5 Standing Moves to Shrink Belly Fat After 40

Ah, belly fat—the uninvited visitor that stops by during middle age and never wants to leave. We feel your pain and spoke with a fitness pro about one of the best ways to shrink belly fat without getting on the floor: standing exercises.

What makes standing moves rise above the crowd? “Standing moves often use more muscle groups at once, especially your legs, glutes, and core, which helps you burn more calories overall. They also tend to raise your heart rate more than isolated floor work, which increases fat burn. Plus, they mimic real-life movement better, so you build functional strength while trimming your waist,” explains Stephen Sheehan, certified personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews—and it makes perfect sense.

A standing position requires your core to work harder to keep you upright and stable, most especially when you’re reaching, twisting, or balancing movements.

“This dynamic engagement trains the muscles around your midsection in a more active, real-world way. It also gets your deep core muscles involved, which helps tighten and flatten your waist over time,” Stephen adds.

Now, let’s explore the best standing exercises that will slim down your belly and get it into shape.

5 Standing Moves That Shrink Belly Fat Without Getting on the Floor

“These exercises alone won’t spot-reduce belly fat, but when paired with good nutrition and consistency, they’ll help shrink your waistline while keeping you off the floor,” Stephen says.

Standing Oblique Crunch

This exercise fires up your obliques and challenges balance and stability. “It’s a simple way to get core engagement and light cardio in one shot,” Stephen points out.

1. Begin standing tall with your hands behind your head.
2. Lift one knee as you crunch the elbow on the same side toward it.
3. Return to the start position.
4. Repeat on the other side, continuing to alternate.

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High Knees

This cardio move gets your heart rate up and engages your core, especially the lower abs. It’s a stellar exercise for torching calories and revving up your metabolism.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart and arms at your sides.
2. Lift your right knee up toward your chest, as high as you’re able to.
3. Alternate sides at a fast pace like you’re jogging in place.

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Standing Woodchoppers

“This move works your obliques and transverse abdominis while incorporating the shoulders and hips,” Stephen explains. “It mimics rotational movements that build real-world strength and help carve your waist.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart, holding a dumbbell or medicine ball above one shoulder.
2. Breathe in, chopping the weight diagonally toward your opposite foot and bending your knees.
3. Reverse the motion.
4. Repeat on the other side.

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Side-to-Side Knee Drives

This exercise offers cardio and core engagement. “Twisting from the torso activates your waist muscles, while the fast pace keeps your heart rate up for fat burn,” Stephen says.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart and arms overhead.
2. Drive your knee up toward the opposite elbow in a smooth twisting movement.
3. Quickly alternate.

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Reverse Lunge With Rotation

“The lunge hits your glutes and legs, and the rotation works your core,” Stephen points out. “This combo move builds strength and coordination while trimming your waist.”

1. Stand tall.
2. Step back with one leg into a gentle lunge.
3. Rotate your torso toward the front leg.
4. Return to standing.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Alexa Mellardo