10-Minute Belly Fat Blast Workout With Denise Austin

This video is part of the 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge designed to help you improve strength, cardio, balance and flexibility. Start the challenge here: aarp.org/CouchToFit

This standing belly fat blast workout with fitness expert Denise Austin will strengthen your core and back in the comfort of your own home.

Key takeaways

• Strengthen your core and flatten your belly with Denise Austin’s 10-minute standing workout routine.
• Engage all major torso muscles while improving waistline definition, posture and overall balance.
• Maintain a tall stance and draw your belly button inward for safe, effective belly fat targeting.

Summary

A standing belly fat workout is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your core and target stubborn midsection areas, all from the comfort of your home. This 10-minute belly fat blast with renowned fitness expert Denise Austin focuses on key movements to tighten your lower tummy, cinch your waistline and improve posture. Gentle stretching and dynamic core moves engage all the muscles of your torso — including your back — helping to tone and slim without ever needing to get on the floor.

Good posture and proper technique are essential for maximum results, so focus on pulling your belly button in toward your spine and maintaining a tall, upright stance throughout. Daily core exercises like this don’t just help you achieve a flatter stomach — they also improve balance, support your spine and keep you feeling strong and energized for everything else life brings.

The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Full Transcript:

[00:00:00] ♪ music playing ♪ [AARP’s Get Moving! Wherever You Are] [BELLY FAT BLAST WORKOUT WITH Fitness Expert Denise Austin]

[00:00:06] >>Denise Austin: Hi. I’m Denise Austin. And welcome to your belly fat blast. Are you ready for a 10-minute standing ab workout?

[00:00:15] We’re going to focus on the core, our torso, the lower tummy, the sides of the waistline, and our back.

[00:00:22] So do the best you can. Remember, this workout is for you. And at any time you feel tired, just walk in place.

[00:00:31] That’s a fabulous workout too. Let’s begin. Let’s just start with a deep cleansing breath.

[00:00:37] Bring in the oxygen [INHALES] to every cell in your body. And exhale out.

[00:00:42] Just let it go. Beautiful. And let’s lift up and let’s stretch to the side,

[00:00:47] stretching through the sides of the waistline. That’s it. It’s a great stretch for your spine.

[00:00:54] Your spine is your lifeline. Keep it healthy. Keep it strong. And bend to the other side.

[00:01:00] We’re going to work all angles of the waistline. That’s right. And now slowly face forward and stretch back.

[00:01:10] Feel a good stretch in your legs. Get a nice, strong back. And now pull your tummy up, in and up.

[00:01:18] Really hollow it out. And press it back. We’re now focusing on articulating the spine

[00:01:26] and warming up our abdominal exercises right through here. That’s it.

[00:01:32] We got 2 more just like this. My hands are on my thighs to support. Really pull up and in.

[00:01:38] And release. Again, 1 more. Inhale here. [INHALES] And exhale.

[00:01:44] Pull up, belly button up towards your spine. And relax. Beautiful. Now bring your hands right here at your hips and lift the legs.

[00:01:54] Right now we’re working through the lower abdominals. You got this. Think strong abs, nice strong back.

[00:02:03] Good posture is the key to that tummy. The more you stand up tall, it has a place to stay.

[00:02:10] Pulled in, so important. That’s it. We’re now reeducating the abdominal muscles to pull in.

[00:02:18] Feel the tummy pulling up and in like a tight corset. That’s it. Feel it nice and tight around the belly.

[00:02:26] Focus, thinking about good posture. That’s it. And now let’s take it to the next level.

[00:02:32] Bring your arms right here, and just a little crunch. Just a tiny movement.

[00:02:37] It works. The second you bring your knee up, then you’re working the lower abs.

[00:02:43] Now we’re working the whole rectus abdominus muscle. That’s it. We got 2 more.

[00:02:48] Pull. Got 1 more. Last 1. Great. And now let’s circle the hips.

[00:02:55] Also, very important to work through the hip area. That’s it.

[00:03:00] This is now focusing all the muscles of the tummy. Great.

[00:03:06] Trim and slim that tummy and waistline. We really have to work on keeping that

[00:03:12] tummy nice and flat. And reverse. Go all the way around. Circle those hips.

[00:03:18] When you circle it, really tighten up through the abdominals. That’s it. Good.

[00:03:24] Really focus your energies and your contraction right here in the tummy. That’s it.

[00:03:30] We got 1 more. And release. Now, just a little hip action here.

[00:03:35] Stretch to the side. Now you’re working the sides of the waistline, our obliques.

[00:03:41] All of these exercises are standing core moves that you could do without even getting down on the floor.

[00:03:48] You really want to focus, feel it. Cinch in the waistline That’s it, pull.

[00:03:54] Tummy is in. Belly button towards the spine. Breathe. Exhale.

[00:03:59] That’s it. You got it. We’ve got 2 more here. Work the sides of the waistline.

[00:04:06] No more muffin top. We’re hitting that area right now. Last one.

[00:04:11] And release. Standing up beautifully, nice and tall. Think good posture.

