“I should be the weight on those weight and height charts....”

These charts were complied with the assumption that excess weight was excess fat. However if you exercise regularly, it will help you burn excess fat and also build lean muscle, thus speeding your metabolism. But muscle weighs more than fat, so you may not necessarily weigh less although you’ll look slimmer. The charts make no such allowances so minimise your use of scales and trust a mirror instead.

“ I can get a flat stomach by doing a 100 sit-ups a day...”

You can’t reduce fat from a particular spot. If you need to lose body fat all over, you will need to perform cardiovascular exercises to complement muscle conditioning exercises, such as abdominal curls, before the exercise will help to give you a flat stomach.

“If you eat before you exercise, you’ll burn it right off...”

There is some evidence that if you exercise vigorously before you eat, you will actually eat less because of an increase in body temperature and an alteration in hormone levels. So it’s best to avoid eating a meal before you workout; eat afterwards instead.

Myth – "Jogging 5K burns more calories than walking 5k"

Fact – you will burn the same amount of calories as you’re covering the same distance, although it will take you longer to burn the calories if walking

Myth – "Stretching before a run will prevent injury"

Fact – Before a run, your muscles tend to be cold and tight, so stretching at this time could cause an injury. Warm up by doing five minutes of fast walking instead. You can stretch after your run to increase flexibility.

Myth – "Always do your cardio before your weights"

Fact – if your goal is to become stronger or more toned then doing your weights before weights can mean your muscles are fatigued before you start lifting. However, if your goal is to improve your fitness you might find yourself not performing as well as you hoped when you do your cardio workout. So prioritise your training and do the most important aspect when you are freshest.

Myth – "Running is good for immediate weight loss"

Fact - While you’ll start burning fat as soon as you take up running, you won’t necessarily lose weight immediately as you’ll be building muscle. It’s actually quite common to gain weight initially. However, your body will soon adapt and the weight will start to fall off the more you run.

Myth – "Use it or lose it"

Fact – The rate at which de-training occurs is much slower than you might think > Most elements of fitness decrease at the rate at which they increased, so even a two-week break from exercise should not have a noticeable effect.

Stretching helps restore muscles to their pre-exercise length, helping to promote recover.

30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day on most, if not all, days of the week is recommended for most pregnant women.

Walking on an incline or even climbing steps burns a third more calories than walking at the same level of intensity on a flat surface. So mix up your walking routes, ladies!

Your body makes its fitness gains in the recovery phase, so try to get eight hours sleep a night.

Exercise better with berries. Berries not only taste great, but studies also show they help you burn up to 30% more fat during exercise. Berries are high in vitamin C, which in essential in the action of a protein responsible for the metabolism of fat cells during exercise.