What Is the Best Exercise to Burn Belly Fat?

A healthy diet is the best way to reduce the most belly fat, but exercise can be effective as well. The best exercise to burn belly fat includes aerobic and strength exercises, such as resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Belly fat is made up of subcutaneous fat, the fat found just under the skin that you can pinch, and visceral fat, which is located deeper in the belly, surrounding vital organs including the stomach, liver, and intestines. 

Excess visceral fat can lead to health problems such as:

• Obesity
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Insulin resistance that can lead to type 2 diabetes
• Breathing problems
• Increased risk of premature death

Short of getting liposuction (a surgical fat-removal procedure) or cryolipolysis (which freezes fat cells), there is no way to quickly reduce belly fat through exercise alone. Diet and exercise are the main ways to burn belly fat. 

While a healthy diet is probably the best way to reduce the most belly fat, exercise also plays a role, and diet plus exercise works best to reduce belly fat. 

Exercises for Fat Loss

The best exercise for fat loss, including belly fat, includes both aerobic and strength exercises (resistance training). High-intensity interval training (HIIT), also called high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE), is a type of cardiovascular exercise that alternates between slower to moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercises. HIIT has been shown in studies to reduce weight and waist circumference.

A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found people who exercised regularly prevented belly fat gain, or lost belly fat, as compared to those who didn’t exercise. The study found just 30 minutes of walking, 6 days per week was enough to prevent accumulation of belly fat. Exercising longer, rather than harder, worked best to lose more belly fat. 

Reduced-Fat Diet to Lose Weight

In addition to exercise, a healthy diet can help reduce body fat. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) dietary recommendations to reduce body fat include: 

• Limiting total fat intake to 20 to 30 percent of total calories
• Keeping saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent
• Limiting trans fats