Melt your hanging belly fat and boost your overall health with these 5 bodyweight exercises with no equipment after 40.
Honest talk: hanging belly fat is bad news for your health. It’s been linked to health issues such as heart disease, liver issues, blood clotting, and obesity (1, 2).
The risk even goes higher if you have a waist size bigger than 40″ for men and 30″ for women (3).
Belly fat is sneaky and easy to pack on. It’s also easy to dismiss it as “middle age spread”. If that’s you, don’t let the hanging belly fat hang around too much.
It’s time to start exercising and eating cleaner to reduce the dangerous visceral belly fat.
If you are over 40, the best place to start is these bodyweight exercises that’ll blast fat, build strength, and improve health.
They require no equipment, making them convenient and accessible. You can do these anywhere at home, while on the road, or the in the gym.
If you are ready, grab a towel, and let’s get started.
Top 5 Bodyweight Exercises to Melt Off Hanging Belly Fat After 40
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1. Squats
The glutes, quads, and calves are some of the biggest and most powerful muscles in the body. Therefore, an exercise that works all of these muscles, such as the squat, can burn tons of calories and can aid weight loss.
How to Perform
- Start standing, with your feet spaced hip-width apart and your toes facing forward or slightly out to the sides.
- Next, bend your knees and push your hips backward as you sit down as low as you can (without your heels coming off of the floor).
- Once you’ve reached the bottom of your range, push yourself back into standing by straightening your knees and standing up tall.
- Repeat for 10-15 repetitions, for 2-3 sets per session, 2-3 times per week.
2. Jump Rope
Jumping rope is equal parts taxing and fun. There are endless variations of the classic jump rope motion. Furthermore, this form of cardio will get your heart pumping harder than just about any other exercise in existence!
How to Perform
- First, you’ll want to select a jump rope of the appropriate length for your body (or cut your rope to size).
- To test your jump rope length, stand on it with one foot and pull the handles up. For beginners, the handles should roughly reach your armpits in this position.
- Now, you’re ready to start jumping!
- The most basic jump rope move is the single hop with both legs.
- To perform this move, turn the rope and jump over it every time it gets close to your feet. Start by jumping rope for 1 minute, with 30-second breaks, for 10 rounds. You can perform this routine 3 times per week.
- Once you master the basics, you can experiment and create truly awesome jump rope routines!
3. Burpees
Burpees are almost universally hated by exercisers. This movement is exhausting, no matter who you are. Best of all, burpees provide a way to get both muscular endurance and a cardiovascular workout in a very small amount of space.
How to Perform
- Start in standing.
- As quickly as you can, drop into the “up” portion of a push-up position.
- Next, jump your legs forward and return to standing.
- Perform as many burpees as you can in the span of one minute. Then take a break for 30 seconds and repeat for 5 rounds.
- Perform this workout 2-3 times per week.
4. Straight Arm Crunches
There are endless variations on the crunch exercise. One popular variation is the straight-arm crunch. This movement is used in some common abdominal strength assessments because it is easy to standardize and ensure that the results of the test are reliable and valid.
How to Perform
- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Next, place your hands down at your sides, with your palms flat on the floor.
- Perform a crunch, sliding your hands forward on the ground.
- Once you’ve lifted your shoulder blades off of the ground, return to the starting position.
5. Reverse Crunches
Reverse crunches are a great way to mix up your ab-strengthening routine. This move emphasizes the lower portion of the abs, but, like all ab exercises, it works the whole rectus abdominis as well.
How to Perform
- Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
- Place your hands down by your sides.
- Lift your legs and most of your low back off of the ground as you kick your feet toward the ceiling.
- Then, slowly lower back down to the starting position to complete the rep.
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