Toning my stomach?

[Adollop]

I'm overweight, could probably lose 2 stone, aged 54, so finding it difficult to shift the weight. For various health reasons I can't run or even walk far and I'm struggling with my go to low carb diet.

I'd like to tone up my stomach though, not too bothered about the rest tbh, but since being menopausal my stomach is very round from below my boobs. What are the best exercises for a beginner to tone this area?

I didn't see the deleted message so no idea what that was.

Urgh me too! Can you swim?

You can’t tone your stomach. Everyone has abs and if you can’t see them, it’s cos they’re hidden under a layer of fat.

Most women need body fat of so low that they are unlikely to ever have abs.

Your best bet is to do heavy weights and general better eating to lose weight. You cannot lose weight from specific areas.

Shirleyphallus speaks the truth. I wish she was a liar though.

So there's no exercises I can do to tone up the area?

You can target certain muscle groups, and toning up generally is a good thing in itself.

You cannot however spot reduce, and if you are carrying excess fat, then results of targeting certain muscle groups will still be hidden under the fat.

But exercise is good in itself, so yes add more.

Before making suggestions though, what are the reasons you cannot walk/run? Because those same issues might contraindicate other types of exercise.

(And also, without wanting to be too alarmist, have you checked the symptoms of ovarian cancer? Some body changes are normal at the time of menopause, but bloating might warrant investigation)

I have a prolapse and have been told not to run. I also get a lot of pain when I walk a lot, so I do walk, but not too far or too fast.

I've had a scan recently for other reasons, but no ovarian cancer seen.

Lift heavy weights. ie squats, deadlifts. Get a personal trainer at a gym with free weights to show you how. This will tone up your whole body.

Exercise and calorie deficit to lose fat basically.

There's no such thing as 'toning up'. You can lift weights and build muscle which is then revealed when you lose fat, but if there's no muscle to reveal you'll just be a smaller version of your current physique.

I'd start by working out your maintenance calories (find an online calculator) then start with some cardio you can do without pain.

Strengthening your core is always a good thing so Google some core exercises rather than just abs, the core is the whole midsection. Then maybe start with some bodyweight exercises and go from there.

I would've said compounds like squats and deadlifts too but maybe not with a prolapse.

Try yoga with Adrienne which is free on utube. She has a ton of options, many of which are aimed at specific areas like your core

I was going to suggest yoga too. Yoga, swimming and intermittent fasting?

Yoga - I found with yoga though I didnt lose much weight everywhere is less wobbly and feels tighter

Ok, yoga sounds good. Any particular routine I should follow on YouTube, suitable for a beginner?

Pp has mentioned Yoga with Adrienne. It's free and there's loads of options to choose from such as morning yoga, yoga for core, quick yoga, yoga for tired legs etc.

Pilates is fantastic. I've not noticed a huge difference in appearance (although a dress that didn't fit now does) but I think if I did it twice a week or more, I would. Make sure you tell any instructor about your health problems though.

I agree with most replies here, in that lifting weight (either body or iron!) will help you form muscle, and that cardio and a good diet (definitely less refined sugar) will reduce body fat. In my body type anyway, this is what I need to start to see form, or “tone”.

I don’t think it’s a helpful statement to say most women won’t have abs though. Most women CAN have abs if they want them. My obliques and the top 4 of my six- pack are well defined. The bottom two are there in very good lighting . My body fat percentage is around 16% and my body type is quite muscular/ athletic (definitely not skinny), with any “extra fat” tending towards my bum/ thighs. As most people have said, defined abs are something that come with a good eating and fitness regime and I don’t think you can target them specifically.

Oh, and yes to yoga! I subscribe to YogaGlo. It is a little pricier (definitely more so than free on YouTube!) but it has thousands of classes/ programmes, including Pilates, and I like how you can set schedules and search for specific things (e.g. “lower back” or “core strengthening).

If you’re happy to spend a bit you could look at Restore Your Core - could be helpful for prolapse issues

Sadly the only way you can have a flat stomach is to lose most of your body fat.

What concerns me if I don't build muscles in this area is that with weight loss my skin may not keep up with this - I'm hoping doing core exercises might reduce excess skin?