How to get a flat tummy at any age — for men and women
If you find it hard to hold back middle-age spread, you’re not alone. Here are the lifestyle, diet and exercise tips that really work.
There’s nothing like warm weather and the prospect of wearing a strappy top or pair of trunks to draw attention to your stomach. For men and women in midlife it can feel as if the tummy you once kept trim without too much effort has gone rogue and acquired an additional roll with every passing year. Sadly, there’s no single cause of middle-age spread or “mummy-pooch”, as it is sometimes referred to by women. It is caused by an increase in visceral fat — the kind that surrounds the organs in the abdominal cavity which tends to increase as we age — and subcutaneous fat, the type below your skin you can pinch, which also increases in midlife.
Fluctuating hormones play a part. In women, declining oestrogen levels during perimenopause can mean a redistribution of fat from hips and thighs to the tummy, while in men a dip in testosterone can be to blame. But other factors that escalate in our forties, from stress and lack of sleep to bloating and a sedentary lifestyle, are also involved — one study found watching television in particular was linked with acquiring more belly fat.
“When clients ask me if they can get a flatter stomach in midlife I say yes, absolutely,” says the celebrity fitness trainer Cornel Chin, who has worked with Leonardo DiCaprio, Colin Firth and the like. “But it takes discipline. The right diet is a priority, you need to tailor your exercise to build and target the right muscles as well as burn fat, and may need to make other lifestyle changes.”
And it’s important that we do. The sight of a spare tyre spilling over a waist is not just a depressing reminder of lost youth, but a big belly puts us at higher risk of conditions such as heart disease and high cholesterol as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Fortunately, there is plenty we can do to counteract an ever-expanding waistband. These lifestyle, diet and exercise tips will help.
Swap white pasta for wholegrains
Reducing carbohydrate intake cuts abdominal fat more effectively than lowering fat consumption — in one 2008 study of 107 people with belly fat, those who followed a low-carbohydrate diet lost 7.9 per cent of their body weight over eight weeks, compared with 6.5 per cent in those who cut their fat consumption.
“Refined carbohydrates such as white pasta cause blood sugar and insulin levels to spike, and the sugar is converted to fat, which is more easily stored around the middle,” says the nutritionist Laura Southern of London Gynaecology.
She adds that those with slower metabolisms are also more likely to store fat around the middle and that once the body becomes accustomed to storing fat in the abdominal area “it becomes the norm”.
However, research suggests unrefined carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread and pasta can reduce your belly — the study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition said those who ate three or more servings of wholegrains a day had 10 per cent less belly fat than those who rarely consumed them.
Increase your fibre uptake
Because foods containing fibre take longer to digest, they can reduce appetite and belly fat — a 2011 study of more than 1,100 people over five years found for every 10g increase in fibre intake, subcutaneous and visceral belly fat gain decreased by 3.7 per cent. “A high-fibre diet supports healthy gut microbiome which is linked to better digestion and less bloating,” Southern says.
Eat oily fish twice a week
Omega-3 fatty acids, the proteins in oily fish, may also be helpful. A 2022 study of 40 people on a weight-loss program found those who took omega-3 supplements over 12 weeks lost more abdominal fat than those who didn’t. “Omega-3s help stabilise blood sugar levels so you feel satiated and support brain health, which in turn supports the digestive system,” says Southern, who recommends eating oily fish twice a week.
Eat zinc and magnesium-rich foods
Healthy eating can boost natural testosterone in men and women, says Dr Elise Dallas, women’s health GP at the London General Practice, who adds that foods containing zinc, found in red meat and poultry, magnesium (green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds) and B vitamins (dairy products and wholegrains) are particularly beneficial.
Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) three times a week
Research is conflicted as to which type of cardiovascular exercise is best for the belly, but one study in the International Journal of Obesity said that 15 weeks of HIIT led to “significantly reduced abdominal fat”. This could mean a circuits class, running up the stairs or sprinting up a hill and walking down it several times — anything that comprises short bursts of energy.
Chin says it is “effective because it’s a multifaceted approach that also builds muscle endurance”. Do HIIT for 20 minutes three times a week but no more, he says. “Your body needs time to recover in between.”
Do crunches and crossover crunches
Abdominal exercises alone won’t reduce overlying fat — “You could do 1,000 crunches a day but you won’t see a six-pack with fat over it,” Chin says — but they will sculpt the muscles underneath, making a belly look tighter after weight loss.
For a defined core you need to work your rectus abdominis muscles, the top layer that run down the front from your ribs to your pubic bone; your external obliques, which extend down your sides from the lower half of the ribs around to the pelvis; and your transverses abdominis, the deeper layer that wraps around your trunk and helps to improve posture.
Chin recommends a standard abdominal crunch for the rectus abdominis: “Lie on your back, knees bent, hands behind your head. Try to get your shoulder blades off the floor entirely to engage the rectus abdominis properly. Do two to three sets of 20 repetitions.”
For the obliques he suggests crossover crunches starting from a standard crunch position: “Raise one elbow to meet the opposite knee. Aim for two to three sets of 20 repetitions on each side.” More will reap results — Chin has a 63-year-old female client with a six-pack: “She does three sets of at least 300 crunches and three two-three minute planks a week.”
Work up to a two-minute plank every day
The transverses abdominis, which can make your tummy look flatter, can be worked with the plank: lying facing the floor lift yourself onto your forearms, elbows below your shoulders.
“Pull your navel towards the spine. Don’t dip your lower back and make sure your buttocks aren’t too high. Continue until your body can’t hold the position any more. The gold standard is two minutes,” says Chin, who adds that the stomach can take a lot of “punishment” and all these abdominal exercises can be done daily.
