5 Best Stomach Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat

(Image via Unsplash/Sule Makaroglu)
Including a few stomach exercises in your workout routine will help you lose stubborn belly fat (Image via Unsplash/Sule Makaroglu)

There tend to be two different types of belly fat -- visceral and subcutaneous. Subcutaneous fat, which is generally a chubby layer directly underneath the skin, tends to be generally harmless. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is one that you cannot see that forms around your organs and is proven to increase the risk of certain diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart problems. This is why it is important to get rid of belly fat with appropriate changes to your lifestyle.

Stomach exercises are especially effective in this regard. They will help you reduce belly fat and will provide a multitude of other advantages such as building greater stamina, increasing strength of the muscles, burning a high number of calories, building core stability, and more.

We have carefully curated a list of the five best and most effective stomach exercises that will help you reduce belly fat.


Best and Effective Stomach Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat

1. Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches involve the movement of two exercises that will specifically target your belly fat and maximize the toning of your abdomen.

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Here's how you do it:

  • Start off by lying down on the ground with your back flat on the ground and legs outstretched in front of you.
  • Keep your core tightened throughout the exercise.
  • Raise your legs a few feet off the ground with your knees bent along while lifting your shoulders and head off the ground.
  • Position your palms on the sides of ears on your head with elbows bent and open to the sides.
  • Extend your right leg straight above the ground while simultaneously curling and twisting your body towards the left.
  • Try and touch your right knee to the left elbow.
  • Reverse the movement and assume the initial position. Alternate sides and repeat.

2. Leg In and Out

Legs in and out will help in maximizing the toning of the overall body along with building greater core stability and balance of the body.

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Here's how you do it:

  • Start off by assuming the seated position on the floor with your legs outstretched in front of you, together with palms positioned on the floor behind you.
  • Raise both your legs about a couple of inches off the ground and keep them together while simultaneously leaning your upper body backward.
  • Next, tuck both your legs inward towards your chest while bringing your upper body towards the knees.
  • Bring your legs out to assume the initial position. Repeat.

3. Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell swings will help get rid of belly fat by blasting calories and fat from the body. This exercise will also maximize the toning of the body.

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Here's how you do it:

  • Start off in a tall standing position with your legs apart at shoulder distance, chest lifted, and back erect.
  • Position the kettlebell in front of your ankles and hinge down by your hips to grasp the kettlebell with both your hands.
  • With explosive and swinging movement, bring the kettlebell in between your legs.
  • Next, with the momentum, bring the weight in front of your chest at shoulder height with both your arms completely extended.
  • Reverse the movement to assume the initial position. Repeat.

4. High Knees

Besides helping you get rid of belly fat, high knees will also help in building stamina and muscular endurance in the body.

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Here's how you do it:

  • Start off in a standing position with your legs positioned slightly apart, chest lifted, core tightened, and back erect.
  • With force, bring your right knee towards your chest as high as possible and swing the opposite arm to create momentum.
  • Return the right leg back to the starting position and, simultaneously, repeat the same process with the left leg and right arm.

5. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers will help in reducing belly fat by burning a decent amount of calories as well as maximizing the toning of your lower body with an emphasis on the core.

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Here's how you do it:

  • Start off by assuming a high plank position on the ground with your core tightened, body balanced on toes and palms, and back erect.
  • Bring one knee to your chest and quickly return it back to its original position.
  • Alternate side and repeat.
  • Quicken the pace once you get the hang of the movement of mountain climbers.

Bottom Line

The stomach exercises listed above are some of the best and most effective ones to reduce belly fat.

There are also a few other changes that you can make to your lifestyle that will help you reduce belly fat. These include eating a balanced and nutrition-rich diet, incorporating strength training exercises into your lifestyle, keeping your body physically active with any method such as jumping rope or walking, staying hydrated, getting proper amount of sleep, and more.

To reduce belly fat, it is important to understand what works best for your own body and make necessary lifestyle changes accordingly.

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Edited by Susrita Das