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Whether you want a flat belly for esthetic appeal or simply for achieving a well-toned body, you’ll not succeed until you are consistent with your workout and diet, and dedicated towards your fitness goals. And since reducing abdominal fat is no easy task because spot reduction is impossible, it can take weeks or even months of strict diet and exercise to get a flat belly.
Luckily, there are a plethora of exercises you can do in the comfort of your home to burn calories and reduce fat. While these exercises won’t directly reduce your belly fat, they’ll help you burn lots of calories, develop muscle mass, and sculpt your abs to give you a lean and toned look. Read on to learn about a few important exercises you can do at home for a flat belly and core strength.
6 at-home exercises for a flat belly
Do these workouts regularly to fire up your core and achieve a sculpted, toned, and flat belly.
1. Bicycle crunches
Bicycle crunches are considered one of the most effective exercises to attain a flat belly. This exercise targets several core muscles, including glutes, quads, rectus abdominis, and obliques.
Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and heels flat on the floor. Move your hands behind your head and interlace your fingers. Engage your core, lift your upper body from the mat and lift your knees so they get directly above your hips. Breathe easily, and as you exhale, rotate your torso and bring your left elbow and right knee towards each other. Simultaneously, extend your left leg in the front. Hold the posture for a few counts and then return to the start. Now repeat the exercise using the opposite elbow and knee. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps.
2. Heel touch
Heel touch is another staple exercise in a core workout session. It targets the upper abs and obliques as well.
Lie down on your back with your legs flexed and position your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width distance. Place your hands on your sides, keep your core engaged, shoulders relaxed and chin up. Now slightly bend sideways and try to touch your left heel with your left hand, and then bend to the other side and touch your right heel using your right hand. Continue alternating sides and increase your speed as you progress. Complete 3 sets of 20 reps on each side.
3. Scissor kicks
Scissor kicks are another excellent exercise to achieve a flat belly. It targets the upper abs, lower abs, hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
Lie down straight on the mat with your palms under your hips. Lift your upper back, legs, and head off the floor, and simultaneously lower your right leg. As soon as your right leg touches the mat, lift your left leg and lower your right. Continue to do this movement 10 times with each leg and complete 3 sets.
4. Burpees
Burpees are an amazing full-body cardio exercise that targets the core and helps you achieve a flat belly.
Stand straight with both your feet at shoulder distance. Bend your knees and position your hands on the ground. Jump while bringing both your legs back and getting into a push-up position. Hop on again to get back and then jump vertically as high as you can. At the same time, extend your hands over your head, and then land on the ground softly. Continue the exercise for 10 reps.
5. Commando plank
Commando planks are an advanced variation of the standard plank and target the shoulders, biceps, glutes, core and rectus abdominis.
Take a high plank position on the floor with your abs tight and your feet positioned at a hip-width distance. Hold the position for 10 seconds and make sure to keep your spine straight at all times. Now keep your abs engaged, lower your right forearm to the floor and then your left forearm to get into a forearm plank position. With your back flat, slowly push yourself up through each arm to return to the initial high plank position. Complete 2 sets of 12 reps.
6. Bird dog
The bird dog exercise targets your rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and glutes while also improving the balance, stability and control of your entire body. It is a productive exercise for people with lower back issues such as hypermobility.
Take a tabletop position on the mat and tuck your hips under. Engage your core muscles and lift your left arm straight in front of you. At the same time, lift your right leg until it gets parallel to the floor. Return your arm and leg to the initial position, and then repeat the exercise with your opposite leg and arm. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
Takeaway
Do the aforementioned exercises every alternate day to attain a flat belly. Not only will these exercises tone your midsection, but they will improve your overall functional strength as well. When performing these exercises, however, be careful if you have pain in your shoulders, back, or neck, and ensure you are doing every move correctly.
