Best Exercises for Belly Fat
No single exercise burns belly fat from the belly. The best exercises for belly fat are the ones that raise your total activity: aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming or running on most days, plus strength training such as squats, lunges and push-ups on at least two days a week, together with a healthy diet.
Everything here is general information, not medical advice. Outcomes vary between individuals, and a GP or accredited exercise physiologist can tailor a program to your health.
Key Points
Working your stomach muscles does not burn the fat that sits over them. Fat used for energy comes from all over the body.
Regular exercise helps reduce internal belly fat and stop it coming back.
Australia's guidelines for adults recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength training on at least two days.
For weight loss, the national clinical guidelines suggest about 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, combined with eating less.
Pick activities you enjoy, start at your level and build up slowly.
Exercise works best for weight alongside changes to what you eat.
Why No Exercise Targets Belly Fat
Spot reduction, the idea that working one area burns the fat there, is a myth. Your muscles cannot draw directly on the fat stored next to them, so abdominal exercises alone will not shift the fat over your stomach. All physical activity can help burn body fat and keep muscle (University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre).
That does not make exercise less important for belly fat. Regular exercise helps reduce excess internal body fat, the visceral fat stored around the organs, and helps stop it coming back (healthdirect). So the question is not which exercise hits the belly, but which mix of exercise you can keep up week after week.
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
Australia's physical activity guidelines for adults aged 18 to 64 recommend:
150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix of the two
muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week
being active on most days, preferably every day
sitting less, and breaking up long periods of sitting
For weight loss, Australia's clinical guidelines (NHMRC, 2013) go further: about 300 minutes of moderate activity, or 150 minutes of vigorous activity, each week, together with a reduced energy intake.
Any physical activity is better than none, and you can spread it through the day. All the activity you do counts, including the stairs and a walk to the shops. For more ways to fit it in, see everyday habits that support weight loss.
How hard to work: the talk test
The talk test is a simple way to judge how hard you are working:
Low: you can talk and sing without puffing.
Moderate: you can comfortably talk, but not sing.
Vigorous: you cannot say more than a few words without gasping for breath.
8 Exercises That Help With Belly Fat
These eight exercises cover both parts of the guidelines. You can do most of them at home or outdoors with no equipment.
Four aerobic options. Moderate or vigorous depends on how hard you go.
Aerobic exercises
1. Brisk walking. Walking becomes exercise when you walk at a moderate pace: faster than you normally walk, while still able to speak comfortably. It is free and you can do it almost anywhere. If 30 minutes in one go is too much, take 3 short walks of 10 minutes each.
2. Cycling. Riding a bike is moderate activity, and cycling hard is vigorous.
3. Running. Running is a vigorous activity.
4. Swimming. Recreational swimming is moderate activity. Water-based activity can be a good alternative for people with musculoskeletal problems.
Dancing and social tennis also count as moderate activity, and organised sports such as football, soccer or netball as vigorous.
Four strength options that use your own body weight.
Strength exercises
Strength training, also called resistance training, uses weights or your own body weight to make your muscles work harder. When combined with a healthy diet, strength training can help you lose weight and avoid weight gain. As you gain muscle, your body uses more kilojoules at rest.
5. Squats. A body weight exercise you can do anywhere, with no equipment.
6. Lunges. Another body weight exercise. Squats and lunges put load on the knees, so start gently and skip any exercise that causes pain.
7. Push-ups. A body weight exercise for the upper body. You can also do them with your hands on a bench (bench push-ups).
8. Sit-ups. Sit-ups count as muscle-strengthening activity in Australia's guidelines, and they work the stomach muscles. They do not remove the fat on top: training one area has no effect on the fat over it. An exercise professional can check your technique.
Resistance bands and hand weights add variety. Start with light weights or gentle resistance until your technique improves.
Workout Plan by Fitness Level
Where you start depends on your fitness now. This table sets out one way to build up, drawn from Australian guidance on walking, strength training and physical activity:
| Level | Aerobic activity | Strength training |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | 3 walks of 10 minutes a day | 1 set of 8 reps, twice a week |
| Building up | 150 to 300 minutes a week, moderate | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Weight loss focus | About 300 minutes a week, moderate | At least 2 days a week |
Strength activities should work all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, chest, core, shoulders and arms. A typical beginner program has 8 to 10 exercises, so treat the four above as a base and add exercises with bands or hand weights, ideally with advice from an exercise professional. Once you can comfortably complete 12 reps of an exercise, you are ready to progress. Rest each muscle group for at least 48 hours before working it again.
