Five weeks to fitness programme

Here's a plan to help get you on the road to fitness. Join us on a five-week exercise programme and enjoy the benefits.

The first two weeks will focus on lower-level cardiovascular, strength and flexibility exercises, building up to incorporate higher-effort anaerobic cardiovascular and strength exercises with progressive flexibility.

Aerobic cardiovascular exercises consist of activities such as walking.

Anaerobic cardiovascular exercises consist of shorter, more intense effort activities such as running up sand dunes, resting and repeating.

Aerobic strength exercises consist of activities such as completing highly repetitive body weight lunges.

Anaerobic strength exercises consist of more explosive exercises such as completing squats with a high jump as fast as you can and exercises that require heavy resistance so that you can only complete between four and 10 repetitions.

Flexibility exercises are left out of a lot of exercise programmes as they are considered by some to be ineffective and pointless. However, keeping the body supple helps to prevent injury and reduces the delayed onset of pain that can be associated with exercising.

All three forms of exercise are important for lasting fitness gains and fat loss.

Research suggests the ideal aerobic prescription to reduce excess fat and to make good fitness gains is about 45-60 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Walking is the preferred mode of exercise to achieve this.

The ideal workout to improve cardiovascular fitness consists of a minimum of 30 minutes per day of large-muscle activity at intensity between 70% and 85% of maximum heart rate.

Strength exercises complement fat-loss goals as they allow for lean muscle to develop. Lean muscle is the secret weapon in the fight against fat.

A larger percentage of fat-free body mass (or lean muscle) leads to a faster resting metabolic rate, which subsequently enables more fat to burn 24/7.

Strength and flexibility exercises also help to improve posture and prevent the onset of injury and certain diseases, such as bone-weakening osteoporosis.

This programme will outline the correct mix of bodyweight exercises, cardiovascular exercises and flexibility exercises depending upon your current fitness level.

If you have not exercised on a regular basis for the past six months then you should follow the beginner programme.

If you have exercised regularly two to three times a week over the past six to 12 months then follow the intermediate programme.

If you have been a regular exerciser and have worked out more than four times a week for the past six to 12 months then follow the advanced programme.