Boost your workout power and your weight loss by increasing your exercise knowledge.

Fact: Exercise can help you shape up as well as slim.
A healthy diet and exercise programme can shift extra pounds and make you look and feel slimmer all over. However, you won’t be 100% guaranteed to re-define those body parts you’d love to change, e.g. large bottom, big tummy and flabby arms. To effectively do this, you’ll need to do specific toning exercises too. These will tighten your muscles and improve your shape. Our suggestions are; sit-ups for a firmer stomach; chair lifts to tone arms and leg raises or bottom lifts to minimise your bottom.

Fiction: You’ve got to exercise flat out to burn off fat.
When you exercise, you burn carbohydrate and fat. Carbohydrate provides instant energy, but energy released from fat takes a while to get going. So what you do need to do is exercise at a steady rate for long enough (not pushing yourself so you become exhausted), 30-45 minutes three times a week is recommended. It’s also important not to push yourself too hard. It’s possible your heart rate may become too high, which is dangerous. The best way to tell if you’re within the safety limits is that you should still be just able to hold a conversation while you’re working out. If you can’t, slow down immediately.

Fact: Exercise is best late in the day.
It has been said that muscle metabolism and nerve co-ordination are at their peak around 5 to 7 pm, so most people tend to find this the easiest and most effective time to exercise. However, do make sure you finish your workout three hours before bedtime, otherwise you may feel so energised it could be difficult to sleep. This doesn’t mean you should only exercise late in the day. It’s important to find a time that suits your lifestyle to make it easier to stick to your exercise programme. Exercising in the morning can help make you feel more alert.

Fiction: You have to join a gym to lose weight.
While it’s a good idea to have a supervised, professionally worked-out exercise routine if you need help and motivation, you don’t have to join a gym to lose weight and get fitter. The important thing is to choose an exercise that you enjoy and you will be able to do it regularly (at least three times a week). Good options are brisk walking - burns 175 calories in 30 minutes; gardening - burns 175 calories in 30 minutes; jogging - burns 225 calories in 30 minutes.

Fact: Weight loss shows more with regular exercise.
Exercise burns off extra calories whilst you do it and for hours afterwards. It also works to preserve muscle mass, which in turn creates a need for more energy and therefore, burns off even more calories. Exercise is not only helpful for those wanting to lose weight, but is crucial for weight maintenance. Research shows that people who follow a regular exercise routine are more successful at keeping their weight off and staying at their target weight. Exercise also releases endorphins, feel-good hormones, to lift your mood and make you feel more positive and motivated about your weight loss.

Fiction: Weight training will make you look bulky.
The traditional image of people who use weights is one of bulky, masculine muscles. However, if you use low weights with high repetitions, you will tone, firm and strengthen your muscles without bulkiness. This is a great, non-impact way to burn off calories and fat and increase your metabolism. Whilst you won’t necessarily lose weight, you will feel better as your body slims, firms and tones.