As you age, belly fat tends to be even more of a problem. In fact, visceral fat, which is the fat that wraps around your organs, increases as you grow older—most especially for women. It actually quadruples between the age bracket of 25 to 65. It’s important to do just the right exercises that will address this problem area. We spoke with Alwaleed Alkeaid, ACSM-CPT, strength-and-conditioning coach, and Ironman finisher, who shares the best standing core exercises that target deep belly fat and more.

Why is standing core work so effective? According to Alwaleed, they require greater muscle recruitment.

“Staying upright forces the transverse abdominis and obliques to brace against gravity and limb momentum, not just floor pressure,” he says, adding, “Standing patterns raise heart rate 10–15 beats higher than the same movement kneeling or supine, boosting calorie burn.”

Now that you know how important it is to melt belly fat, here are the best standing core moves to help you do so. Complete 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps of each exercise.

Standing Pallof Press

1. Attach a resistance band at chest level to a sturdy pole.
2. Standing sideways, keep your feet hip-distance apart as you hold the band with both hands by your chest.
3. Step away from the anchor point to establish tension on the band.
4. Push the band straight ahead of you, completely extending your arms.
5. Hold for a moment before returning your hands to your chest.
6. Perform all reps on one side before doing the same on the other.

5 Bodyweight Exercises That Shrink Belly Fat Faster Than Crunches

Single-Arm Overhead March

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand, then press it overhead. Lock out your elbow as you do so.
2. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart and your core braced.
3. Start marching in place as you lift one knee to hip level then switch to the other knee.
4. Hold a straight posture without letting the weight move forward or to the side.

6 Quick Morning Exercises That Burn Belly Fat All Day Long

Diagonal Wood-Chop

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
2. Hold a medicine ball with both hands.
3. Extend your arms overhead, above your right shoulder.
4. Activate your abs as you twist or “chop” the ball diagonally across your body, bringing it toward your left hip.
5. Reverse the motion.
6. Repeat on the other side.

Reverse Lunge with Knee-Drive Twist

1. Hold a dumbbell or medicine ball at chest level.
2. Bring one foot back into a reverse lunge, lowering your back knee to the floor.
3. As you rise, bring your back knee forward, driving it toward your chest.
4. At the top of the drive, twist your torso toward the raised knee, keeping your arms extended.
5. Use control to return to the start.

Standing Hip-Hinge “Good Morning” With Band

1. Loop a resistance band to go around your upper back and below your feet, standing on the band with your feet hip-distance apart.
2. Hold onto the band at your shoulders.
3. Slightly bend your knees, hinge at the hips, and press your buttocks back while keeping a neutral spine.
4. Lower your torso until it becomes parallel to the floor.
5. Squeeze your glutes and press through your heels to come back to standing.

Alexa Mellardo