You don’t have to give into mother nature. You can keep your waistline as you enter into peri-menopause or menopause. Four important factors are:

  1. Choose the right foods including plenty of lean proteins (lean meats, fish, poultry, non-fat dairy, legumes and other plant proteins), 5-9 servings of a variety of colorful veggies and fruits, and include 2-3 servings of whole grains daily such as steel-cut oats, stone ground corn, whole wheat, brown rice and quinoa. Skip the refined starches and sugars that hide in so many processed and fast foods, baked goods and sweetened beverages.
  2. Drink plenty of water, eat 5-6 mini meals to avoid getting over hungry and giving into cravings.
  3. Get 7-9 hours of restful sleep and finds ways other than snacking to manage stress.
  4. Include strength training 2 or more times per week along with your regular cardio work-outs. See the two exercise below that target your abdominal and other core muscles.

Plank on the Ball

    

  1. Start on knees with
  2. forearms on the ball
  3. Extend one leg back
  4. Extend other legs back, engaging drawing in maneuver
  5. Flatten back and pull belly button in (see picture 2)
  6. Hold for 20 seconds
  7. Return to starting position and repeat 2-4 times

 

One you master the plank on the ball, you can add small circle rotations on the ball using your forearms to bring in the oblique muscles.

For more information and ideas consult with a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer that specializes in women’s health.