Trying to cut a few pounds?

Whether you’ve got a long way to go, or just want to lose those last few stubborn pounds, weight loss isn’t easy for anyone.

But, there is hope. When paired with a healthy diet, exercise is a highly effective way to shed those pounds and start living your best life.

If you’re trying to lose weight, keep reading for a closer look at some of the best exercises to reduce belly fat.

Walking

Yep. Good old walking.

While it might not seem like a particularly effective workout–or one that’s going to help you blast away fat–walking is actually one of the most effective exercises out there.

The great thing about walking is that it’s easy to incorporate into your lifestyle and you can do it just about anywhere, at any time.

Trying adding short walks into your routine throughout the day. Take a quick 10 or 15-minute walk before work in the morning, then get in a few short jaunts throughout the day. Walking more will help keep you more active and burn calories all day long.

Running

Another great way to shed your fat is by running. Running is packed with benefits, including the ever popular bonus of helping you get rid of those extra pounds.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to hit marathon training levels to tap into the benefits of running. Adding a few short 20 to 30-minute sessions to your workout routine each week can really benefit your weight loss efforts.

Elliptical Machine Training

If running isn’t quite your speed–or if you have mobility issues that make it difficult–an elliptical machine is a great alternative. Elliptical trainers are designed to minimize the impact and stress on knees and other joints.

Try adding a few sessions to your weekly routine, and be sure to mix some higher intensity intervals in for maximum fat melting.

Rowing

If you really want to get in a full body workout that burns fat quickly, check out the rowing machine. Rowing hits just about every major muscle group in the body while providing a good cardiovascular workout.

Since it employs both the upper and lower body, rowing burns a lot of calories compared to other forms of cardio like running or elliptical machines.

Add sprints of 200 to 300 meters to take full advantage of this fat burning exercise.

Swimming

Another highly beneficial total body workout is swimming. Much like rowing, swimming uses just about every major group–depending on the stroke you choose.

The great thing about swimming is that you’re burning calories the moment you hit the water. If you’ve ever tread water for more than a few seconds, you know it’s hard work.

If you’ve never swum for fitness or competitively, take some time to learn the basics of each stroke, then work your way up in distance.

Cycling

Cycling is another great way to burn calories and cut belly fat.

The biggest problem with cycling is that it’s easy to coast (no pun intended). So, try to keep the intensity high with intervals or hills.

Spin classes are a great way to get a high intensity, fat burning cycling session in.

Kettlebells

If you’re not familiar with kettlebell training, you’re missing out.

While most cardio workouts aren’t necessarily great for strength or muscle building, kettlebells can give you the best of both worlds.

Short, high-intensity sessions that mix kettlebell swings with bodyweight or other exercises, are a killer way to melt fat quickly without compromising strength or muscle.

Before you get started with kettlebells, take some time to learn the movements properly. Find someone who knows what they’re doing or invest in some training.

High-Intensity Interval Training

Let’s face it … most cardio workouts take a lot of time. You’ve got work and family to worry about, plus plenty of other crazy stuff like the stock market, lithium prices, and what you’re going to binge watch this weekend.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an incredible way to burn fat quickly and save more of your time for what matters.

Short, high-intensity intervals mixed with very short amounts of rest have been shown to be highly beneficial for weight loss and overall health.

Try checking out some classes at your local gym or creating your own routines by mixing different bodyweight exercises together with minimal rest times.

Just be careful with these types of routines as they can rapidly increase heart rate.

Sprints

While these could be considered another type of high-intensity interval, sprints are in a class of their own.

For the time invested, sprinting burns a maximum amount of calories. The great thing about sprints is that while they’re still technically running, they involve most major muscle groups–giving you a great total body workout.

Try starting with a series of short 10 to 30-second sprints. Jog for another 30 seconds or so between sprints and repeat 10 to 15 times.

Jumping Rope–One of the Best Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat

Here’s a basic one, that you probably already know how to do.

If you’ve ever jumped rope for exercise, you know it can be hard work. Much like sprinting or HIIT training, jumping rope provides a serious calorie burn for the time invested.

Trying doing intervals of faster and slower rope jumping, working up to longer times as you’re able.

Putting It All Together

Losing weight can be a real challenge for many people–especially if your weight is tied to a lifestyle you don’t feel like you can change.

The good news is … there’s hope.

Focus on your diet, incremental lifestyle changes, and employing the exercises to reduce belly fat we covered above.

For more on improving your health and lifestyle, check out the rest of the blog.