Say Goodbye to Muffin Tops: 5 Superior Exercises for a Toned Waistline After 60

Bid farewell to those persistent “muffin top” areas with a series of exercises that require only 12 minutes or less each day.

With age, the notorious “muffin top” tends to make its appearance due to natural hormonal shifts, a decline in metabolism, and the reduction of lean muscle mass. However, its inevitability doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. We consulted Jacob Siwicki, the founder and lead coach of Siwicki Fitness. He is certified by the NCSF and AFAA, a globally top-ranked Equinox group fitness instructor in 2019, a Dartmouth economics alumnus and former football player, a fitness analyst on FOX 5 DC, and was voted the top personal trainer in D.C. in 2021. Here’s how you can regain control over your waistline.

The secret to tackling this challenging fat is by integrating effective exercises and calorie-burning activities into your daily routine. By reducing overall body fat, you can shed the extra fat that accumulates around your midsection. If you’re prepared to embark on this journey, explore these daily workouts that promise to tighten your muffin top more efficiently than traditional crunches.

If you’re curious about the limitations of conventional ab exercises such as crunches, Siwicki provides a detailed explanation.

If you’re wondering where classic ab moves like crunches fall short, Siwicki breaks things down.

“Crunches really only target the rectus abdominis, which runs straight up and down the front of the stomach. But the muffin top sits on the obliques and the transverse abdominis and the lower back, which crunches barely touch at all,” he shares. “And crunches are a flexion movement, meaning they curl you forward, but after 60, most adults have already spent decades curled forward at desks and in cars and on couches. So, adding even more spinal flexion can actually make your posture worse, push the belly forward, and aggravate any disc issues you already have.”

Your waistline is shaped by glute strength, deep core tone, and the breath mechanics that pull your lower abs inward—not by constantly training the small surface muscle in repetitive flexion. So, Siwicki shares five daily moves to prioritize instead.

“The word ‘daily’ is the key one here. These moves are short and low-impact and recover fast, which is why we tell members to do them every single morning for 12 minutes instead of once a week for an hour. Consistency beats intensity every time when it comes to changing the waistline after 60,” he says.

5 Daily Exercises That Firm Muffin Top Faster Than Crunches After 60

Gear up to give your workout routine a major update. These exercises can be performed right at home in less than 12 minutes, making them sustainable and productive.

“I chose these specifically because they target the muscles that actually shape the waistline—the obliques and the transverse abdominis and the glutes and the deep spinal stabilizers—instead of the one muscle crunches hit,” Siwicki says. “They also avoid heavy spinal flexion, so they’re safer for adults over 60.”

Side Plank With Hip Lift

“This exercise trains the obliques and the quadratus lumborum directly,” Siwicki says.

1. Lie on your side with your bottom forearm on the ground and top hand resting on your hip or fully extended.
2. Stack your feet.
3. Lift your hips off the floor so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
4. Use control to lower, or “dip,” your hips toward the floor.
5. Press back up to a side plank, holding for 3 seconds.
6. Lower your hips back down.
7. Perform 8 to 10 reps on each side.

Standing Oblique Crunch With a Single Dumbbell

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1. Begin standing tall, holding a 5 to 10-pound dumbbell in one hand.
2. Side bend toward the loaded side.
3. Crunch back up by squeezing the opposite oblique.
4. Perform 12 reps on each side.
5. For modification, lower the weight or perform the exercise with no weight at all.

Bird Dog

“This exercise builds the deep multifidus muscles along the spine that pull the waistline in,” Siwicki says.

1. Start on all fours.
2. Extend your left arm and right leg.
3. Hold for 3 seconds before returning to the start position.
4. Switch sides and continue to alternate.
5. Perform 8 reps on each side.

Pallof Press

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 3 seconds.
4. Use control to bring it back to the start position.
5. Perform 8 reps on each side.
6. For modification, use a lighter resistance band or reduce the press distance.

Glute Bridge March

“In this exercise, the glutes pull the pelvis into a neutral position, which automatically narrows the waistline,” Siwicki tells us.

1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees and feet on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
2. Push through your heels to lift your hips into a glute bridge.
3. At the top, lift one knee to your chest, alternating lifting each knee 6 to 8 times.
4. For modification, skip the march and simply hold the bridge at the top for 5 seconds, completing 10 clean reps.