How to Exercise to Lose Belly Fat During Menopause
If you're going through menopause and wondering why your tummy feels or looks different, you’re not alone.
Many women I work with share they feel frustrated about their changing bodies because they may be eating and exercising the same or they have been trying harder to lose weight.
In this blog, we will discuss the factors causing fat to shift toward the abdominal area and the best way to exercise to target belly fat.
Why Does Belly Fat Increase in Menopause?
Estrogen has an important role in fat distribution and when estrogen levels wane, it impacts functions that have helped keep fat away from the abdomen area and oxidise fat (burn fat)¹.
In fact, the ability to burn fat drops by 32% in post-menopausal women¹.
In addition, loss in estrogen impacts metabolism²: women lose muscle, become more resistant to insulin and have more inflammation, which adds fuel to fire.
That’s why doing the right type of training is so important at this stage of life.
With exercise, not only are we able to target belly fat, we are able to stimulate change to reverse the effects of ageing and mitigate risk of developing chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The Best Type of Exercise to Reduce Belly Fat in Menopause
The goal is to lose belly fat but the bigger goal is to keep it off.
The key is to maintain or build muscle so that the body keeps burning calories.
Let’s look at how to best exercise to lose abdominal fat, build muscle and keep it off long term.
Pre-menopausal women: lift weights & do cardio
Premenopausal women can build muscle and lose fat even at moderate intensities as the body is still responsive to exercise stimulus.
My tip is to delve in high intensities as this will be important during the menopausal transition.
Note: you will have room to do a bit of all intensities with the right exercise program (a mix of low, moderate and high intensity) but be aware that more is not always better because during this phase, recovery is important to allow for the body to adapt.
That means you need a balanced program.
Let’s look at an example.
Research-backed protocol:⁹:
3x/week, 1 hour per session
30 minutes of strength training followed by 30 minutes aerobic training (moderate to high intensity)
5 strength exercises focusing on global movements e.g. squats, chest press, lunges, deadlifts, lat pull downs or rows
3 sets, 10 reps progressing to heavier 8 reps at 60-75% difficulty
Post menopausal women: lift heavy to stimulate muscle growth
For postmenopausal women, intensity becomes crucial to stimulate growth in muscle⁴.
Research-backed protocol⁵:
2x/week, 30–40 minutes per session
5 exercises per session: e.g., deadlift, squat, press, jump, chin-up
3–5 sets, 5–8 reps at 80–85% difficulty
⚠️ This type of training should be supervised by an experienced professional, especially if you are new to lifting.
Note: this doesn’t mean post-menopausal women should avoid cardio.
Cardio has tremendous benefits for heart health, metabolism but remember to add this into the program with care.
What Doesn’t Work as Well?
❌ Light weights or long walks alone:
Helpful for mood and joint health but not enough stimulus to reverse fat redistribution or muscle loss.
❌ Excessive exercise or low-calorie dieting:
Can worsen hormonal imbalance and inflammation. Recovery matters even more in menopause.
❌ Spot-reduction ab workouts:
Unfortunately, crunches won't shrink belly fat. Fat loss is systemic, not local.
Your Action Plan for Belly Fat Loss After 45
Goal: Build muscle and improve aerobic health
Method: Lift heavier weights at least 2x/week & incorporate aerobic training (low-moderate most days of the week) OR HIIT at least 1x/week
Eat for strength: Aim for protein in every meal, whole foods, fibre-rich veggies
✨ Think about what you can ADD to your diet and make room for better food choices rather than restrict.
Go by the 80/20 rule, 80% of the time eat well and 20% of the time have fun.
Recover well: Prioritise sleep, eat well, follow an exercise plan, reduce stress, and spread out intense sessions.
We’re Here to Help
At our women’s only exercise clinic, we guide women through safe, research-backed training specifically tailored for your individual health journey.
We offer:
Pre- and post-menopausal exercise programs
Strength training and high-intensity workouts
Beginner pathways if you’re brand new
A full personalised program
👉 [Join our waitlist today] or [get in touch to learn more]
We look forward to supporting you!
Want To Know More About Exercise For Menopause?
Explore our in-depth article:
[Menopause Exercise Program: The Best Approach→]
References
Patni, R., & Mahajan, A. (2018). The Metabolic Syndrome and Menopause. Journal of mid-life health, 9(3), 111–112.
Khalafi, M., et al. (2023). The effects of exercise training on body composition in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1183765.
Isenmann, E., Kaluza, D., Havers, T., Elbeshausen, A., Geisler, S., Hofmann, K., Flenker, U., Diel, P., & Gavanda, S. (2023). Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause - A 20-week control trial. BMC women's health, 23(1), 526.
McTiernan, A., et al. (2003). Effect of exercise on total and intra-abdominal body fat in postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 289(3), 323–330.
Schmitz, K. H., Hannan, P. J., Stovitz, S. D., Bryan, C. J., Warren, M., & Jensen, M. D. (2007). Strength training and adiposity in premenopausal women: strong, healthy, and empowered study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 86(3), 566–572.
Hunter, G. R., Brock, D. W., Byrne, N. M., Chandler-Laney, P. C., Del Corral, P., & Gower, B. A. (2010). Exercise training prevents regain of visceral fat for 1 year following weight loss. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 18(4), 690–695.
Aneis, Y. M., El Refaye, G. E., Taha, M. M., Aldhahi, M. I., & Elsisi, H. F. (2023). Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training with Caloric Restriction Reduces Insulin Resistance in Obese Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Medicina, 59(7), 1193.