[00:04:17] Now we’re going to work the lower half. You’re going to reach your side to side. Notice that the lower half stays very stable.

[00:04:25] And you’re really reaching through the upper part of the body. That’s it. Now you’re working all these muscles, the oblique muscles.

[00:04:34] That’s it. Can you reach? That’s great. Just do what you can.

[00:04:40] Always think, relax your shoulders. Good posture is the key to really doing this correctly.

[00:04:48] Good body alignment. Good technique. We got 2 more. Last one.

[00:04:53] OK, can you place your hands behind you, just like that? And little twists, side to side.

[00:05:01] Just twist now. Now we’re working through the waistline. That’s it. Always bend your knees a little to protect your back.

[00:05:08] And you’re just twisting. It’s so good for the waistline, trimming and slimming. That’s it.

[00:05:15] Just do what you can. Just move that waist. Good.

[00:05:21] We got 2 more. Last one. And now just let the arms flow. Just let the arms flow.

[00:05:27] Work through the torso. Torso trimmer. That’s it.

[00:05:32] Pull those abs in and up. Good. Always think good posture.

[00:05:38] Helps flatten that belly naturally. We’ve got 2 more. Last one.

[00:05:45] And release. Now stretch your arms all the way to the side. You’re going to pull and you’re going to release.

[00:05:51] Now you’re working, cinching in the waistline. We’re going to target all the areas,

[00:05:57] all 4 of the abdominals. That’s it. Now it’s the obliques. Concentrate there.

[00:06:03] Just pull it up and in. You got it. You’re working these muscles right through here.

[00:06:10] Really feel as though the pelvic tilt is lifting you up. Good. We got 1 more here.

[00:06:16] Pull across. That’s it. And let’s go to the other side. First is a reach.

[00:06:21] You’re really elongating the spine. And then you’re cinching in the waistline. That’s it.

[00:06:28] Smile. You got this. I’m proud of you. Just keep moving. Concentrate on the area.

[00:06:36] That’s it. Beautiful. Quality over quantity. You really want to feel this.

[00:06:42] Cinch in the waistline. We got 2 more. Last one. OK.

[00:06:49] And take it easy. Now I want you in a little slight plié position. OK.

[00:06:54] Place your hands right here for support. And you’re going to just bend side to side.

[00:07:01] Now we’re really zeroing in right here. That’s it. Good, side to side.

[00:07:07] Just bend at the waistline and really pull in the tummy. That’s great.

[00:07:14] OK, let’s take it to the next level if you can. You’re now going to place your arms back

[00:07:20] and really feel the bend. That’s it. Good. Just a couple of these.

[00:07:26] You trim and slim the sides of your waistline. Good. We got 1 more, each side.

[00:07:33] That’s it. And relax. And now let’s reach to the side and front,

[00:07:39] and to the other side. The windmill is great, because it really works those love handles right back here.

[00:07:47] So reach. All I want you to do is kind of touch the inside of your knee. Touch, but you really need to sit back.

[00:07:54] That’s it. Stretch. Just take your time. Pull your abdominals in.

[00:08:00] Feel like you’re zipping up your abs. That’s it. That’s the focus. Good.

[00:08:06] Got a couple more just like that. Really reach. Last one. OK.

[00:08:12] And now standing up nice and tall, we’re going to do some pelvic tilts. Your feet are right straight ahead.

[00:08:19] You’re tucking under and you’re releasing. You’re tucking under, and release.

[00:08:25] That’s it. Really pull it up. That way it works right here at the lower tummy.

[00:08:32] Good. It’s a slight pelvic tilt. Just tilt it and release it.

[00:08:37] Good. Just a couple of these. Now feel as though your pelvic floor muscles are really tightening up too.

[00:08:44] As you come together right here, tighten up through the pelvic floor muscles if you can. Think about that.

[00:08:50] Pull it in and release. That’s it. We got 2 more. Pull in and release.

[00:08:55] Last one. Pull in and release. There you’ve done a great stretch.

[00:09:02] Now, it’s important to always do a stretch at the end to elongate the spine.

[00:09:08] Your spine is part of your abdominal wall. It’s right there. It’s the center of your body, keeping you flexible and strong.

[00:09:18] That’s it. Last one. Side to side. This works the waistline. That’s it. Wonderful.

[00:09:24] And now bring your arms all the way out, and now slowly, if you can, lift one leg out to the side.

[00:09:30] Can you lift the other leg? That’s it. Give it a try. Just lift.

[00:09:36] Even if it comes a little off the floor, that’s good. But open up through the hips. That keeps your abdominals strong, too.

[00:09:43] Healthy hips. We only have 2 more of these. They’re a little challenging, but they’re worth it. They work, all right here.

[00:09:49] OK, take a deep breath. Inhale. And exhale.

[00:09:55] Beautiful. One more deep breath together. Bring in the oxygen. Elongate the spine.

[00:10:01] Open up, open up. And release. And there you have a beautiful workout, all for your core.

[00:10:08] Keep it up. Try to do this on a daily basis if you can. It really strengthens the entire midsection.

[00:10:15] See you next time. ♪ music playing ♪