Best equipment exercises to lose belly fat after 50

Table of Content

• What are the Types of Belly Fat?

• Why Belly Fat is Dangerous?

• How to Reduce Belly Fat?

• 5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat After 50 (For Seniors)

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on Best Equipment Exercises to Lose Belly Fat After 50

Introduction

Fats are the insulators and protectors of the internal organs - especially in the belly area where there are so many vulnerable organs of the body. So, a small amount of belly fat is necessary. But the problem arises when there is a high amount of belly fat as it can result in a series of chronic diseases and negative health conditions. In this article, you will get to know about the harmful effects of belly fat and also the five best exercises you can do to reduce them. 

What are the Types of Belly Fat?

Before going into the health issues caused by belly fat, it's important to understand the types of belly fat. 

So, basically, there are two types of belly fat - subcutaneous belly fat and visceral belly fat. 

Subcutaneous belly fats are the fats that are present under the skin. These are the fats that you can feel while you pinch the belly. Though these fats are theoretically harmless, they can cause obesity, which can cause several health issues.  

Unlike subcutaneous fats, visceral fats surround internal organs like the liver, kidney and pancreas. This is commonly called 'harmful' belly fat due to the various side effects caused by it. These fats can cause insulin resistance, diabetes, blood pressure and heart diseases. 

Why Belly Fat is Dangerous?

Too much of any fat type can be dangerous to your health but belly fat or visceral fat is more dangerous as it can cause a series of health issues like, 

• Heart diseases 

• Stroke 

• Alzheimer's disease

• Type 2 diabetes

• High cholesterol

• High Blood Pressure 

• Causes of Belly Fat 

Before knowing the best exercises for a flabby tummy, know the causes of belly fat. Some of the common causes of belly fat are, 

Poor Diet

Diet is the major cause of belly fat - mostly due to sugary drinks and low-fibre foods. Low-fibre foods can lead to fewer satiety levels, thereby causing overeating and binge eating. Eating high quantities of both sugar and fats can cause belly fat. 

Lack of Exercise 

Lack of exercise makes it impossible for your body to shed excess fats. This is why most sedentary workers have large amounts of belly fat. 

Heavy Drinking

 Alcohol drinks have high calorific value and drinking them too much would result in a high-fat deposition in your body. This in turn can cause high amounts of fat near the abdomen. 

Stress 

Chronic stress for a long time can cause the abdominal muscles to protrude and deposit fats. These are due to the effects of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. 

Genetics

This might seem surprising but genes too can contribute to your belly fat! In some people, excess fats get stored in the belly rather than adipose tissues. This in turn can cause high abdomen fats. 

Smoking 

Researchers point out that smoking affects fat distribution around the body, which makes lots of fat deposits around the hip and belly areas. Though smoking is often blamed for belly fat, the evidence of these results is not yet conclusive. 

Lack of Sleep

If food is for your body, sleep is for your mind. Having less sleep makes you restless and tired, which can make you consume mindless calories. Having high calories, especially empty calories can put on belly fat quickly. 

How to Reduce Belly Fat?

Here are some of the steps you can take to reduce belly fat:

Clean Diet

Having lots of fibre and protein along with reduced fats and sugars would help you in bringing down belly fat. Fruits and vegetables are the best choices of foods when it comes to reducing belly fat. 

Reduced Alcohol

Since alcohols are high-calorie drinks, avoiding them would help you in burning excess calories. Reducing alcoholic drinks will help you in using up extra fats and thus bring down belly fat. 

Regular Exercises

Having a regular exercise schedule can help you in shedding both visceral and subcutaneous fat. If you don't have enough time to exercise, you can inculcate exercise in your daily activities - like taking stairs instead of lifts and cycling instead of driving a car. 

Sun Exposure

The wavelength of sunlight can play a great role in our weight and fat loss goals. This is due to these wavelengths breaking down the fat particles and releasing them out of the cell, thereby reducing belly fat. 

