There are many belly fat exercises you can do to shed that stubborn weight. Some of them require you to venture outside or head to the gym, while some can be performed in the comfort of your home. Some of the best exercises for belly fat include high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cardio exercises like running and cycling.
Certified Personal Trainer TJ Mentus says, “Cardio and aerobic exercise are great for improving your overall health — especially heart health — and burn calories both during and after the workout. So it is good for weight loss overall. But I would also say whether they help lose belly fat specifically depends on a person’s genetic predisposition to hold fat in certain places. No activity can guarantee that belly fat would be the first to go or the main area of weight loss.” Thus, if you’re wondering how to lose belly fat with exercise, add an appropriate combination of strength training and cardio to your fitness routine, but manage your expectation accordingly.
Exercise and diet affect each of our bodies differently. Besides our body type and metabolism, several other factors might be at play. For instance, our body’s circadian rhythm! The results from a study that aimed to show how the timing of exercise sessions impacts weight loss across a 10-month period found that there is a significant difference between training in the morning than in the afternoon or at night time. Check out the following graph.
The Gradual Effects Of Exercising On Body Weight Across 10 Months
Some of the best exercises to lose belly fat include bodyweight workouts like push-ups and squats, as well as using resistance bands or weights. Although these exercises can play a major role, it’s crucial to pay attention to other aspects of your life for the best outcomes. While there’s no one sustainable answer to how to lose belly fat fast, a rigorous exercise regime and a healthy diet can surely help.
*Warm up for 10 minutes before starting these belly fat reducing exercises. After your muscles are warmed up, take a 10-second break and start with the following exercises:
1. Lying Leg Raises
Image: Youtube
Some of the best exercises to reduce belly fat include the bicycle crunch, Russian twist, and leg raises.
Target – Lower abs, upper abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How To Do
- Lie down on a mat. Place your thumbs under your hips, palms flat on the floor. Lift your feet off the floor a little, look up at the ceiling, and engage your core. This is the starting position.
- Raise both your legs to 90 degrees and slowly bring them back down.
- Right before touching the floor, raise your legs again. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
What Not To Do – Do not place your feet completely on the floor or push your hips up with your hands to lift your legs.
2. Leg In And Out
Image: Youtube
Target – Lower abs, upper abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How To Do
- Sit on a mat. Place your hands behind you, with the palms flat on the mat. Lift your legs off the floor and lean back a little. This is the starting position.
- Tuck both your legs in. Simultaneously, bring your upper body close to your knees.
- Go back to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 20 reps.
What Not To Do – Do not place your hands too wide apart at the back.
3. Scissor Kicks
Image: Youtube
Target – Lower abs, upper abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How To Do
- Lie down on a mat. Place your palms under your hips.
- Lift your head, upper back, and legs off the floor. This is the starting position.
- Lower your left leg. Just before it touches the floor, lift your left leg and lower your right leg.
- Do this 12 times to complete one set. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. Take a 20-second break before moving on to the next exercise
What Not To Do – Do not do this exercise quickly or hold your breath while doing it.
4. Crunches
Image: Youtube
Crunches are the perfect answer to the question, what exercise burns the most belly fat for females.
Target –Lower and upper abs.
How To Do
- Lie down on a mat, flex your knees, and place your feet on the floor.
- Place a thumb at the back of each ear. Hold the back of your head with the rest of the fingers. Lift your head off the floor. This is the starting position.
- Initiate the movement by curling up and trying to reach your knees with your head.
- Go back to the starting position.
- Make sure you inhale while curling up and exhale while going down. Do 2 sets of 12 reps.
What Not To Do – Do not tuck your chin in.
Crunches can put stress on the spine and lead to back pain. These exercises may also cause neck and back strain.
5. Bicycle Crunches
Image: Youtube
Target – Rectus abdominisi , obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How To Do
- Lie down on a mat, flex your knees, and lift your feet off the floor.
- Place a thumb at the back of each ear. Hold the back of your head with the rest of the fingers. Lift your head off the floor. This is the starting position.
- Push your left leg down and extend it straight. Simultaneously, curl up and twist to your right. Try to touch your left elbow with your right knee.
- Curl back down and bring your left leg back to the flexed position.
- Do the same with the other leg. Do 2 sets of 12 reps. Take a 10-second break before doing the next exercise.
What Not To Do – Do not hasten to complete the sets, and do not tuck your chin in.
6. Half Seated Reverse Crunch
Image: Youtube
Target – Lower abs, upper abs, and glutes.
How To Do
- Sit on a mat, flex your knees, and place your feet flat on the floor. Lean back and support your body on your elbows. This is the starting position.
- Lift both your legs off the floor and bring your knees almost close to your nose.
- Slowly, bring your legs down to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
What Not To Do – Do not scrunch your shoulders or curve your lower back too much.
7. Sit-ups
Image: Youtube
Target – Rectus abdominis
How To Do
- Lie on a mat, flex your knees, and place your heels on the mat. Engage your core and place your hands at the back of your head. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor and look at the ceiling. This is the starting position.
- Use your core strength to lift your body off the floor and come to a sitting position.
- Go back down to the starting position slowly. Do 2 sets of 12 reps.
