It’s right around the corner: swimsuit season.

That means it’s the time of year people start pondering their waistlines and thighs and begin imagining how they’ll look in a bathing suit, lounging pool side.

Steve Burk works on the squat press with Matt McGhee, personal training director at Total Fitness Athletic Center, 2339 Iowa. Fitness centers typically see an increase in customers this time of year because people are wanting to tone up or lose weight before they put on their swimsuits.

Not happy with what they see, some people throw themselves into an exercise frenzy trying to drop some pounds and trim up those tummies. It’s already happening.

“Business is picking up,” said Christie Curtis, day manager of Curves for Women, 2104 W. 25th St. “I have a feeling it has to do with summer, sunglasses and bathing suits.”

If you’re among those hoping to whip up a slimmer summer in a hurry, there’s bad news: You’re already too late.

But there’s good news, too, local fitness experts say.

It’s never too late to embark on a lifestyle change rather than a crash program that could result in a better physique and improved health year round.

	Web sites offer information about training, diet For many people, getting in swimsuit shape really means reducing body-fat percentage. According to Dr. James Brady of Brady Chiropractic Clinic and Jayhawk Fitness & Rehab, a mix of aerobic training and resistance training can help them achieve that. Aerobic training The latest research recommends that people engage in 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise. Moderate physical activity or aerobic activity means that your heart rate should increase, but not so much that you lose your breath or become exhausted. In spring and summer, options for aerobic exercise abound. From hacky-sack to bicycling to swimming to gardening, there are lots of ways to get your heart pumping. To find out how many calories your favorite activity burns, go to www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm. Resistance training Brady recommends weight-resistance exercises such as squats, deadlifts, leg and bench presses, rather than arm or leg curls that isolate just one area. To find out how many calories various weight exercises burn, go to www.nutristrategy.com/weighttrain.htm. Diet Looking good means eating healthful foods. The 5-A-Day for Better Health program, designed by the National Cancer Institute, encourages people to eat at least five servings of fruits the vegetables each day. To find out about the plan and view recipes, go to www.healthyfood.org/.

Rick Sells, owner of the Lawrence Athletic Club, 2108 W. 27th St. and 3201 Mesa Way, said a year-round fitness program is the smartest course.

“If you start right now, we’ll get you to look as good as you can for this summer but next summer, you’re going to look fantastic,” he said.

So maybe you won’t get a gorgeous, new body in time for the first pool party. But you can adopt a measured, incremental approach to fitness that will lead you to the physique you’re seeking.

Marty Tuley, owner of Total Fitness Athletic Center, 2339 Iowa, tries to educate his club members to take a wider view of getting into shape and improving overall health.

So many people are solely focused on building six-pack abs or pumped-up pecs that they lose sight of the bigger picture, he said.

“People want to work on specific areas of their bodies. With men, it’s love handles. With women, it’s usually their outer thighs. The reality of it is, you can’t target a specific area and get results only in that area,” Tuley says.

Lasting results come from an exercise program that includes cardio training, resistance training and proper nutrition. Too many people focus on just one of these aspects typically, severe dieting.

But it takes a sensible diet, good mix of aerobic training and resistance training to achieve lasting results.