Best Exercises to Reduce Menopause Belly

The Best Exercises for Menopause Belly

After menopause, estrogen levels decrease, slowing your metabolism and making weight management more challenging, especially around the abdomen. And belly fat is not just a cosmetic change; a study has linked it to increased health risks, such as cardiovascular disease.

Doing regular exercise can help you offset these effects. You can do hypopressives and some other activities to tone your abdomen and reduce belly fat.

Let's see how some exercises can help you maintain a healthy body and combat menopause belly.

1. Do Hypopressives

As a form of non-intensive workout, hypopressive, or Low Pressure Fitness (LPF), works well in reducing menopause belly. Unlike traditional ab exercises like crunches, which can often push more pressure into the pelvic area, hypopressives focus on reducing intra-abdominal pressure.

The technique involves breathing into your rib cage rather than the belly, which pushes the diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles to engage deeply. This not only strengthens your core but also draws your organs upwards, relieving pressure into the pelvis. The technique has been shown to reduce the waistline and create a flatter, more toned appearance.

If you practice regularly, hypopressives can strengthen your inner abdominal muscles (like the transverse abdominis), which acts as a natural corset, giving you more spinal support and better posture.

Since this exercise massages your internal organs gently, it can also reduce bloating, improve digestion, and relieve issues like heartburn and constipation. Plus, it improves vagal tone and stress response, so you can enjoy a more balanced physical and mental state during your menopause.

2. Cardio Workouts

Cardiovascular exercise is another fantastic way to combat menopause. Some workout that you can do daily are:

1. Walking
2. Swimming
3. Running
4. Cycling

Cardio helps burn calories, boosts your metabolism, and reduces the accumulation of belly fat. You will feel better because it also manages your stress levels.

If possible, be consistent with your cardio workout routine. Consistency makes your body respond better to fighting hormonal changes.

3. Strength Training

If you are working with any pelvic floor dysfunction like prolapse or incontinence, it is important to get symptoms under control first.

Once you do, you can start to include strength training, besides hypopressives, to manage menopause belly. It helps build muscle mass, which in turn speeds up your metabolism and promotes fat-burning.

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass, which can make it harder to burn fat. Incorporating weight-bearing exercises, like squats, lunges, planks, and dumbbell rows, into your workout routine can help reverse this trend. Using resistance bands, body weight, or light weights can all be effective.

Strength training focuses on your core and lower body, and can be done at home or in the gym. It also helps prevent osteoporosis, which becomes a concern during menopause.

4. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combines short bursts of intense activity with periods of rest or moderate activity. These exercises can ramp up calorie burn and help reduce fat, especially around the abdomen.

HIIT can be adjusted to suit your fitness level. For beginners, this might mean short bursts of walking or cycling mixed with gentle recovery periods. More advanced practitioners might incorporate sprints or heavy lifting.