A muffin top is rarely seen as a good thing today. It’s usually a sign of lack of exercising and a bad diet. A flat stomach is a badge of honor. It shows you can balance your lifestyle to maintain healthy physic. Having a flat stomach doesn’t only benefits your looks, but also your strength and agility. Every movement requires the involvement of one or more muscles between your hips and your shoulders. Tightening those muscles will help you do your everyday activities with fewer difficulties.

While dieting is excellent, you also need specific workouts that target your core. Your core muscles consist of your abs and muscles that run through your back to your butt. They’re all interconnected and need to be worked out for best results.

Here’s a list of the best workouts that will reduce belly fat and give you a stronger core to make your life easier.

1. Crunches

Crunches are the number one belly fat-burning exercise. You will find it in almost all workout plans. It targets all the muscles in your abs, back, and butt.

Crunches are done on the floor or a mat. You lie down on your back. Position your legs on the ground by bending your knees with your feet touching the ground. You can lift up your legs in the air if you want to make it harder. Then, you have to position your arms either behind your back or across your chest. Inhale as you rise up. Try not to move your feet or take support from anything other than your lower back. You should only lift your torso. Exhale as you go back down. Repeat the exercise with at least three reps of ten.

2. Swimming

Swimming is a fun cardio activity to do. It helps to both lose weight and tone the body. It works best if you skip the lazy strokes and apply strenuous and up-tempo ones. It will burn more calories this way. On top of that, it’s a refreshing activity. Try to get in the pool at least once a week. All the water will be good for your skin and your overall health.

3. Burpee

Burpee is an explosive exercise that works on all the muscles. It will help lose belly fat and strengthen every muscle in the body. It starts at the pushup position. Then, you pull your knees to your chest and jump. You fall back down and get into pushup position by pushing your legs back with your hands resting on the floor. Restart the same process. It hits everything from head to toe. You should do ten fast reps.

4. Mountain Climber

Similarly, to burpee, mountain climber is an explosive exercise. It’s a plank and a crunch put together. It forces your body to work overtime to keep itself straight with every movement of your leg. It starts in a plank position. Then, lift up one of your foot and bend the knees to reach toward your chest. Return in the starting position by pushing your feet back and tapping it on the floor. Switch to the other foot and repeat.

5. Jogging

Jogging can be easier than running for some people. You don’t have to exert the same amount of force and speed, but you get the same benefits if you do it long enough. It’s a form of aerobic exercise that helps to fight obesity.

6. Bicycle exercise

If you want to go for a bicycle ride, you can. It’s good for exercise, but it’s not the same as the bicycle exercise. This one doesn’t require a bicycle. Rather, you simply mimic the movement of bicycling.

Lie on the floor, on your back. Place your hands either by your side or behind your head, whichever feels more comfortable. Lift your legs off the ground and bend them at the knees. Bring forward one leg toward the opposite hand. Push the leg back and bring forward the other one the same way. Repeat this exercise by alternating sides as if riding a bicycle.

7. Plank

Plank is a hard exercise to do, but it works very well on your ab muscles. Start by kneeling on the floor. Hold your upper body up by placing your hands flats on the floor and push your legs back. You should pay attention to the position of your entire body. It all needs to be in a straight line. Don’t lift your hips or your butt too low or too high. Remember to tighten your abs and breathe slowly. Stay in the same position for as long as possible.

For more support, you can try to do the plank on your forearms instead of your hands. It’s the same position, but lower. You’re closer to the ground, and your weight is more balance on your forearms than it is on your hands.

8. Low-belly leg reach

 The low-belly leg reach targets your core muscles. Lie down with your face up to start. With hands behind your neck, bend your knees to a 90 degree. Lift up your shoulders and neck. Stay in this posing for about five seconds. Then, straighten your legs out. Hold for five seconds more. Bring your legs back to the bent position. Repeat for two sets of ten reps.

9. Body-weight Squat

Body-weight squats work on your legs, thighs, and buttocks. They use your weight to strengthen your muscles by pushing it down lower. Your body has to work against both gravity and itself to come back up. Start by standing straight, your legs at shoulder width and your hands across your chest. Bend your knees and lower yourself into a squat. Keep your but tucked in and your body straight. Come back up and do at least five sets of five reps.

10. The Hundred

This simple exercise is very efficient at toning your stomach. Start by lying flat on the ground. Lift your legs off the floor to an angle of 45 degrees and tighten your abs. Crunch by lifting your shoulders and heads off the ground. Then, pump your arms up and down 100 times.

Having a flat stomach can greatly benefit your personal life. This is just a list of a few exercises that will help you get to your goal. There are many more options to choose from. Start working out today and find out what works for you.