• There are many different ab-working exercises to build muscle in the stomach region.Man doing sit-ups image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Stubborn belly fat can mean the difference between a relaxing day at the beach in your new bikini or hiding inside while everyone else enjoys the sun. The best way to get rid of stomach fat is diet and exercise. A healthy diet will help jump-start your metabolism, and exercise can work away the layer of fat which rests over your abdominal muscles, but there are plenty of fat-burning myths you should watch out for when beginning your workout plan.
  
  

Jogging

• Cardio exercise is the best way to get rid of the layer of fat which is obscuring your abdominal muscles. Going out for a jog three to four times every week will help you to decrease the amount of fat you carry on your stomach and speed up your metabolism so you digest food faster and deposit less of it as fat. If you are not up to jogging right away, start more slowly with walking exercises. Just keeping your body in motion is the best way to ensure belly weight loss.
  
  

Crunches and Sit-ups

• Special crunches and sit-up exercises are a good second step to making your stomach look great. These exercises target your abdominal region and help to build muscle. Crunches are often mistaken as ideal for losing belly fat, but in reality, they can only help to tone the muscles beneath the fat. Once you have reduced the extra weight by doing cardio work, you can fine-tune your abs with these workouts. To do a proper crunch, lie flat on the floor with the feet planted firmly and knees bent. Place your hands on the sides of your head, not behind it. Now, move your torso up toward your knees, attempting to touch your knees to your forehead. When you move back down, do so slowly while exhaling.
  
  

Stability Ball Exercises

• The stability ball or physio ball is a popular piece of home exercise equipment because it helps increase balance during abdominal exercise. Like crunches, stability ball exercises are for muscle tone, but they are more effective at reducing belly fat than regular crunches. To exercise with the ball, lie on top of it with the ball resting in the small of your back and your feet on the floor. With your hands on either side of your head, contract your abdominal muscles into a crunch and twist your body to the right. Repeat this for the left side. Do 12 reps for three sets.