Today, we will be discussing the Top 10 best exercises to lose belly fat.
When people gain weight, most of the fat they acquired is on the tummy. When it comes to losing weight, everyone wants to get rid of belly fat and wants to get a toned tummy.
When you think of losing belly fat, you start with doing exercise at home or the gym but wait do you know, not all exercises help in losing belly fat? In fact, there are only several exercises when mixed with cardio, strength training, and core workout that will deliver the best result for losing belly fat.
Weight gain can be because of various reasons such as eating junk & high calories food, having long working hours and a sedentary lifestyle, Alcoholism, old age (in old age your muscle mass decreases and fat increases), and genetic factors.
Today’ we will be discussing the best exercise to lose belly fat. One thing to note down is exercise alone can’t do the magic to lose belly fat. You need to make some lifestyle changes to lose your belly fat along with exercise such as a Healthy & Nutritious Diet, Proper sleep & rest, consistency, avoid alcohol & smoking.
Exercise helps in toning your body and increase muscle mass but one it comes to lose weight calorie count is necessary. You must be in a calorie deficit if you want to lose weight fast and the golden rule for losing belly fat is “Eat Fresh & healthy, exercise daily” and you will start noticing changes within a week. Next lets discuss the exercises which will help you in losing your belly fat.
Below are the TOP 10 best exercise & workouts to lose belly fat — h2
1. Burpees
Burpees are the best exercise when it comes to losing belly fat. Burpees are full body exercise which is a combination of cardio and strength training. When you perform burpees multiple muscle groups are involved in it, including your core and they help in burning more calories making it one of the best exercises to lose belly fat.
Since burpees involve your core, chest, shoulders, lats, triceps, and quads it helps in burning belly fat at faster rate. It increases your heart rate and your body burn more calories to come over rest.
How to do burpees to burn belly fat?
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to do burpees to lose belly fat –
- Remember to wear comfortable cloths
- Start with a standing position with your feet and shoulder width apart.
- Now lower your body into a squat position by bending knees and lowering down your hips, try to keep your back straight throughout the process.
- Now place your hands on the floor/yoga mat in front of you, just inside your feet.
- Jump your feet back, landing in a plank position with your arms extended, and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower your chest to the ground in a controlled manner (do not touch the ground), keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Push yourself back up into the plank position, keeping your core engaged.
- Jump your feet forward towards your hands, landing in a squat position.
- Explosively jump straight up into the air, reaching your arms overhead.
- Land softly in the ground and return to the starting position by lowering your arms.
- Repeat the sequence for the desired number of steps from steps 2 to 10.
Burpees are one of the best exercises to strengthen your core, burn more calories, increase your heart pump, and help you to lose belly fat fast. Remember to take rest in between for at least 30 seconds after each set of 15 – 20 repetitions.
2. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers is another dynamic exercise that helps in burning the belly fat. Mountain climber targets your core, shoulder, and legs. It is like performing the cardio challenge.
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to do Mountain climbers to lose belly fat –
- Put your body in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart, forming a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine, avoiding sagging or lifting of the hips.
- Bend your left knee and bring it towards your chest, keeping your foot off the ground.
- Quickly extend your left leg back to the starting position while simultaneously bending your right knee and bringing it towards your chest.
- Continue to alternate between bringing your knees towards your chest in a running or climbing motion, while keeping your hands stationary on the ground.
- Maintain a brisk and controlled pace, keeping your core engaged and your body in a straight line throughout the exercise.
Repeat the above steps for the desired number of sequences according to your fitness level. Remember to take short break after each set.
Increase the intensity and level of exercise slowly.
Best time to do mountain climbers to lose belly fat is in morning empty stomach.
3. Turkish Get-up
The Turkish get-up is an ancient exercise being practiced more than 100 years for losing the belly fat and total body exercise. Please remember that Turkish get-up is not a simple exercise. It is a complex exercise, which requires multiple movements, proper technique, and form.
Turkish get-up targets on various muscle groups, shoulders, core, hips, and legs. It requires excellent stability and coordination.
For beginners start with lightweight or no weight at all. Practice all the movements and develop proper form before adding any weight.
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to do Turkish Get-up to lose belly fat –
- Lay down on your back on the ground with your legs extended and your left arm extended towards the ceiling, holding a kettlebell or a dumbbell in your left hand.
- Now bend your left knee and place your left foot flat on the ground, keeping your heel close to your glutes.
- Press the weight in your left hand towards the ceiling, keeping your arm fully extended and your eyes on the weight.
- Roll onto your right forearm and prop yourself up onto your right hand, keeping your right arm extended to the side.
- Use your right hand and your left leg to lift your torso off the ground, coming into a seated position, while keeping your right arm fully extended overhead.
