Stubborn belly fat can be challenging to get rid of, but it’s not impossible. Getting a leaner and stronger midsection doesn’t always require fancy equipment or endless crunches. Drawing from my experience as a personal trainer, I’ve successfully guided numerous clients towards their fitness goals using standing exercises. These exercises not only help burn calories but also enhance metabolism and foster overall body strength.

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Standing exercises train your body in a functional, dynamic way. They fire up your core, get your heart rate going, and target multiple muscle groups all at once. These movements burn more calories during your workout and continue to burn fat after the workout ends.

If you’re serious about shrinking belly fat, get on your feet and start moving. These seven standing exercises will challenge your muscles, improve your posture, and light up your metabolism. They take about 15–20 minutes and require nothing but your body and a little space.

7 Standing Exercises to Help Shrink Belly Fat

You don’t need fancy equipment or endless crunches to get lean. These standing moves are efficient, effective, and perfect for any fitness level. Do them as a circuit or sprinkle them into your regular workouts to crank up the calorie burn.

Standing Jack Punch

Standing jack punches combine cardio with core activation. As you jump your feet out and punch across your body, your abs work hard to stabilize and control the motion. It’s fast-paced, easy to learn, and incredibly effective for burning belly fat. You’ll feel your shoulders, core, and legs light up with every rep.

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet together and fists up at chest level.
2. Jump your feet out while punching your right arm across your body.
3. Jump feet back together, then repeat with the left arm.
4. Keep alternating at a fast pace for 30–45 seconds.

Standing Oblique Crunch

A standing oblique crunch targets your love handles while improving balance and posture. It works your side abs and engages your legs, glutes, and lower back. Adding arm movement increases the intensity and boosts calorie burn. By performing this exercise on your feet, you’re mimicking real-life movement and training your core to function better in everyday tasks.

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands behind your head.
2. Lift your right knee and crunch your right elbow down toward it.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
4. Perform 12–15 reps per side.

High Knees

High knees elevate your heart rate quickly and engage your lower abs with every lift. While also improving agility, cardiovascular fitness, and explosiveness. It’s one of the simplest but most effective ways to shred fat using your body weight. You’ll feel your core working to stabilize and your heart pumping, making this a go-to for fat-burning intensity.

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Run in place by driving your knees up toward your chest.
3. Pump your arms as you move for added momentum.
4. Go hard for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Standing Woodchop

The standing woodchop works your core, glutes, shoulders, and legs all at once. It mimics real-world movement and torches calories with every rep. The twisting motion sculpts your waistline and improves rotational strength. You also improve coordination and control while moving through different planes of motion.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and clasp hands together.
2. Start with your hands up over one shoulder.
3. In a chopping motion, bring your hands diagonally down across your body to the opposite hip.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for 10–12 reps per side.

Skater Hops

Skater hops blast your legs and core while pushing your heart rate through the roof. They improve balance, agility, and lateral power. Skater hops mimic athletic movement and challenge your muscles in new ways. By moving laterally, you also activate stabilizing muscles that often get overlooked in traditional cardio.

How to do it:

1. Start with feet hip-width apart.
2. Leap to the right, landing on your right foot as your left leg crosses behind.
3. Immediately jump to the left and repeat.
4. Keep a soft bend in your knees and move fast for 30–45 seconds.

Standing Bicycle Twist

The standing bicycle twist sculpts your abs without ever lying down. Bicycle twists target your rectus abdominis and obliques with every twist. The standing version adds an extra challenge for balance and posture. Regularly doing standing bicycle twists also improves spinal mobility and gets a light cardio burn if you keep the pace up.

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and hands behind your head.
2. Drive your left knee up as you twist your right elbow toward it.
3. Return to center and switch sides.
4. Perform 15–20 controlled reps per side.

Reverse Lunge with Knee Drive

This compound move fires up your legs, glutes, and core all at once. Reverse lunges challenge your balance and build strength in your hips and thighs. Adding the knee drive lights up your abs and makes it a true fat-burning combo. This full-body movement improves functional strength and endurance.

How to do it:

1. Step your right foot back into a lunge.
2. Push through your left heel to rise and drive your right knee up toward your chest.

Repeat for 10–12 reps, then switch sides. 

Tyler Read, BSc, CPT