Many people over 40 turn to cardio activities like running, walking, or cycling to reduce belly fat. While these exercises can be beneficial for overall fitness, they often don’t effectively target the core muscles. For a slimmer waist and firmer midsection, it’s important to work on building the underlying muscles and increasing calorie burn.

Traditional abdominal exercises remain popular over time for good reason. They improve posture, tighten the core, and enhance your body’s appearance and performance as you get older. The secret lies in selecting exercises that activate various parts of your core, offering challenges that steady-state cardio can’t match.

Try incorporating these five proven belly exercises into your routine. When practiced regularly, they can help reduce fat, strengthen your core, and achieve results that surpass what a treadmill alone can provide.

5 Belly Exercises That Burn More Fat Than Cardio After 40

Hanging Leg Raise

This movement targets the lower part of your abdominal wall, a tough area to hit with traditional floor exercises. It also engages your hip flexors and requires upper body control, making it a full-body core exercise.

How to Do It:

1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended
2. Keep your legs straight and raise them until they are parallel to the ground
3. Slowly lower them back down with control
4. Avoid swinging or using momentum

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps. Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets.

Fat Loss Tip: Keep your core tight throughout the movement and focus on slow, controlled reps rather than speed.

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Cable Crunch

The cable crunch allows you to add resistance to your ab work, which helps stimulate muscle growth and definition. It trains the rectus abdominis through a full range of motion and is easier to progress over time than most bodyweight crunches.

How to Do It:

1. Attach a rope to a high pulley and kneel facing the machine
2. Hold the rope by your ears and crunch your torso down toward your thighs
3. Pause at the bottom, then slowly return to the starting position
4. Keep your hips stable and avoid pulling with your arms

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Fat Loss Tip: Focus on the squeeze at the bottom of the rep and use just enough weight to challenge your abs, not your arms.

Weighted Sit-Up

Adding weight to your sit-ups increases intensity and builds strength in the upper and middle abdominal muscles. It also helps maintain tension throughout the movement and encourages better muscle control. This classic movement becomes more effective when appropriately loaded.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet anchored
2. Hold a weight plate or a dumbbell at your chest
3. Sit up with control until your chest reaches your thighs
4. Lower yourself back down with tension in your core

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Rest 45 seconds between sets.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Fat Loss Tip: Keep your movement driven by your abs contracting and then stretching as you lower to the ground.

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Plank with Reach

This variation of the classic plank adds instability, forcing your deep core muscles to fire harder. It improves balance, posture, and strength throughout your midsection without any equipment. It also trains the body to resist rotation, which protects your spine and builds total-body strength.

How to Do It:

1. Start in a forearm plank position
2. Reach one arm straight out in front of you without shifting your hips
3. Return your arm to the ground and repeat on the opposite side
4. Keep your glutes tight and shoulders square

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 20 total reps (10 per side). Rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Fat Loss Tip: Focus on quality movement and hold a tight plank position throughout each reach.

Russian Twist with Medicine Ball

Russian twists target the obliques, helping carve out the sides of your core while improving rotational strength. Adding a medicine ball or light weight increases the challenge and raises your heart rate, giving you a metabolic bonus.

How to Do It:

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet slightly elevated
2. Hold a medicine ball with both hands at chest level
3. Twist your torso to one side, touching the ball near your hip
4. Rotate to the opposite side without dropping your feet

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 20 total reps (10 per side). Rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Fat Loss Tip: Keep your abs engaged and rotate from your torso, not just your arms.

These 2 Exercises Build Arm Strength Faster Than Traditional Workouts After 40

Tips for Shrinking Belly Fat Faster After 40

These movements work best when combined with the proper lifestyle habits. Add these strategies to your routine for faster, lasting results:

• Train your core consistently 3 to 4 times per week
• Include resistance training in your weekly plan to build lean muscle
• Eat a high-protein, whole-foods diet that supports fat loss
• Limit sugar and processed foods that increase fat storage
• Stay active with daily movement outside the gym
• Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night
• Manage stress to avoid excess cortisol, which contributes to belly fat

These five classic exercises provide a stronger, more targeted approach to tighten your core and reduce stubborn belly fat. Combined with smart habits and steady effort, they can help you reshape your waistline and enhance your overall well-being and daily mobility.

Jarrod Nobbe, MA, CSCS