- From the seated position, drive through your right heel and lift your hips off the ground, coming into a kneeling position with your left knee still bent and your left leg extended to the side.
- Press the weight in your left hand towards the ceiling, keeping your eyes on the weight and maintaining a straight line from your hand to your shoulder.
- Stand up from the kneeling position, keeping the weight overhead and your core engaged, coming into a fully upright position.
- Reverse the movements to lower yourself back down to the starting position, step by step, while keeping the weight overhead and your core engaged.
Note:- As we know, the Turkish Get-up exercise for losing belly fat is a complex exercise, it’s recommended to take guidance from your fitness coach to practice the exercise with proper technique and proper form to avoid injury.
4. Medicine Ball Burpees
Medicine ball burpees is another high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise that increases your heart rate to 80% of your individual maximum heart rate. Medicine ball burpees are very complex, challenging, and effective exercises to reduce or lose the belly fat.
Medicine ball burpees is a combination of cardio & HIIT with the added resistance of a medicine ball.
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to do Medicine Ball Burpees to lose belly fat –
- Stand straight holding the medicine ball in front of you. Make sure you have enough room/space around you to perform the exercise safely.
- Now, lower into a squat position while holding the medicine ball with both hands, keep your back straight and chest up.
- Put the medicine ball on the floor in front of you, keeping your hands on the ball.
- Kick your feet back into a plank position, with your body in a straight line and your hands still on the medicine ball.
- Lower your chest to the ball in a push-up motion, keeping your core engaged and your body in a straight line.
- Push your body back up to plank position, and then jump your feet forward towards the medicine ball, landing in a squat position
- Grab the medicine ball and stand up explosively, lifting the ball above your head with both hands as you fully extend your body.
- Lower the medicine ball back down to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
It is important to start the exercise with lighter weight medicine ball and land softly when jumping of your feet forward and backward. Keep your back straight and engage your core to avoid injuries.
5. Sprawls
Sprawls is a full-body exercise that targets the core, cardiovascular system, and lower body. They are widely used in martial art training, it involves as many muscles and helps us to burn calories and tone our upper and lower body, especially our abs area.
Sprawls is the advancement of the traditional burpee known as burpee on steroids. Sprawls help in losing belly fat and are also used in agility training.
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to do Sprawls to lose belly fat –
- Start with a standing position with your feet hip-width apart, and your arms relaxed on both sides.
- Lower yourself into a squat position, bending at the knees and hips, while keeping your back straight and your chest up.
- Place your hands on the floor in front of you, shoulder-width apart, and jump your feet back to extend your legs behind you, landing in a plank position.
- From the plank position, quickly jump your feet back towards your hands, landing in a low squat position.
- Explosively jump straight up into the air, extending your hips, knees, and ankles, while swinging your arms overhead for momentum.
- Land softly on your feet and immediately lower back into a squat position to repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
- Remember to take rest in between the sets
To prevent injuries, it is important to maintain proper form and position while doing exercise. Always try to land softly on your feet to reduce the impact on your joints, and keep your core engaged, back straight, and chest up.
Doing Sprawls for belly fat loss needs physical ability, so start slowly with a pace your body suits and increase the intensity as your fitness level grows up.
6. Side-to-Side Medicine Ball Slams
Side-to-Side Medicine ball slam exercise targets on various muscle groups. It is a highly explosive, dynamic exercise that involves a medicine ball to slam the medicine ball from one side of your body to another which helps in losing belly fat and body fat fast.
Side-to-Side Medicine ball helps in building upper body strength, stability of the core, and cardiovascular endurance which turn it into great exercise to lose belly fat.
Below is the step-by-step guide on how to do Side-to-Side Medicine Ball Slams to lose belly fat –
- Choosing the right medicine ball – This is the first and most important step before starting the exercise. Select a medicine ball that matches your fitness level and strength. Medicine balls come in various sizes and weights. Choose a medicine ball that you can grip comfortably with your both hands and have enough weight to provide the challenge. Remember, don’t choose too heavy ball as it will imbalance your grip and posture and can result in injury.
- Choose the appropriate area to perform the exercise safely. The area should be with a solid floor such as gym floor or rubberized mat.
- Now Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold the medicine ball with both hands in front of your body at chest height.
- Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and core engaged.
- Slam the ball to one side – Engage your core and forcefully slam the medicine ball to one side of your body, using your arms, shoulders, and core to generate power. Imagine you are trying to throw the ball as hard as you can towards the ground on the side of your body.
- Catch and return the ball — As the ball bounces back up, catch it with both hands and immediately repeat the slam to the opposite side of your body. Continue to alternate sides, slamming the ball with as much power and speed as you can while maintaining proper form.