Reducing Stress

Stress hormones play a major role in increasing fat deposition around the belly area. So, reduce your stress by following regular medication and stress management methods.  

Quitting Nicotine

Since smoking affects the fat distribution in the body and causes excess deposits near the abdomen, it is better to give up smoking habits. 

Good Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep is very much required to maintain the ideal body weight as sleep hormones play a major role in metabolising the body's nutrients. So, sleeping for at least 8 hours would help you in reducing belly fat. 

How Less Belly Fat Benefits Your Health?

Having normal belly fat would benefit you in so many ways. It would keep your health and reduce inflammation in your body, which in turn reduces ageing and increases longevity. 

5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat After 50 (For Seniors)

Here are the five best exercises to lose belly fat after 50:

Elliptical Trainers 

Since elliptical trainers work both on the upper and lower sides of the body, they are effective calorie burners. The elliptical nature of this exercise stretches your abdominal muscles and makes you shed pounds around the waist. We recommend doing at least 20 minutes of elliptical training for losing belly fat. 

Ski Machine 

The ski machine is yet another piece of equipment that gives you a full-body workout while reducing stomach fat. You need at least 30 minutes of ski machine exercises to lose your tummy. fat. 

Rowing Machine 

The rowing machine is a great cardio workout which works on at least 85% of your body's muscles. These workouts will work out your upper body along with the leg and abdominal muscles which helps you in reducing body fat quickly. 

Treadmill

Treadmills are highly popular due to their customization feature of workouts according to your fitness level. Treadmills are usually for their ability to improve cardiac health but recent observations have shown that they are great at burning belly fat too. Regular treadmills will make sure that you lose your belly fat and help you in realising your fitness goals. 

Stationary Bike

A stationary bike is an old yet popular form of exercise to reduce belly fat. Unlike the others, they don't work up the upper body but just stretch the muscles in the lower body. Combining these exercises with a low-calorie diet helps you in reducing your belly fat. 

Take-Home Points

• Belly fat is of two types - subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. 

• Subcutaneous fat is more harmful than visceral fat as they surround the internal organs. 

• Changing lifestyle habits and food habits can help you in reducing belly fat. 

• Some of the best equipment exercises for tummy fat are elliptical trainers, rowing machines, stationary bikes, ski machines, and treadmills. 

FAQ on Best Equipment Exercises to Lose Belly Fat After 50

1. Which gym equipment is best for belly fat?

Ans. Ellipticals are the best fat-burning equipment for reducing belly fat since you work your muscle a lot more than any other equipment-based exercise.  

2. What machine burns the most stomach fat?

Ans. Along with ellipticals, you can also use rowing machines for burning stomach fat. 

3. Which exercise is the best for losing belly fat?

Ans. Some of the best exercises for losing belly fat is Walking, especially at a quick pace.Running.Biking.Rowing.Swimming.Cycling.

4. How can I tone my stomach at the gym?

Ans. Half get-ups, Planks, Hanging leg lifts,  Knee tucks with sliders, Ab wheel rollouts, Cable crunches, Heavy compound movements and Dead bugs are some of the best moves to tone your stomach without using any equipment. 

5. Is there any mechanism to reduce belly fat?

Ans. Following a clean diet, including more fibres and following a regular exercise routine is the secret to reducing belly fat. 

6. What exercise is the biggest fat burner?

Ans. Without using any equipment, running is the best exercise to burn fat. 

7. How do I get rid of stubborn belly fat?

Ans. Increasing the frequency of exercises, increasing the intensity and following the calorie deficient diet are the secrets to reducing stubborn belly fat. 

8. Do planks burn belly fat?

Ans. Yes! Planks are highly effective in burning belly fat. 

9. How do you get rid of saggy belly fat?

Ans. Losing the overall belly fat will help you in healthily reduce the saggy belly fat.

References

• Belly Fat in Older Adults Linked to Cognitive Impairment

• The influence of physical activity on abdominal fat: A systematic review of the literature