Baby, its cold outside! It’s been exciting to see so many people coming back in to exercise, I just hope they stick with it. However, it is so much better for anyone to exercise regularly (3-4 times per week), instead of going crazy and stopping in two months. And as it happens, each year people come in and ask how they can get rid of their mid-section. And once again, I wish that I had that magic wand and miraculously give you that wish, but as I have mentioned before, it takes work and dedication to get a healthy body. Can you see I didn’t say the body you want?

Many times, people are setting goals which are unattainable. Looking at heredity, age, medical challenges and fitness level, the body you “want” might never be accomplished. Beauty, and most importantly, health come in different shapes and sizes. I love it when people accept their body for what it is. A healthy diet, regular exercise and preventative check ups with your doctor are a must. Are you ready to work on your abs of steel?

First of all, doing a lot of abdominal exercises each workout is not going to burn the fat off your belly. You cannot spot reduce with exercise. To burn fat, your calorie intake needs to be less then the calories you burn. You can do that in three ways:

1. Eat fewer calories than what you are burning with everyday life.

2. Eat a healthy balanced diet and burn more calories by exercising.

3. Eat less calories and burn more by exercising.

Now that we have covered the “fat part,” we are going to another important piece — exercise. You can do 200 sit-ups or crunches a day using the abdominal crunch machine in every workout and that will not help you very much if you let your belly “hang” the rest of the day or do the exercise incorrectly. First, gravity will push everything to the outside. Second, when doing an abdominal exercise, bring your belly button to the inner spine. When crunching, your belly should stay in or go in instead of pushing it out.

Are you ready for the best exercise to get a strong core? I had this conversation quite a bit of times in these past few weeks. “Suck” your belly in all day long! I know, a little disappointing. No pill or belt to help the problem. Engage the core by lengthening your spine and tightening the abdominal muscles. You have to be able to breathe. Start with a little at a time. You will be amazed how many times you forget. It will not only flatten you belly, it will help your posture plus your lower back will thank you.

Abdominal exercises do work, they definitely strengthen your abdominals. But don’t forget to work the opposite muscles in the lower back. The core is the front, sides and back. A good tip is to get out of the elastic-waist pants. They move with wherever your belly wants to “hang.” Get button-up pants and preferably with a belt, don’t have the belt very tight (probably 1 or 2 holes loser than usual). Have your belly “sucked in” where you feel comfortable and feel you can keep it there. The belt should be comfortable. Now, when you are “hanging,” the belt will give you pressure reminding you to suck it back in.

Many group exercise classes will take time to work on the core if a class setting works for you or have a certified personal trainer help you get the right exercises for you. And your diet is a huge part of fat around the mid-section. Start recording what you eat and drink. Alcohol is a huge culprit for fat around the midsection. And, most important, be patient. How long did it take you to get your body where it is today? It didn’t happen overnight right?

Ester Hoeben Marsh is associate executive director and director of healthy living of the J.F. Hurley YMCA.