Fat Burning Standing Workout for Abs and Arms

With these standing core exercises for seniors, you can burn fat and build muscle! The exercises put your body weight against the forces of gravity to provide resistance, which is excellent for standing core stabilization. 

You need no equipment to do these exercises. You also do them all standing, so no getting down on the floor is required. 

Why Do Standing Core Exercises

Standing core stabilization exercises allow you to burn more calories than strength training. By doing core exercises standing up, you challenge your balance and stability to improve your posture and make you stronger. 

Standing Core Exercises – Set One

This workout routine focuses on the upper body and core muscles. There are three sets of three movements. They alternate the upper body exercises, standing core exercises, then the upper body again. You’ll do 12 reps for each exercise — march between standing core stabilization sets to rest. 

Back Flys With Pulses

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at the hips while keeping your legs straight. Put your hands at chest height, pressing against your ribcage, and make a fist.

Pull each arm upward until parallel with your collarbone, then return to start. Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together as you do the movement. 

Once you hit 12, switch to pulses for thirty seconds. Keep your arms parallel with your shoulders and pulse them up and down. 

Standing Ks

The first standing core exercise is the standing K. Start straight with your left arm over your head. Lift your left leg out to the side. At the same time, lower that arm down toward the lifting leg.

Your body should form a “k” when doing it correctly. As you move your arm downward, you bend slightly to crunch your side and then return to start. Do 12 reps on each side. 

Single Arm Bicep Curls

Stand with one arm bent and pressing into your side. The palm should be facing upward. Grasp your hand with the other. This provides resistance as you do the exercise.

Pull the bottom arm up to do a bicep curl. Press down slowly with the upper arm for resistance as you lower it. Control is essential here. You want the downward movement to be slow. Do 12 on each side.

Standing Core Exercises: Set Two 

March in place for a rest before starting the next set.

Lat Pull Downs With Pulses

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands up over your head and to the side. Make a fist with each hand, or keep them open with your palms facing forward. Now, pull your arms down until your elbows touch your side. Imagine pulling a bar down in front of your body with your hands.

After completing 12 reps, do pulses for thirty seconds. Keep your arms bent, with your hands near your ears. Then pulse up and down.

Modification: If lifting your hands over your head is a problem, you can move your hands out in front of your body instead of over your head. 

Standing Bicycles

The second standing core exercise is standing bicycle. Start straight with one hand behind your ear. Lift the alternate leg. As you do, bend down, trying to touch the raised elbow to the lifting knee. They won't actually touch, though. Do 12 reps on each side. 

Tricep Kickbacks

Stand bent forward at the waist. Keep your legs straight. Pull your arms up so your hands are next to your ribcage. Extend your arms out behind you and then return your hands next to your ribcage. 

Standing Core Exercises: Set Three

This set features shoulder pulses. Do thirty seconds of each type of shoulder pulse one after the other. 

Shoulder Pulses - Forward

Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart. Lift your arms in front of your body with your hands in a fist and palms down. Pulse for thirty seconds. 

Shoulder Pulses - Y

Now, open your arms up so they are at an angle in front of your body. Do thirty seconds of shoulder pulses. 

Shoulder Pulses - Wide

Move your arms to the side and do thirty seconds of pulses there. 

Standing Crunches

The final standing core exercise is similar to the standing bicycle movement, but it is the same elbow to the same knee. Stand straight with your arm bent and your hand near your ear. As you lift your leg on that same side, bend toward it as if trying to touch your elbow to your knee. 

Wall Push Up

Stand in front of a wall and place your hands on it. They should be in line with your shoulders, with your feet a couple of inches apart. You choose the angle. The further out your feet are from the wall, the more challenging the pushup. 

Bend your arms and lower your body toward the wall to do a pushup. Do 12 pushups and then march to rest. 

More Standing Exercises for Weight Loss

Get access to more low impact, standing exercise routines like this standing core workout by visiting our Mighty Health website today! We offer nutrition, health, and fitness resources designed specifically for those over 50. Sign up and get one-on-one sessions with your own personalized health coach today.

Darla Ferrara

Darla Ferrara is a full-time freelance writer and author who specializes in healthcare, nutrition, and fitness. With an educational and vocational background in the sciences, Darla has spent over a decade providing useful and evidenced-based information to healthcare consumers.

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