugar. Strength training is the best exercise anyone with insulin resistance, prediabetes, or diabetes can do. Strength training creates balanced cortisol levels and supports better sleep.

As we age, we lose muscle, which starts to cause more fat storage. Less muscle=more fat. 

NEXT BEST BELLY FAT EXERCISE

Increasing muscle helps release belly fat; your next best exercise is High-Intensity Interval Training. HIIT doesn't mean high-impact. You don't need to be jumping and jarring your body to get a good HIIT workout. The key is to get breathless while working out; exercise in short bursts with quick rest points. Sometimes old ways can creep back in, and you think HIIT needs to be a longer workout. WRONG! Getting breathless is the real needle-mover for fat burn and cardiovascular health. The recommendation for women over 40 is to rack up at least 40 minutes total in HIIT weekly. 

WHERE DOES WALKING FIT IN?

Have you noticed that you get less movement into your day now that you have fewer toddlers and preschoolers to keep up with? Leading a more sedentary life is part of the reason you experience increased belly fat. You don't need to move as much, so you don't. After the age of 40, your estrogen levels begin to drop. Since estrogen is an energy-producing hormone, you might notice you have less energy, and so you move less.

Walking is the perfect antidote to low energy and a fabulous way to get in daily movement. When you get out and walk, you will see results in your weight, waist size, mood, sleeping, and energy levels. Studies show that NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), which is everyday movement, is 15% of weight loss. If your exercise is about 5-8%, then daily walking is a little more critical in overall fat loss. And there are no limits on how much or how often you walk! 

What an exciting time we live in to have new research coming our way so we can quit wasting time and energy on exercise that doesn't work. Grab a piece of paper right now and plan out your week of exercise & movement. Your goal is strength training twice weekly with two days of walking and HIIT in between. Start slow and work to get strong.