The Best Exercises to Do Before Bed to Help Burn Belly Fat

With constantly overflowing to-do lists, some days it can feel impossible to squeeze in a workout until late in the evening.

Luckily, you can rest assured (pun intended) that working out a few hours before bedtime can torch calories and likely won't affect your sleep too much — just don't do it ‌right‌ before hopping in bed. (It's also important to avoid pre-workout drink mixes if you're exercising close to bedtime.)

If you're looking to break a sweat before bed, certified personal trainer SJ McShane has some quick exercises for you to try. This sequence will bring your heart rate up with some high-intensity moves, followed by some more calming moves to help you de-stress before bed. But first, let's clear up a few questions about belly fat and exercise before bed.

While you can't spot reduce belly fat for good, incorporating some exercise before hitting the hay can help reduce body fat all over. Not only can your workout torch calories, but it may also improve your sleep, which can promote further fat loss.

When it comes to weight loss, working out at any time of day can help. (There is little research suggesting a correlation between time of day and weight loss.) It really all depends on your individual preferences and factors like your overall health, sex assigned at birth and metabolism.

As far as sleep goes, it's usually not recommended to exercise at night (as the increased energy may keep you awake).

But, a February 2019 meta-analysis in ‌Sports Medicine‌ found the opposite may be true. After reviewing 23 different studies, researchers found no hard evidence to suggest evening exercise negatively affects sleep.

Note: You'll still want to avoid exercise less than an hour before bedtime.

The short answer: Yes. Although diet and exercise are the keys behind losing weight, your sleep plays a big role in regulating body weight, according to the American Council on Science and Health.

Not only does sleep affect your total weight but also your body fat percentage, according to a February 2018 study in ‌Sleep‌. In the small eight-week study, individuals were assigned a 1,450-calorie diet (down 325 calories from their usual). While all 36 participants lost weight, those who got more sleep lost more fat, while those who got less sleep lost more muscle.

If you're looking to burn some fat and improve your sleep, try this quick HIIT workout before you power down for the night. It starts off with some high-intensity moves and transitions to lower-impact ones to help you nod off later, McShane says.

As with any workout, after you get your heart rate up, it's important to cool down and let your body slowly come back down to a resting state. You might want to walk around for a bit until your heart rate comes down, then do some of these stretches.

Focus on deep breathing in and out through your nose. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.