How to lose this BELLY without doing situps?

Pollywog39

My trouble spot, like a lot of women of my vintage, is my tummy! I know I could wear a much smaller size, but this danged gut just gets in the way!

My measurements are approx 40/35/39.................If I could just lose more of that belly (and I have lost about 3 inches so far , I'd be able to wear smaller clothes! Most of the time, I'm trying to fit clothes to my tummy, and my pants sag around the hips and thighs.

What to do? I am almost 57 years old, don't relish the idea of sit-ups, and do a lot of walking at this stage. Are there other exercises for the stomach that DON'T involve getting on the floor?

BeesKnees181

Plank.. try it. A great ab work out!

Acg67

easy, a consistent caloric deficit as you cannot spot reduce

Shanahan09

Sadly, there are no exercises that spot reduce fat...It comes off where and when it wants to. But, you can build up your stomach muscles with certain workouts. My stomach is the last to go, so know how you feel. :ohwell:

servilia

easy, a consistent caloric deficit as you cannot spot reduce

This. You have to lose the fat and you can't control where you're gonna lose that from. But at some point you should lose from your waist So keep up your work on here and be patient.

daves160

Like Agc67 said, you can't target fat. Oh how I wish I could. You just keep burning it off all over and the stubborn places will go last.

deathstarclock

easy, a consistent caloric deficit as you cannot spot reduce

Quoting for truth. Try to burn as many calories you can in a day, and not eat as much. Like, be as active as possible. The "fat burning zone" is a myth.

CharityEaton

do standing ab exercises...like the straight leg soldier march while raising the opposite arm. Do lots of squats to build bigger leg muscles...the more muscle you have the more body fat you will burn. Gotta do cardio to burn the body fat too. Stand in a squat position with 3-5 lb hand weights in each hand and twist your torso from side to side hold everything tight, squeeze your abs while you do it. I promise you will see a difference after doing that one regularly. Or just get an exercise ball and do crunches and sit-ups on that instead of getting all the way down on the floor but like everyone said, you can't just target that area you gotta cut cals. do cardio and work that area to see max results! Good Luck!

Gay11nell

I totally agree with all the above posts.

But I do see faster results with Jilliam Michaels 30day shred + 20mins of extra cardio. While my gut is not a six pack, the measurements in inches are noticeable.

If You really ate situps like I do try Zumba or Shaun T's hip hop abs - neither of these is just an ab workout, REAL CARDIO!

MsCNicholleD

You definitely need to step up your cardio routine. Walking is not going to get you what you want unless you're walking at a moderately high speed at a constant incline. You should try the stationary or recumbent bike or the elliptical. And you always need to make sure to end the day with a negative calorie balance. If you end with a positive balance or remain isocaloric each day, you're not going to see results.

If you don't want to get on the floor, you can use an abdominal isolation machine at the gym. All you do is sit down and lean forward at a weight-resistance level that is comfortable for you. Doing this immediately after your cardio routine and it will help to enhance the amount of calories burned during your set. Also, higher intensity cardio will help you to continue to burn calories even after you've finished your routine. This is what you want to try to accomplish most of all. The amount of calories burned during a cardio exercise pale in comparison to the amount you will burn at rest if you opt for higher intensity. You will increase your overall resting metabolic rate which will make a huge difference in the rate at which your reach your goals.

ninerbuff

Plank.. try it. A great ab work out!

That's on the floor. Probably should have read all the way through.

Pollywog39

Good suggestions, all!

I've been on this venture about 3 months, and have lost approx 12 lbs, and 3 inches from my waist - mostly just with walking, at this point. I come from a very sedentary beginning, so seeing this kind of progress is really amazing to me!

Am tracking and logging foods, and have been under calorie goal more often than not........so it's working! Of course, like anyone else, I want it to be faster But it took me 5 decades to get here - I truly don't expect it to change overnight, and want to establish goals and habits for the rest of my life!

You guys rock......thanks :blushing: :blushing:

Cassycat

Spot reduction is in-fact a myth! When one burns fat, its burned over the entire body. So if you burn off a pound of fat during a week, it would be reduced all over, instead of just one area (tummy, thighs, etc..) It sucks!

However! Combining diet and abdominal exercise, you'll see a better result in your midsection sooner, as you're building lean muscle which shows through the skin surrounded by the fat you'd be losing. As you lose more weight, your stomach will become more defined, even though you're losing weight all over. So keep on the weight-loss trail, and add in some planks, or even 30 day shred, it does wonders!

TeaBea

Look for "standing crunches"
http://www.ehow.com/how_4450629_perform-standing-ab-exercises.html
http://www.ehow.com/video_4465972_do-standing-abdominal-exercises.html

I like a "walking" workout that incorporates standing ab work (this is more low impact aerobics than walking) .....Ellen Barrett's Flat Belly Workout: Walk Off Belly Fat is fun

Another video (more standing ab ideas) Kathy Smith Tummy Trimmers; it has 4 - 10 workouts. Standing abs and stability ball are my favorites. The stability ball is great for building stronger abs.

psuLemon

You definitely need to step up your cardio routine. Walking is not going to get you what you want unless you're walking at a moderately high speed at a constant incline. You should try the stationary or recumbent bike or the elliptical. And you always need to make sure to end the day with a negative calorie balance. If you end with a positive balance or remain isocaloric each day, you're not going to see results.

