4 Effective Standing Exercises to Tone Your Midsection Faster Than Gym Machines for Those Over 60

Say goodbye to stubborn belly fat without hitting the floor or relying on gym equipment.

Many individuals have a preferred workout routine, often involving a trip to the gym. While the treadmill is a staple for many, a significant 26.6% of gym-goers opt for resistance machines, as highlighted in the 2025 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report: Expanded Insights. Gym machines can indeed be effective for those aiming to tone their midsection. Cardio equipment excels at burning calories, while core machines help strengthen abdominal muscles.

However, we consulted with Jacob Siwicki, the founder and head coach of Siwicki Fitness. He holds certifications from NCSF and AFAA, was previously a top 1% globally ranked Equinox group fitness instructor in 2019, graduated in economics from Dartmouth, and played football for Dartmouth. Siwicki is also a fitness expert at FOX 5 DC and was recognized as the top personal trainer in D.C. in 2021. He revealed four standing exercises that could effectively flatten your stomach more quickly than traditional gym machine workouts for those over 60.

“Most adults over 60 prefer not to get down on the floor, and many find it challenging to do so,” Siwicki explains. “When core workouts require lying on a mat, they often skip them. Standing exercises remove this hurdle, encouraging participation. Additionally, wrist, shoulder, and neck pain are common reasons our members avoid floor-based core work, so standing exercises eliminate these issues. Plus, the muscles most crucial for life after 60—the glutes, deep core, and postural muscles—naturally work together in standing positions, not when lying down.”

“Most adults over 60 just don’t want to get down on the floor, and a lot of them physically can’t get up and down easily. So, when their core workout requires lying down on a mat, they skip it,” Siwicki tells us. “Standing work takes that whole barrier away, which means people actually do the workout. And wrist pain and shoulder pain and neck pain are the top reasons our members tell us they bail on floor-based core work anyway, so going upright eliminates all of that. Then, on top of everything else, the muscles that matter most for daily life after 60—the glutes, the deep core, and the postural muscles—already work together in standing positions, not when you’re lying down.”

Every rep reinforces your posture and balance, which directly translates to not falling—which is truly essential after 60. Below are four stellar moves to add to your workouts.

“I chose movements that stay entirely upright because, after 60, the core’s real job is not to crunch your ribs toward your hips. Its real job is to keep your spine stable while you stand, while you walk, while you carry things around all day,” Siwicki stresses. “Standing work trains the whole chain the way real life actually uses it, and you pick up the glute and posture benefits automatically. A floor crunch is never going to give you that.”

Suitcase Carry

“This exercise trains the obliques and the quadratus lumborum under the same kind of load as a heavy bag of groceries,” Siwicki says.

1. Begin standing tall, holding one dumbbell at your side—anywhere from 8 to 15 pounds, depending on your fitness level and what feels most comfortable.
2. Walk 30 to 40 yards without allowing your loaded shoulder to dip down.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. For modification, use a 5-pound weight or a half-gallon water jug. In addition, shorten the distance to 10 or 15 yards.

Pallof Press

“The whole point is that your deep core has to fight to keep you from rotating toward the band,” Siwicki says.

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your left side beside an anchored resistance band (which should be at about chest height).
2. Hold the band in both hands, and push the band straight out from your sternum.
3. Hold the band out for 5 seconds while bracing against the resistance.
4. Use control to bring it back to the start position.
5. Perform 8 reps on each side.
6. For modification, feel free to use a lighter band or shorten the press by only lengthening your arms about 75% of the way out.

Standing Woodchop

“This exercise hits the obliques and the transverse abdominis through rotation, which most older adults have completely lost,” Siwicki points out.

1. Set the cable machine to a high position, attaching the handle.
2. Stand perpendicular to the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Hold the handle using both hands.
4. With extended arms, pull the cable diagonally across your body—a high to low chopping motion—so it ends near your opposite hip.
5. Maintain a braced core and square hips.
6. Use control as you return to the start position.
7. Perform 10 reps on each side.

Single-Arm Overhead Carry

“The deep core and the lats and the obliques all fire at the same time to keep your spine stacked under that uneven load,” Siwicki says.

1. Begin standing tall.
2. Depending on your current capabilities, press a 5 to 10-pound dumbbell straight overhead.
3. Walk 20 yards.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. For modification, perform a chest-level carry, or hold a 2 to 3-pound weight instead.