The best belly fat exercises: Add these to your fitness routine

Losing belly fat is more complicated than exercise alone but working out can’t be overlooked when you want to trim the waistline. Studies reveal exercise helps banish the bulge and get rid of that belly fat or visceral fat. The training program should be moderate to vigorous in intensity and ideally incorporate aerobic and strength training exercises for the best results. Read on for the best belly fat exercises to add to your workout routine.

Why belly fat is harmful

Visceral fat doesn’t just push out against the abdominal wall and hide your abs underneath; studies concluded that visceral fat makes problematic inflammatory proteins called cytokines. More visceral fat means more cytokines, more inflammation, and an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions. 

The diet and belly fat connection

Several factors play a role in body fat composition and, specifically, body fat around the abdominal area, including diet, stress, and hormones. What you eat is one of the most pivotal factors affecting the amount of visceral fat you have on your body and around your belly. Researchers have highlighted how consuming processed foods and excess sugar and fructose can increase visceral fat and the risk of obesity. Lowering your sugar intake, staying hydrated, and drinking plenty of water is important to keep your metabolism functioning optimally. Try not to overindulge and focus on healthy foods that fill you up, such as fiber-rich vegetables.

The best belly fat exercises

The best belly fat exercises allow room for progression and target your major core muscles, including your abs and obliques. Many of these exercises also target other major muscle groups in your upper and lower body for a more well-rounded workout. Try these belly fat-busting exercises at home.

Burpee 

A burpee is a full-body calisthenics exercise that essentially involves doing a pushup before leaping up in the air. Burpees might be challenging with a funny-sounding name, but they’re also an effective way to boost your cardio fitness and burn calories while building strength and endurance. Burpees work your back, arms, chest, legs, and glutes. You can perform burpees as part of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program, which has been proven effective for burning body fat, particularly in the stomach area. 

How to do a burpee:

1. Start in a squat position with your feet about shoulders-distance apart.
2. Place your hands on the floor in front of you, just inside your feet.
3. Lean your weight onto your hands and kick your feet back behind you so you’re in the pushup position, resting your weight on your hands and toes.
4. Try to keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
5. Perform one pushup before frog kicking or jumping your feet back into the squat starting position.
6. Jump to stand while reaching your arms up overhead.
7. When you land softly with your knees bent, get back down into the squat position, and you can begin another rep.

The goal is to perfect your form and get your heart rate up while completing multiple reps at a steady or brisk pace. Shoot for three sets of 10 burpees and rest for one minute between sets.

Cross-body mountain climber

The cross-body mountain climber works your whole body, emphasizing your core. The mountain climber is aptly named because the movement resembles the motion of climbing a mountain and scaling steep mountainsides. Bringing your knee across your body at the top of the movement is an excellent way to target your lower abdominal muscles.

How to do the cross-body mountain climber:

1. Start in the straight plank position with your hands stacked under your shoulders.
2. Brace your core and bring your right knee in toward your left elbow to ‘rotate’ your knee at the top of the movement.
3. Kick your right knee back behind you to return to the plank position.
4. Now, bring your left knee in toward your right elbow.
5. Kick your left knee back behind you to return to the plank position.
6. Repeat the movement, alternating your legs and accelerating your speed.

Try to perform cross-body mountain climbers for one minute straight before resting. Aim for four rounds of one-minute bursts, resting for 30 seconds in between rounds.

Side plank 

From the traditional plank to the incline plank and the side plank, all plank variations are worthwhile exercises if you’re aiming to trim belly fat. The side plank is a static bodyweight exercise that targets your core and your oblique muscles running along the sides of your core. A side plank involves balancing on one foot and arm while keeping your body in a straight line.

How to do a side plank:

1. Start lying on your side with your feet stacked on top of each other and your legs straight. Your right elbow should be under your right shoulder, your forearm should be out in front of you, and your hand should be balled into a fist.
2. Brace your core and lift your hips up off the floor so you’re supporting your weight with your right forearm and the side of your right foot anchored on the ground.
3. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Hold this position for between 15 to 60 seconds.
5. Release the side plank position and gently lower your hips to the floor.
6. Repeat on your left side.

Aim for three sets of 30 seconds on each side. You can advance when you’re ready.

Weighted Russian twist 

You perform a weighted Russian twist while sitting on the floor and holding a dumbbell, weight plate, or medicine ball between both hands at your center. Rotating your torso while holding the weight hits your abs, obliques, rectus abdominis, hip flexors, latissimus dorsi, and more. You’ll also improve your rotational strength and feel a good stretch. Try to make sure you engage your back and abdominal muscles throughout this exercise.

How to do a weighted Russian twist: 

1. Sit on the floor and lift your feet up from the floor with your knees bent. You might want to use a yoga mat or workout mat.
2. Try to keep your spine at a 45-degree angle from the floor and hold the weight at your center. Your torso and thighs should form a V shape. 
3. Lengthen your spine and keep your shoulders rolled back.
4. Keep your core muscles engaged throughout this exercise.
5. Slowly twist your torso toward the right until you feel a good stretch.
6. Turn your head to look over your right shoulder and hold the position. 
7. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Aim for two or three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Box jump

Jumping from the floor onto a box or another elevated surface boosts your explosive power, jumping abilities, and lower body strength. You’ll hit your core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves with this simple, primal movement. If you’re a beginner, you might want to start by practicing box jumps with a lower step or box before moving to a standard plyo box or a sturdy bench.

How to do a box jump:

1. Stand facing the box with your feet hip-width apart and about 6 inches away from the box.
2. Bend your knees, press back into your hips, and move your arms back behind you to help generate jumping power.
3. Press through the balls of your feet to jump straight up into the air while swinging your arms up and forward.
4. You’re trying to get enough jumping power to jump up onto the box.
5. At the peak of your jump, try to make sure you bend your knees and hips to bring yourself forward to land safely with both feet on top of the box.
6. When you land on the box your feet should be about hips-distance apart in the right position. 
7. Carefully step down off the box and repeat for your desired number of reps.

Top tip: Try to lead with the balls of your feet and follow with your heels. 

Try completing four sets of four to six box jumps with at least 90 seconds of resting time in between sets. If you’re a beginner, shoot for two sets of three to five box jumps with at least two minutes of resting time between sets.

Leg raise

The leg raise is a simple but highly effective bodyweight exercise for toning your core and busting belly fat. Your lower abs get a real workout, and you’ll also target muscle groups throughout your body, including your hamstrings, rectus abdominis, hip flexors, and lower back. You can add ankle weights to increase the resistance and lay on a yoga mat if you’d prefer.

How to do a leg raise:

1. Lay on your back with your legs straight and your hands under your hips or down by your sides.
2. Contract your core and slowly raise your legs up together until they’re at a 90-degree angle with the floor. Your knees should be slightly bent. 
3. When your legs reach the top, lift your hips up off the floor and hold the position for a moment.
4. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position until your feet almost touch the floor.
5. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.

Top tip: Focus on slowing the pace and engaging your core rather than speed and reps.

Build up to three sets of 10 to 20 reps of the lying leg raise. If you’re a beginner, try starting with two sets of eight to 12 reps, resting for at least 60 seconds between sets.