Being active is even more crucial when you reach a certain age, and it is one of the most important factors to consider in your life. Muscle mass and bone density decrease as you age, while the likelihood of developing various diseases including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and lower back pain increases hence the need to exercise. Regular exercise improves bone density, and joint/muscle pain and prevents the illnesses associated with visceral fat such as diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases. Below are some of the best exercises that can assist you in losing belly fat besides slowing down the aging process. Let’s get started!

5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat and Slow Aging

Here are five workouts that you need to incorporate into your routine to help shed belly fat and slow the aging process. Make use of them and harness their benefits into your everyday activities.

1. Dumbbell Goblet Squat

• Instructions: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp a dumbbell in both hands at arm’s length in front of your body with your palms facing your body. Bend your stomach muscles, tilt your buttocks backward and lower yourself until your thighs touch the floor. Finally, push back up through your heels to return to the standing position and squeeze your glutes and quads.
• Repetitions: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

2. Barbell Romanian Deadlift

• Instructions: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp a barbell in front of your abdominal area. Bending your knees slightly, while keeping your chest up, lower the barbell down your thighs. If you feel the stretch on your hamstrings, then pull your hips forward and contract your buttocks to come back to the initial position.
• Repetitions: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

3. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

• Instructions: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie on an inclined bench. With your hands, grab the weights while your arms are stretched out to the sides and above your head. Lower the weights towards your chest pulling your shoulder blades back. Push the weights back up, engaging your upper chest and triceps muscles at the peak of the move.
• Repetitions: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

4. Cable Row

• Instructions: Stand behind a seated row machine and hold the attachment. While standing on the footpad, pull the handle towards your body with your chest level. Move your elbows down and back keeping them in line with your hips, using your back and lat muscles. Hold this position for a few seconds before moving on to the next rep, using your arms and shoulder blades.
• Repetitions: 3 rounds of 10-12 repetitions.

5. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

• Instructions: Take a dumbbell in each hand and step one of your feet backward to assume a wide stance. Bend your knees and lower your body until your back knee touches the floor. Step back to the starting position and push with the front leg and do the same with the opposite leg.
• Repetitions: Three approaches of ten repetitions for each leg.

Start practicing these five exercises, and prepare both physically and mentally to welcome new changes in your lifestyle that will help you burn belly fat and look young.

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According to the University of Sydney, a pre-clinical study found that a high-protein diet changes the gut microbiota, an event that causes an immune response. This study contributes to the comprehension of how diet affects the gut and immune system. Intestinal bacteria exposed to high concentrations of luminal succinate suffer cellular stress which activates the production of ROS. This stress helps in vesicle formation and enhances the levels of bacterial extracellular vesicles.

Associate Professor Laurence Macia from the University’s Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health said: “Our research is looking at how gut microbiota the billions of bacteria living in our gut influences the immune system. Our long-term aim is to look at how bacteria can be manipulated for the benefit of health and we do know that food is one of the simplest ways to change the bacteria .”

Traditionally, researchers believed that dietary fiber benefits the digestive system of the human body. However, the team from the Charles Perkins Centre utilized computational modeling for the first time in this study published in Nature Communications to explain the impact of 10 diets containing different proportions of protein lipids and carbohydrates on mice. They found that increased protein consumption altered the nature and function of the microbiota.

Mice fed with a high protein diet had increased bacterial extracellular vesicles which contain bacterial information such as DNA and proteins. This activity was seen by the body as a threat and led to the recruitment of immune cells into the gut wall. “We are beginning to understand the relation between diet, gut health and immunity, especially on the protein that influences the gut microbiota,” said Associate Professor Macia.

Although this research is seemingly applicable to humans, the researchers observe that immune system stimulation can be beneficial as well as detrimental. The lead author and post-doctoral researcher Jian Tan said, “There could be enhanced protection against such pathogens as salmonella through increased antibodies in the gut, but an activated immune system would also mean a higher vulnerability to conditions like colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease, or autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease.”

The study therefore brings to a realization of the implications of modern diets, with western countries experiencing reduced incidences of gastrointestinal infections but increased prevalence of chronic diseases. This advancement in knowledge would not have been possible other than by the interdisciplinary approach for which the Charles Perkins Centre is well known. The study adopted the principles of the geometric framework for nutrition introduced by Professors Stephen Simpson and David Raubenheimer.

Responding to questions from Professor Simpson, the Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre said, “Nutritional geometry can be used to map foods, meals, diets or dietary patterns according to their nutrient profile which helps researchers to notice other patterns in relation between some diets, health and disease.”

According to Associate Professor Macia, this concept can be implemented in immunology by the Charles Perkins Centre and he said, “The future possibilities are thrilling.”

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Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the most important ways to boost your metabolism. To learn more about this, we created a guide of “5 Worst Breakfast Habits Slowing Your Metabolism – Eat This Not That.”

Do Not Skip your Breakfast

Breakfast insufficiency has been shown to disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which is known to hurt metabolism and overall health. If you’re finding a quick breakfast, “eggs, whole grain toast, and milk or oatmeal with nuts, seeds, and nut butter paired with Greek yogurt to start the day.” Start with a high-fiber carbohydrate and protein in the morning, then add small meals and snacks throughout the day to keep the fire burning.”

Do Not Start your Day with Added Sugar

Taking an excessive amount of added sugar in the morning will raise blood sugar and then cause falls. Added sugar, particularly in the form of sugary drinks, has also been shown to slow metabolism. It was discovered that participants who were considered overweight and drank a lot of sugary beverages had a lower metabolism. Start by including protein, healthy carbs, and good fat in your meals, such as this omelet with greens and tomato, or avocado for healthy fat on a slice of whole grain toast.”

Eating Carbohydrates 

Even starting your day with only carbohydrates of any kind can cause a blood sugar spike. While your body requires carbohydrates for energy, eating them alone can cause your blood sugar to spike, causing it to drop later and setting you up for an energy crash. Instead of eating only carbs, balance your breakfast with protein. Consuming protein helps you feel fuller quicker and remain fuller longer after a meal. Adding protein can thus help fire up that metabolic process.”

Eat Heavy Breakfast

Many people believe they should eat something light for breakfast and save their calories for the rest of the day. But the truth is something else. Eating larger meals in the morning will help you succeed the rest of the day. Starting your day with a high-fiber, protein-rich breakfast, they tend to eat less at night and avoid some of those evening cravings.

Keep yourself Hydrated

Another unhealthy habit many of us have is failing to stay hydrated first thing in the morning. Because your body requires water to function at the cellular level, dehydration causes your metabolism to slow. Make sure to drink something with your breakfast, whether it’s water, coffee, tea, or juice. Drinking a glass of water must be your first priority in the morning to avoid dehydration.

According to experts, many of the fairly innocuous breakfast habits you engage in regularly may be hindering your metabolism. So, consider our guide and start avoiding these unhealthy habits to fire up your metabolism.

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