I'm happily plodding on down the pounds.
Some days I actually believe the smaller labels on my clothes.
I walk for the pure joy of it.
So I'm getting fitter and healthier , and I'm reducing all round
BUT
I'm still as badly proportioned as before, with a huge apple belly, the bit above the notional 'waist'. Yes, I'm smaller all round but proportionally, I still have this big apple. Bra size 38C, fixed waistband UK18, stretchy waistband UK 14-16, T-shirt or sweater or ,especially, blouse with buttons ~ UK22. If I'm lucky.

So: can anyone give me some advice on apple squashing exercises I can do at home? (Gyms are expensive, and not near enough to be something I'd keep up to.)
I am not supple (yet) and I have high blood pressure.

Is there a good DVD that might help? How about bellydancing? I've always fancied that but is it hard to do without a real person to help?

All advice appreciated.
Ta.

I love the title.

I'm not an apple, so take it for what it's worth. However, my understanding is that you can not spot reduce and this includes the belly. The fat comes off where it wants. I think most apples lose belly fat last, unfortunately. I bet it's the first place the fat started to deposit and therefore could well be the last place it comes off.

That said...squats are awesome for building muscle in the legs, which may at least eventually help to even your proportion out. Walking up and down stairs is wonderful. I set my timer and walk up and down 3 minutes, then do 20 squats, then 3:00 minutes of a wall sit. I repeat this for three sets. It's killer! And no gym is necessary.

Ab work of course is a good one. I do abs in hopes that once this flab is gone my ab muscles will be there waiting for me. Hasn't happened yet, but I keep plugging. Planks are awesome for the core in general. Google planks for a picture of how to do it. Increase the time you can hold a planks position. Front leg lifts are also killer for the abs, at least for me. I like to do basic crunches, and then pulse at the top of a crunch and then do bicycle crunches.

For arms and chest nothing beats push ups. You can start out on your knees or even the wall if knees is too difficult.

Some people will tell you, "once an apple always an apple."

This may be true for some people unfortunately, but not everyone. Your goal is 135 and by the time you get there everything may well even out or at least seem less obvious if not still 'there'.

I am an apple when I am bigger, like now! LOL, but once I get down to 265 even, that 22 lbs? It most likely will come from my belly. I don't know why, it is the first place I gain but also the first place I lose, (which I am grateful for, don't' get me wrong) but my boobs are huge, and they are the last place I lose which is annoying. I guess we all have a 'trouble spot'

Also, I agree there is no such thing as 'spot' fat reduction, you will lose from where your body wants to lose from, but you can always work on toning your belly, spark (if you are on there) has some videos and such of exercise things.

Yes, it's toning I'm after. I made 136 in 2004 and was exactly the same proportions, so I thought I'd try toning in advance.

Bellydancing is lots of fun! But not necessarily great for flattening the pooch unless you get really advanced at it. I've seen a lot of great belly dancers WITH a pooch. And a little extra padding on the hips and behind. What you do in bellydancing is learn how to USE it. A lot of what they teach you in bellydancing is called "isolation" -- how to flex just one muscle at a time. So if you do it you will learn to feel your upper and lower abdominal muscles. You probably can learn some simple bellydancing from a DVD, if you have a mirror, and it's good with explanations. I just had some group lessons when I was in college and we didn't get that much individual attention from the instructor.

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is the only video I have; I don't use it all the time, only when I can't go to the gym, and it's pretty good. It has a few ab exercises, and they're almost all the ones that are considered actually "effective", as in actually working the ab muscles --different kinds of sit ups and leg lifts. You can also find those exercises here: 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises.