Let’s face it: Your 30s are both an exciting and incredibly busy time of life. As you juggle work responsibilities, social activities, travel, and making time for self-care, fitting in gym sessions can quickly become a challenge. Adding to this, your body starts to undergo changes. If you don’t engage in regular resistance training, you might lose between 3% to 8% of lean muscle with each passing decade after hitting 30. This muscle loss can contribute to weight gain, particularly around the abdominal area. Yikes. To assist, we’ve compiled the top floor exercises for women to help reduce belly fat after 30, as recommended by experts. The best news? You can do them easily at home.

Why does shedding belly fat become tougher and gaining it easier as you age? Hormonal changes significantly impact fat storage, explains Amanda Dvorak, a certified personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews.

“Changes in estrogen levels can result in increased fat accumulation around the belly,” Dvorak explains. “This doesn’t mean losing fat is unachievable, but it highlights the importance of being consistent with strength training, maintaining good nutrition, and focusing on recovery.”

That’s where floor work comes in clutch.

What Makes Floor Exercises Effective

While floor training won’t directly burn stubborn belly fat, it helps build strength in the core, lower back, and hips.

“This makes it easier to move efficiently, improve posture, and train harder in other workouts that burn calories,” explains Dvorak. “Consistent exercise and diet are still key for fat reduction, but floor moves are a powerful tool for shaping and supporting the body as those changes happen.”

Floor exercises offer many benefits that make them a stellar addition to your regimen. For example, a floor workout can be completed on virtually any flat surface, and it doesn’t necessarily require equipment. So no matter what fitness level or age you may be, you can find the right floor exercises to suit your needs.

In addition, Katie Kollath, ACE, CPT, co-founder of Barpath Fitness, tells us, “Floor exercises improve core strength and stability. They often target the core muscles, which include the abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles. Strengthening your core can improve stability, posture, and balance, leading to reduced risk of injuries in everyday activities and sports.”

As if floor exercises couldn’t get any more appealing, by doing this routine, you’ll activate several muscle groups at the same time, improving your coordination and functional strength. For instance, compound floor exercises such as pushups, planks, and squats can boost the efficiency of your workout.

Now, let’s see what floor exercises the pros recommend to tighten and tone your midsection after 30.

​​The Best Floor Exercises To Melt Belly Fat

Z Press

The Z press is an excellent way to strengthen your core, shoulders, and upper back. The fact that your back is not supported means you’ll challenge your core stability.

1. Begin seated on the ground, legs extended straight in front of you so that your body forms a “Z” shape.
2. Place dumbbells or a barbell on your thighs, just outside shoulder-width.
3. Activate your core and keep your back straight.
4. Breathe in as you press the weight overhead, completely extending your arms.
5. As you press, push your torso and head slightly forward, allowing the weights to clear your head.
6. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.

Glute Bridges/Floor Hip Thrusts

1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart on the floor.
2. If using a barbell, place it on your thighs just under your hip bones.
3. Breathe in and engage your core.
4. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
5. Squeeze your buttocks, holding at the top for a moment.
6. Lower your hips back to the start position.
7. Complete 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

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Pushups

This classic exercise calls for just your body weight and engages your core, chest, triceps, and shoulder muscles.

1. Start with a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and your body straight.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Maintain a long, straight body as you lower.
4. Press back up, straightening your arms.
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

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Dead Bugs

1. Lie flat on your back, arms extended toward the sky and knees lifted in a tabletop position.
2. Press your back into the floor and engage your core.
3. Lower one arm and the opposite leg.
4. Return to the start position.
5. Repeat on the other side.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 on each side.

Bicycle Crunches

1. Begin seated.
2. Place your hands behind your head.
3. Lift one knee while rotating the opposite elbow toward it.
4. Alternate sides in a pedaling motion.
5. Complete 3 sets of 20 reps, counting each side.

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Side Plank

1. Sit side facing, placing one hand on the floor under your shoulder.
2. Extend your legs and stack your feet.
3. Lift your hips off the floor and activate your core.
4. Perform 3 rounds on each side, 30 to 60 seconds per side.

How To Progress

Slow and steady wins the race. Dvorak stresses the importance of starting slow and focusing on your form.

“For dead bugs, only lower as far as you can while keeping your back flat. For glute bridges, don’t overextend your lower back, just lift until hips are in line with your shoulders,” she says. “Side planks can be done with knees bent until strength improves. Progress comes from adding time, reps, or sets gradually. Listening to the body and stopping when form breaks is the best safeguard against back strain.”

Looking for more easy ways to lose fat? Here’s How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.

Alexa Mellardo