How To Lose Belly Fat For Seniors

Belly fat includes visceral fat, which are dangerous deep abdominal fat deposits surrounding your internal organs. Belly fat produces metabolic waste products and raises your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Monounsaturated fatty acids can prevent and reduce belly fat, according to research at Spain's Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía published in the March 2007 "Journal of Diabetes Care." Because of their increased risk of obesity and heart problems, losing abdominal fat and maintaining physical activity play a crucial role in maintaining seniors' health and independence.

Step 1

Reduce empty calories. These include sweetened beverages, processed snack foods and alcohol. Alcohol contributes to belly fat. Processed foods such as refined grains and high-sugar foods can cause blood sugar spikes and make you hungry, which can lead to overeating.

Step 2

Eat whole foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts in moderation, poultry, fish, lean meats and low-fat dairy. Read food labels and choose foods with more fiber, such as brown rice instead of white rice, whole grain bread instead of white bread and old-fashioned oatmeal instead of quick-cooking varieties. Whole foods promote regularity and curb your appetite.

Step 3

Switch to good fats. Eat a small amount of a food or oil rich in monounsaturated fat at each meal. For example, eat 1/4 of an avocado with breakfast and olive oil on your salad at lunch and have two squares of dark chocolate after dinner. Reduce saturated fat and trans fats to help reduce visceral fat.

Step 4

Get moving. Perform aerobic exercise most days of the week. Taking a brisk walk, exercising in a pool, using a treadmill or taking an aerobic class suited to your fitness level will help you lose belly fat. Start with any amount of exercise you can perform comfortably and gradually increase your time with a goal of reaching 60 minutes a day, the American Council on Exercise advises.

Step 5

Get stronger. Perform strengthening exercises 20 minutes at least twice a week to improve your exercise endurance and elevate your metabolism. The more efficient your metabolism becomes at burning calories, the sooner you'll lose belly fat. Use free weights, resistance bands or body weight exercises to condition your muscles. Perform squats to strengthen the muscles you use to sit down and rise from a seated position. Perform pushups, or modified pushups from a kneeling position, to build your upper body strength.

Step 6

Learn yoga, qigong or tai chi. These practices improve flexibility and balance and reduce stress -- and reducing stress can help to reduce belly fat and help you to maintain healthy eating habits. Learn yoga, qigong or tai chi from a qualified instructor, or use a DVD so you can replay moves to learn them correctly.

Tips and Warnings

Strengthening exercises help to reduce age-related muscle loss and the risk of losing lean tissue from dieting and exercise. Maintaining muscle helps seniors have active, independent lives. Age-related muscle loss can interfere with daily life. Muscle strength contributes to exercise endurance and your ability to perform daily activities. Limit fat intake to 30 percent of your daily calories and use primarily heart-healthy fats. For example, use guacamole or olive oil on bread instead of mayonnaise, butter or margarine. Use olive-oil based salad dressings instead of creamy dressings.
Weight loss may not be safe for some seniors. Consult your doctor about weight loss and exercise. Ask specific questions about changes in diet and activity if you're on any medications.