A Sample Weekly Plan
This example week reaches 150 minutes of moderate activity, with strength training on two days and a rest day:
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Monday | Brisk walk, 30 minutes |
| Tuesday | Strength: squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups |
| Wednesday | Cycling or swimming, 30 minutes |
| Thursday | Brisk walk, 30 minutes |
| Friday | Strength: the same four exercises |
| Saturday | Longer walk or active outing, 60 minutes |
| Sunday | Rest |
Tuesday and Friday are three days apart, which gives each muscle group more than 48 hours to recover. To move towards the weight loss level, lengthen the walks or swap some sessions for vigorous activity such as running. This plan is an example only: change the days and activities to suit your week and your health.
Before You Start
If you have a medical condition, are overweight, are over 40 or have not exercised regularly in a long time, see your doctor for a check-up before starting a new exercise program.
Start slowly and build up gradually.
Warm up with around five minutes of light aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling.
Avoid any exercise that causes you pain.
Take at least one day off each week to recover.
Stop exercising and seek medical help if you have chest pain or pressure, extreme breathlessness, dizziness or fainting, or severe pain in any muscles or joints.
Pair Exercise With a Healthy Diet
Physical activity on its own has little effect on weight unless it is combined with changes to what you eat. For adults who are overweight or obese, Australia's clinical guidelines recommend eating plans designed to produce an energy deficit of 2,500 kJ (about 600 calories) a day, together with more physical activity. Build meals on vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean protein and reduced-fat dairy, and cut back on sugary drinks and alcohol. If you prefer to plan by protein, carbohydrate and fat, see working out your macros for weight loss.
When to Get Advice
A GP can check your health before you start and may refer you to an exercise professional, such as an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist, for a program that suits you. People with musculoskeletal problems or a heart or lung condition may need a gentler or different program. If you are pregnant, ask your GP, obstetrician or maternal health nurse first.
For some adults, diet and physical activity may not bring enough weight loss for their health. Weight loss medication may be an option for some people, always used together with a healthy diet and physical activity, and only after an individual assessment by a registered healthcare practitioner. Outcomes vary between individuals. To learn more:
Frequently Asked Questions
What one exercise burns the most belly fat?
No single exercise burns belly fat on its own, because the body draws on fat from all over, not from one spot. What helps is regular aerobic exercise plus strength training on at least two days a week, alongside a healthy diet. The best choice is an activity you enjoy, because you are more likely to keep doing it. Results vary.
What exercise flattens your stomach the most?
No exercise flattens the stomach by itself. Sit-ups and other abdominal exercises work the stomach muscles, but they do not remove the fat over them. A flatter stomach depends on losing body fat overall, through regular aerobic activity, strength training and changes to what you eat. Genes and age shape where fat sits and where it comes off, so results vary between individuals.
Can a flabby belly be toned?
Partly. Strength training improves muscle strength and tone, and sit-ups work the stomach muscles directly. Toning the muscle does not remove the fat on top, though. That comes down through overall fat loss from regular activity and a healthy diet. Many middle-aged men and women after menopause find the midsection a stubborn place to shift fat from, so outcomes vary.
Is 2 weeks enough to flatten a belly?
Usually not. Two weeks is a short time for visible change. In the first weeks of strength training, most of the gain in strength comes from your nerves adapting, and muscle size increases later. Fat loss is gradual too: a good weight management service recommends a loss of around 1 to 4 kg a month to begin with. Outcomes vary between individuals.
Is a 10-minute workout worth doing?
Yes. Any physical activity is better than none, and short bouts add up: 3 walks of 10 minutes each count towards the 30 minutes of moderate activity recommended on most days. A 10-minute session could be a brisk walk, or a few minutes of warm-up followed by squats, lunges, push-ups and sit-ups. Build up over time.
What is the best exercise for belly fat for women?
The same guidelines apply to women and men: aerobic activity on most days and strength training on at least two. Brisk walking, squats, lunges, push-ups and sit-ups need no equipment and suit home. Many women notice more fat around the waist in midlife as hormone levels change. If you are pregnant, ask your GP before starting.
Does running help lose belly fat?
Running can help, as part of overall weight loss. It is a vigorous activity, and in the guidelines 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week is an alternative to 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity. Running does not target the belly, and it works best with a healthy diet. If you are new to exercise, build up from walking.
References
healthdirect. How to reduce excess internal body fat (visceral fat).
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). The amount of physical activity you need.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Exercise intensity.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Resistance training: health benefits.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Exercise programs.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Menopause and weight.
Markovic TP, et al. The Australian Obesity Management Algorithm (July 2024).
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight management services.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.