5 Simple Exercises for Men to Shrink Belly Fat

A common weight loss goal is to lose abdominal fat, also known as belly fat. The fat around the waist is harmful for health, as it raises the risk of metabolic and lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

You can use a tape to determine how much abdominal fat you have by measuring the circumference of your waist. Obesity is generally defined as a waist circumference of more than 40 inches (102 cm) for men and 35 inches (88 cm) for women.

Belly fat, particularly visceral belly fat, is metabolically active and excellent in producing inflammatory chemicals that disrupt hormones responsible for controlling hunger, mood, and brain function. It can also alter the amount of cortisol in the body, making you feel extremely stressed.

You also can't spot-reduce fat, which means you can't just lose belly fat. To lose it, you must engage in a variety of exercises, some of which specifically target the abs, while also maintaining a calorie-deficit diet.

Simple Exercises for Belly Fat Loss

Here're five exercises for men to lose weight and firm up their waist:

1) Burpee

This exercise works for the core as well as chest, shoulders, lats, triceps, and quads. Burpees get your heart pumping pretty quickly, as they involve explosive plyometric movement. They're one of the best exercises to reduce belly fat.

To do this exercise:

Stand keeping your feet shoulder-width apart, and lower your body into a low squat, sending your hips back.
Place your hands just outside your feet, and hop backwards till your chest touches the floor.
Push your hands against the floor to form a plank, and jump your feet just outside your hands.
Jump into the air with your arms overhead.
Repeat the entire movement for as many reps as you want.

2) Mountain Climber

This is a simple yet great cardio exercise to shrink belly fat and get ab definition. Like burpees, this moving plank exercise works the core and a variety of other body muscles.

To do this exercise:

Get into a high-plank position with your wrists directly under your shoulders.
Make your core tight by drawing your belly button in towards your spine.
Return to the plank position by driving your right knee towards your chest.
Return your left knee to the starting position by driving it towards your chest.
Continue alternating sides.

3) Sprawl

The sprawl is essentially a burpee on steroids. It's a full body exercise that works as many muscles as possible while burning calories and shaping and toning the upper and lower body, especially the abs.

It elevates the traditional burpee by having you touch your chest to the ground, and push up to plank while continuing the move.

This exercise is done as follows:

Squat down, and place your hands on the ground while standing with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
Return to a plank position, and lower your body to touch the ground.
Push yourself to a plank position, and squat with your feet outside your hands.
Regain your footing to complete one repetition.
Add a jump between each sprawl to burn more calories.

4) Overhead Medicine Ball Slam

As you work against gravity, the overhead medicine ball slam strengthens the core. This exercise also tests your endurance, as picking up the ball and bringing it overhead raises heart rate. Use a heavyweight ball to shrink belly fat.

To do this exercise:

Standing tall with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a medicine ball with both hands.
Reach both arms overhead to extend your body. Smack the ball forward and down the field.
Extend your arms towards the ground as you slam, and don't be afraid to bend your knees as you hinge over.
Squat down to pick up the ball, and stand up.

5) Russian Twist

The Russian twist is a core exercise that improves oblique strength and helps in shrinking belly fat. This move, which is usually done with a medicine ball or plate, involves rotating the torso from side to side while sitting up with the feet off the ground.

To do this exercise:

Sit up straight on the floor, with knees bent and feet off the ground. Hold a medicine ball at chest level with your hands.
Lean back with a long, tall spine, keeping your torso at a 45-degree angle, and arms a few inches away from your chest.
Turn your torso to the right. Pause, and squeeze your right oblique muscles and then to the left. Paise again, and squeeze your left oblique muscles.
The movement should originate in your ribs rather than your arms.

Takeaway

Small, gentle movements that target and tone the stomach can yield big results. The aforementioned low impact exercises can improve strength, balance, and mobility. When performed regularly, they can help shrink belly fat too.