If you want to lose belly fat, then you probably know that its often easier said than done. Abdominal fat is tough to burn off and even some super fit athletes and extreme dieters end up going for surgery. One of the great mistakes that most people make is thinking that they need to target abdominal muscles to lose abdominal fat. Is this really the case or is it just yet another myth?

We've all seen the ads on TV. All sorts of gimmick machines that is meant to magically shrink your belly. Usually the sexy models with flat sic pack abs convince us that this is the way to do it - and we end up buying yet another workout gimmick.

The truth is that this is one way to guarantee you will never lose belly fat. You simply cannot lose any abdominal weight by targeting the abdominals with these sorts of exercises. What you have to do instead is to focus on losing body fat.

When you lose body fat, you will automatically lose belly fat since this is where your body mainly stores excess fat. So, how do you lose body fat? Well, diet is important but more than anything exercise will burn fat faster than anything else. The problem is that when you are overweight the mere thought of exercise can be painful. Here are 3 very easy exercise tips to help you lose stomach fat the without killing yourself.

1. Walk, walk, walk!

Walking is an extremely effective form of exercise. Unlike running it is low impact and can do wonder fro elevating your heart rate at a consistent tempo - which is what is needed to lose weight. The secret is to work yourself up to a 30 - 45 minute brisk walk. You can start by driving less and walking more.

2. Cycle, cycle, cycle!

In many European cities everybody cycles everywhere. No wonder they have a lot less weight issues. Cycling is not just fun, but a great low impact exercise. Can you cycle to work? Can you cycle to the shops? It's a great way to have fun while you get a workout and best of all it costs less than a gym membership.

3. Swim, swim, swim!

Swimming is by far the best form of exercise for burning off fat. It engages virtually every muscle in your body and the best part is that it places virtually no strain on your joints. This is the most painless form of exercise and is great fun. So, what are you waiting for? Start losing weight today.