Walking is a fantastic, low-impact exercise that can effectively help sculpt your midsection.

If achieving a toned belly is on your fitness agenda, now is the perfect time to take action. The best approach combines healthy eating with regular exercise. While altering your diet can accelerate results, choosing the right exercises is equally crucial. While planks are known for engaging the core effectively, there’s an alternative that might work better for you. We consulted with Michelle MacDonald, CSCS, Founder of The Wonderwomen, to discover four walking exercises that can better flatten your belly after 55 than planks.

Walking offers an excellent low-impact aerobic workout that not only burns calories but also reduces fat and tones muscles. It is especially beneficial for those with joint or arthritis issues. So, lace up your walking shoes and get ready to start.

“Planks are effective for core stability but aren’t the best for calorie burning,” MacDonald notes. “After 45, reducing belly fat is more successful with activities that increase overall body energy expenditure and engage large muscle groups.”

The Truth About Planks

“Planks are effective core exercises for training overall body stability, but they are not effective for burning calories,” MacDonald explains. “After 45, belly fat (or any fat) responds best to activities that raise total body expenditure and involve large muscle groups.”

Smart walking drills fire up the entire core in a dynamic way while testing your balance, torching calories, improving posture, and boosting insulin sensitivity.

Below are four stellar walking drills you can weave into your workout routine to boost performance.

Backward Walking

According to MacDonald, walking backward is one of the most researched yet underrated exercises you can do.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“It shifts the focus to the quadriceps, challenges balance and coordination, and has a greater positive impact on brain health. It also benefits knee health and overall walking mechanics and burns more calories than walking at the same pace,” MacDonald explains. “Start with 10 minutes, twice a week, as one of your weekly workouts, and build from there.”

Uneven Surface Walking

Walking on an uneven surface could consist of walking outdoors on a natural trail, hiking uphill, or strolling a cobblestone path.

“Walking on uneven surfaces challenges foot placement and requires small but significant adjustments from the hips, knees, and upper body,” MacDonald points out. “From a fat-loss perspective, this added challenge increases overall muscle use and energy expenditure, and from a longevity lens, it improves the systems most likely to prevent falls.”

Aim for 20 minutes of uphill walking on a trail one to two times a week.

Load-Carrying Walking

Load-carrying walking can be performed with a weighted vest or by carrying free weights like dumbbells or kettlebells (farmer’s carry or suitcase carry).

“Among top strength coaches, this is a favorite walking drill for burning calories and training the core. This exercise is effective because the body must dynamically adjust to resist side-to-side movement and prevent forward collapse,” MacDonald explains. “In addition, greater energy expenditure is involved due to the heavy engagement of the back muscles, core, and glutes, making load-carrying walking much more effective than the plank for building real-world strength and burning calories.”

MacDonald recommends completing six sets of 20 yards with an uneven load, switching sides for each set, or carrying a weighted duffle bag if you don’t have access to free weights.

Incline Interval Walking

“Research has repeatedly shown that intervals of high intensity and increased muscle recruitment are superior for fatty acid oxidation and for improving insulin sensitivity,” MacDonald tells us. “By alternating intervals of incline walking at a challenging pace with steady-state walking, you get the benefits of increased calorie burn with minimal joint wear and tear, and it’s safe and repeatable.”

You can choose to walk uphill or use a treadmill. For those 45+, a 1:2 ratio of high-intensity to active recovery is recommended. Walk at an incline for one minute, assuming a challenging pace (hard to hold a conversation). Then, alternate with two minutes at a slower walking pace to lower your heart rate. Go for 15 to 18 minutes, working your way up to 30 minutes.

“These walking exercises are effective because they engage the entire body, challenge balance and coordination, strengthen the core, and elevate heart rate in ways your body registers as meaningful stress,” MacDonald says. “Evidence consistently shows that whole-body exercises with load and higher intensity are more effective than static, isolation exercises or low-effort movements for improving body composition and metabolic health in midlife adults.”