Squidgy middle!

[tappitytaptap]

Hi all
I'm 38 years old, 2 DC and a reasonably demanding/stressful job. I already run 4-5 times a week (half marathon training at the moment) but would very much like to tone the area around my stomach/bum/thighs, it's quite squishy and because I'm slim with a slightly squishy belly someone asked me if I was pregnant the other week! What would work for toning - I bought weights but not sure what specific exercises are good for this 'zone', and that I can fit in easily around all of the above?

Thanks!!

For both areas you can find lots of short videos on youtube eg Madfit, Caroline Girvan - anything from 5 min to 30 min depending on what you have time for. You can choose with or without weights.

Pilates and barre are also brilliant for core and glutes but I would always recommend starting these with a good in person teacher rather than a video at home, so depends if you have time for that.

Well done on the running! I’m the opposite, have decent muscle tone but get horribly out of breath running…

Brilliant thanks @minipie I will look at the videos! I'd love a barre class as I dance too but just don't have the time to fit it in.

London Fitness Guy on instagram posts a lot of dumbell exercises.

I've recently been doing hip thrusts (you can do these with a dumbell) and my abs have turned to rock! I think that's because I am not engaging my glutes enough though! So I think you need to work both glutes and core.

I second Caroline Girvan - her dumbbell workouts are brilliant. Start with EPIC Beginners and then look at some of her programs and choose one that appeals to you.

To specifically strengthen your core - which will stand you in good stead - I'd suggest the following:

Bowflex 3-minute plank (which I do most days)
Caroline Girvan's Braced Abs and Core
Rebecca Louise's Best Abs.

Caroline has several excellent stand-alone workouts for legs and glutes, but I'd also highly recommend Lucy Wyndham Read's Thighs & Glutes.

All free on YouTube.

Could you possibly have diastisis recti? If so, there are specific exercises for that.

Following! Xxx

With me, losing 3/4 a stone does it.

I know a lot about this as a postpartum fitness specialist and there is a lot you can do to target this area through learning breathing strategies to manage core pressure and strengthen the deep core muscles using the breathing technique called the connection breath and hypopressives.

Mmm yes if you think you might have diastasis rectii then you need to be very careful as some core exercises can make it worse. If you tense your abs can you feel a vertical gap between them at all, above/below your belly button?