Try hula-hooping for 12 minutes a day
A 2019 study of 53 people in Obesity Facts revealed that a six-week program of walking combined with 12.8 minutes of hula-hooping with a 1.8kg weighted hoop led to the loss of a “significant amount of abdominal fat” compared with walking.
“The rotating action means you have to engage your core muscles. The key is to work clockwise and anticlockwise,” says Chin. He adds that learning to hula-hoop requires skill, practice and possibly a YouTube tutorial.
Get eight hours of sleep a night
Insomnia increases levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, leading to weight gain, and research suggests this weight is particularly likely to accumulate around the belly. A 2022 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology of people whose sleep was restricted for 21 days versus those who were given nine hours of sleep a night found that changes in total body fat didn’t increase in those who had restricted sleep, but their visceral abdominal fat increased by 11 per cent.
Women are 58 per cent more likely to suffer insomnia than men, partly because of hormone fluctuation, and a 2022 cross-sectional study of 7,270 postmenopausal women found less than five hours of sleep a night was associatedwith an increased risk of abdominal obesity. “Getting your eight hours can help reduce belly fat,” Dallas says. Avoid alcohol, sugary food and screens before bedtime to increase your chances of quality kip.
Cut down on your stress levels
Wonder why your stomach’s the size of a football when you’re on a deadline? Stress releases cortisol, a hormone that not only leads to the storage of visceral fat but puts the body into “fight-or-flight” mode, diverting attention from digestion as a non-essential body function, leading to irritable bowel syndrome-induced bloating.
“Muscle movement slows along the gut walls and the digestive enzymes we secrete stop, which can lead to bloating,” Southern says. Research reveals that cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness training could reduce bloating caused by IBS and Dallas suggests “stress-reduction techniques such as yoga or meditation”.
For men specifically
Limit yourself to one beer a day
Of course, beer bellies affect both genders, but a Gallup poll last year found men are still over twice as likely to frequently drink beer, which typically contains 50 per cent more calories than a glass of wine.
Drinking creates a double whammy of waistline problems, from both the alcohol itself — “Your liver prioritises metabolising alcohol over fat, leading to the storage of excess calories as belly fat,” Dallas explains — and its effect on your diet. “Alcohol can increase appetite, leading to overeating.”
As if that weren’t enough, alcohol consumption has been linked to lower testosterone levels in men. If you still want to drink, spread your consumption — research in the Journal of Nutrition said those who had one drink or less a day had less belly fat than those who drank more but less often.
Lift heavy weights for 20 minutes three times a week
A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found men who strength-trained three days a week for four weeks increased their testosterone levels, while another Harvard University study of 10,500 men over 12 years published in the journal Obesity said that those who added 20 minutes of weight training to their cardio workout were less likely to gain fat around their stomachs as they built muscle mass.
Dallas recommends shorter rest periods between weights sets to “optimise” testosterone response: “Aim for two to four sets per exercise and six to 12 repetitions per set.”
Regardless of gender, more muscle mass means a higher resting metabolism — key to weight loss if most of your day is spent desk-bound. “The weights have to be heavy to trigger hypertrophy — the process during which muscle tears and grows stronger,” Chin says. “Lifting light weights more times won’t work as well.”
Get your testosterone levels tested
If you experience other symptoms of testosterone deficiency, such as fatigue and lack of libido as well as a big belly, you may be prescribed testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in the form of supplement, skin patch, cream or injection. There is some evidence it can help weight loss — in a trial of 82 men in BMC Medicine those who took TRT while on a low-calorie diet lost more fat than those on the diet alone.
For women specifically
Avoid salty snacks
According to the charity Guts UK, bloating affects women more than men (62 versus 41 per cent). This could be because of a greater fluctuation in female hormone levels — oestrogen can lead to fluid retention and progesterone slows bowel motility.
Limit salty snacks — analysis in the journal Nutrition Research showed a sodium intake greater than 2.3g per day was significantly associated with a greater risk of belly fat (NHS guidelines say we should consume no more than 6g).
Switch to rye bread or sourdough
Bread can also be a culprit when it comes to bloating — according to the IBS Network 50 per cent of women claim bread makes them bloated. Yet while many think this is down to gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye, Southern says it may well be because we’re eating ultra-processed supermarket loaves that contain white flour, additives and fast-activating yeast that supports pathogenic bacteria. She suggests good-quality rye and sourdough instead.
Swap the evening glass of wine for a soda water and lime
There may be only 150 calories in a glass of wine, but many of us find it hard to stop at one, so ditching it altogether for a calorie-free soft drink is a worthwhile way to whittle your waist.
A study of men and women aged 25 to 74 published in the European Journal of Nutrition said that more than three drinks a day was “significantly associated with the risk of abdominal obesity”.
Dallas says: “Consistently consuming excess calories from alcohol, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, can lead to weight gain, belly fat and health problems.”
Sprinkle flaxseed on your breakfast for a natural oestrogen boost
While not a silver bullet, oestrogen from HRT may help to prevent fat settling around the middle — a 12-month trial of two groups of women, one taking hormone replacement therapy and one not, revealed that while weight did not change in either group of women, visceral abdominal fat levels increased in those not taking HRT. So too might diet.
Compounds called phytoestrogens contained in nuts and seeds, grains such as oats, vegetables such as broccoli, and, particularly, soya products, “sit on oestrogen receptors to mimic the effects of oestrogen”, Southern says.
One 12-week trial on 74 obese people found that those given soya-based meal replacement formula lost 7kg compared with a loss of 2.9kg for those who tried to lose weight without. “I suggest my clients sprinkle flaxseed on their breakfast, snack on edamame beans and eat plenty of pulses,” Southern says.
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