With Memorial Day weekend behind us, it is officially the summer of 2021.

This past year and a half has led to most of us gaining the COVID 10 or more pounds from gym lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and such keeping us from our workouts. My daughter, Nikki, recently purchased a home with a pool. This past weekend, she invited me up and trying to find a swim suit that fit was frustrating. Where in the world did this belly come from?

In addition to healthy eating, drinking lots of water and getting in cardiovascular exercise, what is the secret to shrinking that belly? Ab exercises and plenty of them!

Keeping your abdominal muscles strong is more important than just having a six-pack or washboard stomach. Your core muscles, which also include the lower back, hip flexors and rotators and gluteals, along with the abs, keep your body stable and upright. Strong core muscles also help prevent low back pain, improve balance and mobility.

Here are some ways to get your core strength up to par while making swim suit shopping a little less traumatic.

— Planks: Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

— Reverse Crunch: Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they’re bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps. It’s a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.

— Exercise Ball Crunch: Lie on the ball, positioning it under the lower back. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn’t roll). Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for one to three sets of 12-16 reps. Exercise balls are available at Wal-Mart for about $15-$20.

These are just a few examples of some core exercises you can do at home or at the gym. You can go online for videos on more options or ask you staff at the gym for suggestions. Core exercises can and should be done daily to get maximum results. Always consult your physician before starting an exercise program. Good luck and get crunching so you can rock that swimsuit at the beach this summer!