Floor crunches are the only way to get rid of that annoying belly pooch. There’s a clever standing exercise that can help you flatten your midsection in about 30 days, according to personal trainer Tyler Read. These exercises work your entire body—not just your abs—while strengthening your core, giving you a better posture, and stronger muscle support.
When standing, your core has to keep your balance. Because of this constant effort, standing exercises can make your body feel stronger overall, your stomach appear flatter, and your balance feel more stable.
Why standing exercises help your core
One of the most important concepts of this exercise is that you can train your abs without lying down. Your core is always on when your body is upright because it must prevent you from falling. So this plan uses that fact to its advantage: your abs and obliques are working hard to keep you steady while your arms and legs are moving.
There are several benefits to this. First, you’re using more muscles at once, making the most of every minute of exercise. Second, your body develops strength in the positions you actually are in, like reaching, twisting, walking, and standing. Because of this, the exercise feels less like something you do on a mat and more like something you do every day.
The six standing exercises to reduce belly fat
1. Standing wood chop
This move mixes strength and rotation. You move your arms from a high position across your body as if you were chopping something while standing with your feet apart and holding a small weight or even a water bottle. Your obliques and abs are working together with that diagonal motion.
2. Standing oblique reach
Lift one arm overhead and gently lean to the opposite side. The muscles on the side of your torso contract and stretch simultaneously when you do this. Over time, it can reduce the “love handles” and help shape the waistline with a planned slow motion.
3. Standing knee-to-elbow twist
For this one, you move your elbow across your body in the direction of the knee on the other side. Your core have to prepare and twist in a controlled way to do that without wobbling. Repeating this exercise promotes healthier rotation through your midsection and strengthens your deep core muscles.
4. Standing side crunch
Basically a crunch without the floor: you raise your knee toward your elbow on the same side. To do that, the lower abs and obliques contract. Each repetition counts more because your torso must remain upright instead of collapsing into the ground.
5. Standing march with twist
This exercise just asks you to march while twisting your torso to the sides, which strengthens your abs and raises your heart rate—like doing cardio. You’re toning and burning calories at the same time thanks to this double benefit.
6. Standing side leg raise with reach
Here, you extend one leg to the side and extend your arm in that direction. That easy move incorporates hip strength, balance, and ab activation. Your hips and lower back work to prevent you from falling over, while your obliques help with lifting and controlling the leg. This exercise improves stability, especially around the hip area.
What to expect in 30 days
According to Read, you have to stick to the routine: 12–15 repetitions of each exercise. And in the first 10 days, your core feels tighter and that it’s simpler to twist without wobbling or maintain balance on one leg.
Your waist will start looking more defined around day 20, and your movements will feel more powerful and under control. By the day 30, your posture should be straighter, and the “pooch” will look smaller.