What Not To Do – Do not get confused between sit-ups and crunches. You need to literally sit up and go back down to the starting position to do sit-ups. Do not bring your elbows close while sitting up.
Sit-ups can put more stress on the spinal cord and lead to back pain. Hence, consult your fitness trainer before starting this workout.
8. Heel Touch
Image: Youtube
Target – Obliques and upper abs.
How To Do
- Lie down on a mat. Keep your legs flexed, feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and flat. Keep your hands by your side, chin up, shoulders relaxed, and core engaged.
- Bend sideways and try to touch your right heel with your right hand.
- Bend toward the other side and try to touch your left heel with your left hand.
- Do 20 of these to finish one set. Do 3 sets of 20 reps. Take a 20-second break before moving on to the next exercise.
What Not To Do – Do not place your feet too close to your hips.
9. Jackknife Crunch
Image: Youtube
Target –Lower abs, upper abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How To Do
- Lie down on a mat. Extend your hands over your head. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your back and neck in the same line, lift your upper body using your core strength. Simultaneously, lift both your feet off the floor.
- Try touching your knees with your hands.
- Get back to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 12 reps.
What Not To Do – Do not rest your head on the floor completely between repetitions.
10. Russian Twist
Image: Youtube
If you are searching for what exercise burns the most belly fat right at home, these mean Russian twists are your answer.
Target – Obliques, upper abs, lower abs, and glutes.
How To Do
- Sit on the mat, lift both your legs, keep your knees flexed, and lean back a little. Join your palms to balance your body. This is the starting position.
- Twist your upper body to the left and then to the right.
- You may do 3 sets of 12 reps for best results.
What Not To Do – Do not hold your breath while doing this exercise.
11. Lying Alternate Toe Taps
Target – Rectus abdominis, obliques, and glutes
How To Do
- Lie on the mat and lift both your legs at a 90-degree angle.. Extend your hand up, lift your head and upper back off the floor, and engage your core. This is the starting position.
- Curl up and try to touch your left foot with your right hand.
- Curl back down.
- Curl up again and try to touch your right foot with your left hand. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.
What Not To Do – Don’t worry if you are not able to touch your foot. Try reaching beyond the knee and as close to the foot as possible.
12. Crossbody Mountain Climbers
Image: Youtube
If you’re wondering how to lose belly fat, crossbody mountain climbers are a fantastic exercise to include in your regimen since they target various muscle groups and can raise your heart rate.
Target – Rectus abdominis, shoulders, core, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How To Do
- Get into a push-up position. Make sure your elbows are directly below your shoulders. Keep your neck, back, and hips in a straight line. Do not pike up and curve down. This is the starting position.
- Lift your right foot off the floor, flex your knee and bring it close to the right side of your chest.
- Place the right foot back to its starting position. Now, lift your left foot off the floor, flex your knee and bring it close to the left side of your chest.
- Speed up and do it as if you are running! Do 2 sets of 25 reps. Take a 20-second break before doing the next exercise.
- You can wear a resistance band on your ankles for advanced resistance training.
What Not To Do – Do not place your palms too far away from your body, and do not droop your neck or lower back.
13. Burpees
Image: Youtube
Target – Full body workout that also targets your abs.
How To Do
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and place your hands on the floor. Let’s call this the “frog” position for clarity.
- Jump and push both your legs back and get into a plank or push-up position.
- Hop and get back to the “frog” position.
- Jump vertically and extend your hands above your head.
- Land softly on the floor.
- Get into the frog position again, then go back to the plank position. Do 3 sets of 8 reps. Take a 10-second break between the sets. Also, take a 20-second break before moving on to the next exercise.
What Not To Do – Do not set unachievable goals. Burpees are tough to do. The number of burpees you do does not matter. What matters is how many you do while maintaining correct posture.
14. Plank
Image: Shutterstock
While there is no research suggesting that plank alone helps reduce belly fat, most people believe it to be one of the best workouts – as the plank primarily targets your core muscles.
Target – Rectus abdominis, core, shoulders, biceps, and glutes.
How To Do
- Kneel down on a mat.
- Place your elbows on the mat.
- Extend your right leg back, then your left leg.
- Keep your neck, back, and hips in the same line. Keep your core engaged.
- Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds. Do 3 sets of 30-60 seconds hold.
What Not To Do – Do not place your palms far away from your shoulders. Do not droop your lower back or pike it up.
15. Side Plank
Image: Shutterstock
Target – Abs and core, shoulders, biceps, and glutes.
How To Do
- Get into a side half-lying pose on your right. Place your left foot across the right foot and on the floor.
- Place your elbow right below your shoulder and your left hand on your waist.
- Lift your pelvis off the floor. Your back should be in line with your neck and head.
- To make this a little tough, open your left hand wide.
- Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds. Keep breathing.
- Lower your body. Take a 10-second break, change sides, and do the same on the other side. One set of this exercise is enough for beginners. You may increase the time and sets as you progress.
What Not To Do – Do not droop your pelvis.
These are some of the effective exercises for reducing belly fat at home. However, these also may cause certain adverse effects. Being informed about them is important. Scroll down to know more.
Potential Side Effects Of Exercises That Target Belly Fat
Here are some potential side effects of exercises targeting belly fat:
- Injuries
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Muscle strain
- Joint pain
- Shoulder pain