Micro-workouts, which combine high-intensity exercises with short rest intervals, are effective in enhancing both aerobic and anaerobic fitness while torching calories. If your goal is to reduce a persistent “stomach pooch” in just 30 days, incorporating these swift workouts into your regimen could be highly beneficial. We consulted an expert who offers five key exercises to feature in your micro-workouts to help trim belly fat after 45—no gym membership needed!

How do these quick exercises stack up against lengthier workouts? “The real advantage lies in achieving consistency with a program because the workouts fit into a busy schedule,” says Mike Poirier, who holds a master’s in exercise physiology and is a CSCS, as well as the VP of fitness at The Edge Fitness Clubs. “The body doesn’t distinguish between lifting weights or using bodyweight; it’s all about muscle fiber activation—exercises such as bodyweight rows, push-ups, squats, lunges, and planks can be done anywhere.”

5 Micro-Workout Moves To Shrink Your Stomach Pooch

Burpees To Plank

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1. Begin standing tall.
2. Lower into a squat, placing your hands on the ground.
3. Jump your feet back into a high plank.
4. Perform a pushup.
5. Jump your feet back up toward your chest.
6. Jump up explosively as you reach your arms overhead.
7. After completing 10 burpees, lower into a forearm plank, holding for 30 seconds.
8. Take 30 seconds of rest.
9. Perform 5 consecutive sets.

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Pushup To Side Plank

1. Begin in a high plank—hands under your shoulders and body straight.
2. Lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Press back up to the start position.
4. Once you reach the top, rotate your body toward the left, reaching your left arm toward the sky.
5. Hold for a moment.
6. Lower your hand and return to a high plank.
7. Perform another pushup, then rotate into a right side plank.
8. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

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Reverse Alternating Lunges

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Place your hands on your hips.
3. Take a big step back with your right foot.
4. Lower into a lunge until your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
5. Step back to the start position.
6. Repeat on the other side.
7. Complete 3 sets of 20 reps.

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Single-Leg Glute Bridge

1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees, feet flat on the floor, and arms at your sides.
2. Press your lower back into the ground.
3. Extend your left leg straight out.
4. Press through your right heel to lift your glutes off the floor and toward the ceiling.
5. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
6. Lower with control.
7. Complete 3 sets of 20 reps per side.

​​ 5 Walking Moves That Shrink Belly Fat Faster Than the Gym After 45

Pushup With Knee Tuck

1. Assume a high plank—hands under your shoulders and body straight.
2. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
3. When you press up, slowly drive one knee in toward your chest.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. Complete 3 sets of 12 reps per side.

Alexa Mellardo