Ditch the mat! These four standing moves target your core and torch more energy after 60.<\/p>\n
Pilates has a well-earned reputation for building core strength, and there\u2019s nothing wrong with it. If firming up belly overhang is your health goal after 60, spending your exercise time doing only Pilates may not be the most efficient use of your time. While Pilates is excellent for helping build core strength<\/a>, it doesn\u2019t necessarily provide the full body strength required to shed belly fat after 60.<\/p>\n Belly overhang<\/a> is driven by total body fat<\/a>, and studies<\/a> show you can\u2019t spot-reduce it by targeting the muscles underneath. What truly helps you lose weight in a healthy way is to burn more calories throughout the day while building lean muscle mass across your entire body. And instead of relying on heavy weights that take a toll on your joints after 60, standing exercises can help you achieve the same goal.<\/p>\n According to the National Institutes of Health<\/a>, adults lose muscle mass each decade starting around age 30, and that loss speeds up after 60. Since muscle is metabolically active tissue<\/a>, losing it slows your metabolism and makes fat easier to gain and harder to lose. Fortunately, performing standing exercises can help you build strength and maintain muscle that keeps your metabolism humming and burning calories, which contributes to weight loss and a tighter midsection.<\/p>\n \u201cBuilding muscle is particularly important as we age because it helps maintain metabolism and supports long-term weight loss,\u201d says Bickerstaff.<\/p>\n