If you don't want to get on the floor, you can use an abdominal isolation machine at the gym. All you do is sit down and lean forward at a weight-resistance level that is comfortable for you. Doing this immediately after your cardio routine and it will help to enhance the amount of calories burned during your set. Also, higher intensity cardio will help you to continue to burn calories even after you've finished your routine. This is what you want to try to accomplish most of all. The amount of calories burned during a cardio exercise pale in comparison to the amount you will burn at rest if you opt for higher intensity. You will increase your overall resting metabolic rate which will make a huge difference in the rate at which your reach your goals.

You actually dont' need to do cardio to burn a lot of body fat. In fact, tons of cardio generally reduces muscle size due to the large deficits created by cardio exercise. If you want to increase your metabolism, you need to increase muscle mass, plain and simple. In fact, I have seen several people (my friends) who don't even do cardio but have six packs. Cardio helps with cardio vascular health, the ability to push blood throughout your body, but muscle creation is what helps burn fat. Now, I will agree that HIIT like you suggest is really good because it provides both muscle growth potential and cardio improvements but while you are trying to build muscle, you can't have a large caloric deficit.

OP, there are tons of core exercise that increase muscle mass. I will say, i do enjoy Hip Hop Abs. It works the entire core region and no sit ups are required.

kmbrooks15

Or just get an exercise ball and do crunches and sit-ups on that instead of getting all the way down on the floor but like everyone said, you can't just target that area you gotta cut cals. do cardio and work that area to see max results! Good Luck!

This^^^^

You can't spot reduce the fat, but you don't want to neglect that area either. When the fat does finally start coming off in that area, you want to have already been targeting that area so that you've strengthened the muscles there (that helps prevent back problems, too). You work out the other areas of your body so that when the fat starts to reduce, you're left with strong, toned-up muscles. You want the same in the abdominal area.

I do my crunches on an exercise ball. I started that because of having had back surgery, and the doctor told me to do crunches on a ball to support my back (form is important--don't curl your chin into your chest). I've actually found that doing them on the ball really targets the lower abs better than doing them on the floor. If you use the treadmill or elliptical, let go and don't hold on with your hands. You will be forced to balance, which works the core muscles. Concentrate on pulling in your ab muscles when you're just sitting around or walking. You could also try just sitting up really straight on an exercise ball. You have to balance, which also works those muscles. You could do that while just watching TV.

bloodguilt

My trouble spot, like a lot of women of my vintage, is my tummy! I know I could wear a much smaller size, but this danged gut just gets in the way!

My measurements are approx 40/35/39.................If I could just lose more of that belly (and I have lost about 3 inches so far , I'd be able to wear smaller clothes! Most of the time, I'm trying to fit clothes to my tummy, and my pants sag around the hips and thighs.

What to do? I am almost 57 years old, don't relish the idea of sit-ups, and do a lot of walking at this stage. Are there other exercises for the stomach that DON'T involve getting on the floor?

I agree with Acg67. Spot reduce is a century-old-myth!

ktfitzgerald

I read somewhere that taking fish oil would help (along with diet) to reduce belly fat. I've been taking it for about 8 months now and believe it has helped...plus it has lots of other great benefits. It may be just mental, but even so it seems to be helping. Just a thought.... Good luck.

dad106

You definitely need to step up your cardio routine. Walking is not going to get you what you want unless you're walking at a moderately high speed at a constant incline. You should try the stationary or recumbent bike or the elliptical. And you always need to make sure to end the day with a negative calorie balance. If you end with a positive balance or remain isocaloric each day, you're not going to see results.

If you don't want to get on the floor, you can use an abdominal isolation machine at the gym. All you do is sit down and lean forward at a weight-resistance level that is comfortable for you. Doing this immediately after your cardio routine and it will help to enhance the amount of calories burned during your set. Also, higher intensity cardio will help you to continue to burn calories even after you've finished your routine. This is what you want to try to accomplish most of all. The amount of calories burned during a cardio exercise pale in comparison to the amount you will burn at rest if you opt for higher intensity. You will increase your overall resting metabolic rate which will make a huge difference in the rate at which your reach your goals.

Can you please post a study/where you got your info?

I've been walking for over 11 months here on a treadmill doing varying workouts some high speed, some low, some high incline and some not and my stomach is flat.. So I'm kind of wondering why you say walking won't help. Plus I hardly ever end my day with a negative calorie balance and it's been working ok for losing weight/flat stomach.. so again, wondering why your saying this.

To Op:
Calorie deficit, cardio and some weights will help you lose that stomach if the body decides thats what it wants to do... if it doesn't, then your kinda stuck.

JennW130

do standing ab exercises...like the straight leg soldier march while raising the opposite arm. Do lots of squats to build bigger leg muscles...the more muscle you have the more body fat you will burn. Gotta do cardio to burn the body fat too. Stand in a squat position with 3-5 lb hand weights in each hand and twist your torso from side to side hold everything tight, squeeze your abs while you do it. I promise you will see a difference after doing that one regularly. Or just get an exercise ball and do crunches and sit-ups on that instead of getting all the way down on the floor but like everyone said, you can't just target that area you gotta cut cals. do cardio and work that area to see max results! Good Luck!

the standing ab exercises is what i was going to suggest as well.

gashinshotan

Just lose the fat.... the only time I've ever had defined abs was when I was really cut from running all the time - never did ab exercises either...