Summer means spending time with friends and families, barbeques, and the beach. What better way to look great in that new swimsuit than by getting in some simple and effective abdominal exercises. These exercises can be done in as little as 2-3 times per week by doing 20-25 repetitions of each exercise. For those of you who are more advanced, try some of these using a physio-ball or while holding a medicine ball. And remember that abdominal exercises are great for creating a strong core, but don't forget that cardiovascular exercise and a nutritious diet are best for getting those six-pack abs.

Remember to change up your workout routine every 4-6 weeks to keep things fresh. Your body is smart and will learn to become more efficient in the way it responds to the same old exercises, so change it up to keep from hitting a plateau. If possible, workout with a friend or coworker. Having someone to workout with will help push you and can help you get to the gym on those days when you're not feeling up to it.

Don't use the scale as your only measure of success. Often times with a workout consisting of cardio and strength training, you will be losing fat and gaining a bit of muscle. Muscle is more dense than fat, and so the scale may not show much improvement (and you may even have a slight weight gain). Don't panic, this is normal. A better, less objective measure of success is if you feel you have increased energy throughout the day and your clothes fit you better.

It's great that you're motivated to workout, but pushing it too hard early on only leads to injuries and a negative perception of exercise. Start out by working out 3 days per week with a combination of cardiovascular and resistance exercise. If you're just beginning, cardiovascular exercise can be done in as little as 15-20 minutes of walking, biking, or swimming. Strength training should comprise both upper and lower body exercises and if done correctly, can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. Doing exercises that focus on more than one muscle group will help make your workouts more efficient also. For more details visit www.soundbodytrainer.com