Accelerate Belly Fat Loss In Your 50s With This HIIT Workout, Trainer Says

Plain and simple, belly fat is detrimental to your overall health. This kind of fat, known as visceral fat, can create serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, dementia, cardiac disease, cancer, and even early mortality. You're not alone when it comes to belly fat, because over half of all Americans in the entire country have to deal with it (via AARP). The bad news is that as you age, your metabolism slows down, making the process of losing this excess fat longer. The good news? Exercising regularly can help your body burn calories, and we're here to help with a HIIT workout that will accelerate belly fat loss in your 50s.

Aside from not liking the way clothes fit on your body, the way to determine whether you have what's considered bad belly fat is by pulling out a tape measure. If you are a woman and your waist measures over 34.5 inches, or a man and your waist measures over 40 inches, you need to start this workout ASAP.

The one and only route to a healthy, fit belly is as follows: You need to be eating a healthy diet while in a calorie deficit, strength training regularly, and getting in your cardio. Although the advice sounds pretty simple, it's not very easy to make happen, especially if you are in your 50s and beyond. The reason for this is that many people in that age bracket tend to become more sedentary due to increased life demands, and also metabolism slows down due to losing muscle mass and hormones dropping (such as testosterone, estrogen, and growth hormone).

One great way to increase your calorie burn, elevate your metabolism, and help you accelerate belly fat loss is to include a HIIT workout as part of your routine. If you're not sure where to begin, we have you covered with the best workout below. You can do it with a pair of dumbbells and a band. Perform 3 to 4 sets of the following exercises back to back with 15 to 20 seconds of rest in between. And next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

trainer doing goblet squat exercise to accelerate belly fat loss — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Begin this exercise by holding one dumbbell in a vertical fashion in front of your chest. Keep your core tight, push your hips back, and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive through your heels and hips to stand back up, flexing your quads and glutes to finish. Complete 3 to 4 sets, 45 seconds per set.

Incline Pushups

trainer doing incline pushup — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Place your palms shoulder-width apart on an exercise bench or elevated surface. Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed, and lower yourself under control until your chest touches the pad. Drive through your palms to come back up, flexing your triceps and chest to finish. Complete 3 to 4 sets, 45 seconds per set.

While you're coming down and back up, make sure your neck stays straight, your chest reaches the pad before your chin, and your elbows are at 45 degrees. If incline pushups are too easy, you can perform full pushups on the ground instead.

Band Rows

Take your resistance band, and wrap it around a sturdy surface, such as a beam or a pole. Grip the band, and take a couple of steps back to get some tension on it. Keep your core tight, and drive your elbows back, squeezing your shoulder blades together to finish. Straighten your arms fully to get the full stretch before performing another rep. Complete 3 to 4 sets, 45 seconds per set.

Alternating Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

dunbbell reverse lunges — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Begin this movement with a dumbbell in each hand, and take a long stride backward with one leg. Firmly plant your heel down, then lower yourself until your back knee touches the ground. Push through with your front leg to come back up, then repeat with the other side. Complete 3 to 4 sets, 45 seconds per set.

If performing lunges with weights is too challenging, you can try doing them with just your body weight and coming down as low as you can.

Band Reverse Fly

Wrap your resistance band around a stable beam/bar. Keep your arms completely straight, and pull them back towards you, flexing the back of your shoulders at the end of the movement. Complete 3 to 4 sets, 45 seconds per set.