5 simple exercises to reduce belly fat

Exercise 1: Crunches

How to do it: Lie on your back with your legs straight out at 90 degrees, arms above your head, hands together.

Inhale deeply and, as you exhale, draw your belly button into your spine and lift your head and shoulders off the ground. As you straighten up, open your legs into a straddle position and bring your arms through your legs.

Inhale and return to the starting position. Do as many reps as you can in a row (respecting the position) for one minute.

Bonus: This move not only works your abdominal muscles, but also your inner thighs.

Exercise 2: Bicycle Twist

How to do it: Sit with your knees bent and lifted toward your chest (you should be balanced in your seat). Place your hands behind your head.

Leaning back slightly with your torso, extend your right leg and turn your right shoulder toward your left knee, keeping your elbows at your sides as you rotate. Return to the center, then switch to the other side.

Do as many reps as you can in a row for one minute, alternating sides each time.

Bonus: This move works your obliques, but you may also feel burns in your hip and thigh muscles. The more muscles you work at the same time, the more calories you burn!

Exercise 3: Hip Press

How to do it: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms down, and legs straight out at 90 degrees, feet flexed.

Contract your abs and lift your hips and lower back off the floor as high as possible. Then slowly lower your hips down and to the right (as if you were placing them on the lower right corner of a triangle on the floor). Next, push and lift your hips up (aiming for the top of the “triangle”), then repeat to the left.

Continue alternating as many reps as you can do with control for one minute.

Bonus: This move is a great way to develop your abs, as being able to control the movement of your hips with strong abs is very useful for sports like water skiing and volleyball.

Exercise 4: Corkscrew

How to do it: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms down. Extend your legs to 90 degrees and cross your right leg over your left, toes pointed.

Pull in your abs and begin to draw a circle with your legs, starting from the right and working your way down to the left. As you bring your legs inward and upward to complete the circle, raise your hips, bringing your legs as high above your head as possible at the top of the circle.

Slowly lower your hips and legs back to the starting position, then cross your left leg over your right leg and reverse the circle.

Do as many reps as you can while maintaining control for 1 minute, alternating legs each time.

Bonus: If done correctly, this move helps strengthen the lower abdominal wall (since you have to control the circle). Get even more results by tucking your belly button in for the duration of the movement.

Exercise 5: 3 Planks

How to do it: Start in an elbow position, palms down and abs tight.

Slowly rotate your feet, knees and hips to the left as you reach your left arm toward the ceiling and place your left foot on top of your right foot in a side plank on the elbow. Slowly return to your starting plank, then repeat the exercise on the right side.

Do as many reps as you can in a row without letting your hips drop for a minute, alternating sides each time.

Bonus: Switching from one side of the plank to the other not only works multiple muscle groups, but also helps increase your heart rate.