Perform the desired number of repetitions, in which each set has 10 – 15 slams per side. Wait for few minutes once you complete the desired number of steps and stretch your upper body especially your shoulders, chest, and core.
7. Cardio and Aerobic exercise
Cardio and Aerobic exercises are best to lose the belly fat.
Below is the list of cardio and Aerobic exercises to lose belly fat –
- Brisk Walking, especially at quick pace
- Running
- Rowing
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Group fitness classes.
8. HIIT or Interval Training
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training, HIIT is a cardiovascular exercise, it targets on short-periods of high-intensity exercise and lower-intensity recovery or rest.
HIIT’s are more effective in losing belly fat when compared to traditional steady-state cardio exercise. HIIT increases your heart rate and helps in reducing belly fat and improves your overall physique.
Below is the list of HIIT or Interval Training to lose belly fat –
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Squats
- Deadlift
- Jumping Jack
- Burpees
- Push-ups
- Jump Squats
- High knees
9. Abdominal Exercises
Abdominal exercises help to lose belly fat which is stubborn and sticks to waistline and flank region. Abdominal exercise helps in flatten your belly and tone it. When you start losing belly fat, you feel more confident and comfortable in your skin.
Below is the list of Abdominal Exercises to lose belly fat –
- Planks (more than 60 seconds) – take rest after each set and repeat according to your body capability and increase the frequency with time. Don’t push yourself very hard in starting.
- Crunches
- Bicycle Crunches
- Alternate leg raise
- Both Leg raise
- Leg Scissors
- Leg Wipers
- Flutter
10. Weight and Resistance Training
Weight training is an important aspect of reducing overall body weight and losing belly fat. In weight training, more calories are burned making more muscle tone and burning more body fat and losing your belly fat.
Research has shown resistance training when combined with Weight training increases lean weight but decreases body fat and boosts metabolism parallelly.
Below is the list of Weight Training Exercises to lose belly fat –
a. Squats: Focus on the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Deadlifts: Focus on the posterior chain, including the back, glutes, and hamstrings.
- Bench press: Focus on the chest, triceps, and shoulders.
- Rows: Focus on the back, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and traps.
- Overhead press: Focus on the shoulders, triceps, and upper back.
- Bicep curls: Focus on the biceps, which are located in the upper arm.
- Triceps dips: Focus on the triceps, which are located at the back of the upper arm.
- Lunges: Focus on the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Leg press: Focus on the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Pull-ups: Focus on the back and biceps, and also engages the core.
- Push-ups: Focus on the chest, triceps, and shoulders, and also engages the core.
- Romanian deadlifts: Focus on the posterior chain, including the back, glutes, and hamstrings.
- Shoulder lateral raises: Focus on the shoulders, particularly the lateral deltoids.
- Leg curls: Focus on the hamstrings, which are located at the back of the thigh.
- Chest flyes: Focus on the chest and shoulders, particularly the pectoral muscles.f. Lunges
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How can I lose belly fat fast?
Ans. Losing belly fat fast requires regular exercise for half an hour such as abdominal crunches, planks, HIIT, squats, jumping jacks, full toe touch, leg raise etc.
Remember, Healthy and nutritious diet is necessary along with regular exercise to lose belly fat fast.
Q2. Which exercise burns the most belly fat?
Ans. Below is the list of exercise which helps in burning belly fat-
- Planks
- Abdominal crunches
- Leg raise
- Stepper
- Mountain climber
Q3. What are the 10 foods to burn belly fat?
Ans. Top 10 foods to burn belly fat are-
- Green salad
- Fruits
- High Fiber diet
- Green tea/Lemon Tea
- Yogurt
- Broccoli
- Beans
- Natural Fruit Juice
- Butter milk
- Dry fruits – Almonds, Walnuts
- Eggs
Q4. Can I reduce my tummy in 2 days?
Ans. No magic can happen in two days, however, if you do regular physical activity at the peak you can easily get rid of excess air trapped in your gastrointestinal tract which will reduce your belly fat in 2 days.
Q5. Does hot water burn belly fat?
Ans. Hot water increases your metabolism which in turn prevents body fat to accumulate in the body or belly.
Drinking hot water can potentially help with weight management in a few indirect ways like due to warm water you will burn more calories, it may reduce hunger and help you feel fuller and potentially reduce overall calorie intake.Q6. How to burn belly fat while sleeping?
Ans. It is not possible to specifically target the belly fat while sleeping but below is the list of practices which will help you to reduce your belly fat even you are sleeping-
- Take calorie deficit diet
- Do exercise daily
- Take proper rest and sleep
- Manage your stress
- Avoid junk and late-night eating
- Stay hydrated, Drink juices and plenty of water
- Add Ankle weights while you walk