The 8-Minute Chair Routine That Flattens Lower Belly Pooch Faster Than Crunches After 60

By Alexa Mellardo

March 5, 2026

If you have lower belly fat, it’s essential to incorporate the right exercises to get rid of it. Part of this is visceral fat, which surrounds your organs and can cause chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia. Crunches can be helpful in burning this fat after 60, but we have a faster method. Try this eight-minute chair routine to strengthen your core, boost muscle, increase metabolism, and flatten your belly pooch. With consistency, you’ll see results in no time!

“The ‘pooch’ is often a combination of visceral fat and a weak Transverse Abdominis (TVA). The TVA is the deep, corset-like muscle that wraps around the spine and compresses the organs,” explains Matt Bandelier, director of business development at Eden Health Club. “When it is weak, the lower abdomen distends outward. You must also target the Pelvic Floor muscles and the Internal Obliques. Traditional crunches target the surface-level Rectus Abdominis (‘six-pack’ muscle), which can actually push the belly outward if the deep TVA isn’t strong enough to pull everything in tight.”

Seated core training is significantly safer for adults 60+. Getting up and down from the floor presents a potential fall risk and can even be painful for individuals with hip or knee osteoarthritis.

“Seated exercises eliminate this barrier, ensuring the workout actually happens. Furthermore, seated training provides a stable base (the chair) that supports the spine, making it easier to isolate the core muscles without straining the lower back or neck, which is a common issue with floor crunches,” Bandelier tells us.

The 8-Minute Chair Routine That Flattens Lower Belly Pooch

Perform each of the below exercises for 45 seconds, resting for 15 seconds. Complete the full circuit two times for an eight-minute routine.

Seated Knee Tucks

1. Sit near the edge of a sturdy chair with your back straight.
2. Place your hands at the base of your spine or near the small of your back to offer some assistance as you lift your knees.
3. While leaning slightly back, pull both knees in toward your chest.
4. Then, extend them back out to the start position with your feet hovering above the ground.

Chair Marches With Overhead Hold

1. Begin by holding your arms straight overhead, holding a light book or using just your body weight.
2. March your legs up high and slow, bringing the knee above hip level.
3. Holding your arms up prevents you from rounding your back and forces your deep core to stabilize the spine.

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Seated Torso Rotations

1. Begin sitting tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Activate your core.
2. Clasp your hands together.
3. Reach up to your right shoulder.
4. Chop down diagonally across your body toward your left hip.
5. Keep your hips planted and rotate from your ribcage.
6. Switch sides after the first 45-second round.

Seated Vacuum Hold

1. Begin sitting tall.
2. Exhale all of the air out of your lungs.
3. Draw your belly button in toward your spine as hard as you’re able to.
4. Hold that squeeze for 45 seconds while taking shallow breaths.