Health and Fitness: Ring Dance, Spring Break

This new month signals a time for evaluation. It's a time to work on areas of weakness in preparation for an enhanced performance and product.

In light of a new month, check in on your progress with resolutions or goals you may have for the long term and short term.

At this point, before Ring Dance, spring break in the Bahamas and the long summer break, check in with your fitness pursuits. Here, we check in with your midsection.

Want better abs? Yes, I guess that is a rhetorical question because who doesn't?

In the fitness and medical world, a healthy midsection is seen as a sign of fitness and good health.

You may wonder why you can wrestle with crunches for days and still not quite see the desired results. Well, the key to this conundrum lies in this combination!

The recipe for a healthy midsection begins with:

* A consistent serving of properly portioned foods.

This entails fresh fruit and vegetables as well as lean proteins.

They say that you are what you eat, so feed yourself for a fitter physique. Try eating four to six times a day with three main meals and the rest as healthy snacks.

Remember to load up on food with about five grams of fiber per meal. Such foods include almonds, berries, spinach, brown rice and whole wheat bread. As a tip, avoid alcohol if you want a leaner middle.

* A generous dash of potent cardio power and a punch of muscle magic!

To minimize your gut, get to serious fat- burning. This can be a secret or special combination of ingredients and often varies from person to person.

Whether you enjoy a pinch of toning and muscle building or a heap of running, jogging, treadmilling or the elliptical, create a concoction that you can handle.

Don't be afraid to mix machines and different workouts for the most impactful results.

Remember to endure the workout long enough to give your midsection time to bake and heat up for the fat burn!

Remember that a leaner midsection is the result of total body trim for fat loss and toning of the abdominal muscles for a defined look.

* Layer it all with a calm state of mind and body.

It is important to get enough sleep and to be as stress-free as possible while you work for fab abs.

Sleep proliferates the effects of eating well and exercising, while stress encourages the presence of cortisol, aka the stress hormone, which can muddle with the midsection and encourage fat storage specifically in the abs.

Instead of letting stress get the best of you and ruining your lean midsection plans, beat the stress before it beats you and get enough sleep most nights!

Use this recipe and put your personalized spin on it for the best belly-busting midsection fix you've ever seen!

Side note: Check out the gym's group exercise schedule to see active ways you can get help trimming and slimming your waistline and working on those flat or cut abs!