The battle of the bulge can feel like a true struggle. This pesky, excess fat clings around your waistline and gets in the way of zipping up your favorite pairs of jeans. If you don’t start the right workout plan and adopt healthier lifestyle habits, it can become hazardous to your overall health and well-being.

It’s essential to address this type of fat, and we’re here to get you started. While you can’t spot-reduce, Emily Poirier, PT, DPT, & Pelvic Floor Specialist at Anchor Wellness & WAVE Physical Therapy, shares five standing exercises that can help melt overall body fat—including around your waistline—after 50.

“There are a variety of exercises that can be done to strengthen your core and change it aesthetically, so please keep in mind that this is a general recommendation. Additionally, many factors go into the appearance of your waist so things like caloric intake, body composition, and genetics play a large role while factors like exercise selection play a much smaller role,” Poirier stresses. “[The] exercises [I selected] are all very scalable, so they can be regressed or progressed to be appropriate for individual fitness levels, they involve challenging your core and trunk muscles in a variety of motions, and a lot of them have carryover to day-to-day tasks so with consistent performance of these exercises you should notice that life in general feels a little easier.”

The best part? You don’t need to invest in a gym membership to get started! Carve out some free space in your home, have a few simple tools like resistance bands, dumbbells, and a yoga mat on hand, and dive in.

Pallof Press

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your left side beside an anchored resistance band (which should be at about chest level).
2. Hold the band in both hands, and push the band straight out from your sternum.
3. Hold the band out for 2 seconds.
4. Use control to bring it back to the start position.
5. Once you complete the prescribed reps, repeat on the other side.

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Windmills

1. Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
2. Press the weight overhead and turn your feet slightly away from the arm that’s holding the dumbbell.
3. Keep your gaze on the weight as you press your hips to the side and slowly lower your opposite hand down the inside of your leg.
4. Keep your top arm extended and your spine aligned during the hinge.
5. Squeeze your glutes as you return to standing.

RELATED: 5 Body-Sculpting Moves To Build a Lean Waistline

Suitcase Carry

1. Begin standing tall, holding a dumbbell at your side.
2. Walk straight for the prescribed time or distance without allowing your loaded shoulder to dip down.
3. Repeat on the other side.

​​RELATED: 5 Core Moves That Burn Belly Fat Faster Than Crunches

Woodchops

1. Hold a dumbbell with both hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lift the dumbbell toward your right side, keeping your arms straight.
3. Twist your torso, and carefully rotate your legs to bring the dumbbell down to your left.
4. Bend at the knees while dropping your hips to bring the dumbbell toward the ground.
5. Repeat by lifting the dumbbell back to the right and overhead.
6. Once you complete the prescribed reps, repeat on the other side.

RELATED: 8 Bodyweight Moves That Burn Belly Fat Faster Than HIIT After 45

Resisted Rotations

1. Begin standing tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart with the side of your body facing the resistance band’s anchor point.
2. Hold the band with both hands.
3. Extend your arms out in front of your chest.
4. Step away from the anchor point until there’s light tension on the band.
5. Activate your core as you slowly rotate away from the anchor point, keeping your arms extended.
6. Use control to return to the start position.
7. Repeat on the other side.

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