When delivering Personal training in Glasgow for many years we have noticed that there are 6 common questions that keep coming up so I thought I would take some time today to answer these for you.

What is the best diet?

For me there is no best diet, in fact I think the minute you say you are going on a diet you have set yourself up for failure. You have put yourself in the mind set where there is a start and end to what you are doing. You have effectively taking a short term focus. Whereas what we have found to be successful is changing your attitude and beliefs towards food and educating yourself on the impact certain foods have on your body. . Learn about blood sugar levels, find out what benefits protein have, find out why we SHOULD eat fat and this will gradually change how you view food and will help change your behaviours for the long term.

What the best exercise to get rid of the fat from my belly, bum or arms?

Again there is no one size fits all answer to this questions. However there are certain things I would definitely advise. First of you cannot spot reduce with exercise, for example doing lots of sit ups won’t give you a flat stomach.

The best way to change body shape is by doing big dynamic movements that work multiple muscle groups such as lunges, squats and press ups (see earlier blog for more ideas https://www.getresultsfitness.co.uk/the-must-have-exercise-plan/ ). Also be sure to change your exercise routine regularly as this will cause the body to be continually adapting and changing. And finally remember 80% of your results will come from what you eat so don’t put all your eggs in the exercise basket!

Also you may need to look at your stress levels as there is a direct correlation between high cortisol levels and increase fat storage in the abdomen

When is the best time to exercise?

Research shows that around 10am is physiologically the best time of day to work out. However when I get asked that question my answer tends to be whenever you can. For many people it is unrealistic to train at 10am. The benefits it gives are pretty minimal so just focus on finding a time in your diary that you can exercise and stick to it.

What happens to muscle when you stop exercising? (Does it turn into fat?)

This is one I get a lot. Muscle cannot turn into fat and vice versa. It is very much like trying to turn water into wine. I know that you see many overweight retired sports people presenting on TV or managing teams. Although it looks like their muscle has turned into fat, what has actually happened is that they have gone from being super active too probably little or no activity and they have not altered their calorie intake to suit their new lifestyle. Also because they are not working out as much they will gradually have lost muscle and this will lower their bodies ability to burn calorie. So it is really a double whammy for them. Less muscle = lowered metabolism and less activity = lower daily calorie burn

Should I do Yoga?

I would have to say a big massive YES to this one. Everyone would benefit in some description from doing yoga . If you have a desk job that causes you to have poor posture then yoga will certainly help with this problem. If you lively a busy stressful life then the breathing and relaxation aspect of yoga will have a huge benefit to you both physically and mentally. And finally if you exercise regularly then you will be shortening the muscles and perhaps cause some muscle imbalances to develop. Yoga is great at addressing any imbalances and stretches out those overworked muscles (I am finding this out the hard way!)

Do I need to run to get fit?

As much as I love running the answer to this would be no. If you hate running; have physical issues stopping you from being able to run or just find it too damn hard; then walking can be a great alternative. Getting outside and ideally next to a natural areas like woods or rivers can greatly improve your health and well-being.

I hope answering these questions has helped, if there is any I have missed click the comments section and I will answer them in there for you.