A: Try to get to bed by 10-10:30 pm, since the body’s physical recovery period tends to happen between 10pm and 2am. Eat well, as food provides the fuel you need for optimal energy. You might want to exercise for 15 minutes initially and then increase the time by 10 minutes every week. In this way the body can get used to the change gradually.

A: You should eat a high-carbohydrate, low-fibre, light meal that is easily digestible about 2 hours before exercising. If you are in a rush and need something ‘on-the-go’ you could even have a sports drink or energy bar.

A: Personally I would recommend resistance training as the best way to achieve long-term, sustainable increases in your metabolic rate is through resistance training. While cardiovascular exercise (treadmill/bicycle) causes an almost immediate increase in metabolism, it is not long lasting.

A: The normal non-athlete range is between 24% and 31%.

A: A BMI of 18.5-25 is considered optimal.

A: Do any sport or activity that includes rotation or bending, which will require your abs to stabilise your body position. Try activities such as kickboxing, Pilates and any racquet sports.

A: Use the Rate of Perceived Exertion. Here is what the numbers mean:

RPE1-2: Very easy, you can converse with no effort.

RPE3: Easy, you can converse with almost no effort.

RPE4: Moderately easy, you can converse comfortably with little effort.

RPE5: Moderate, conversation requires some effort.

RPE6: Moderately hard, conversation requires quite a bit of effort.

RPE7: Difficult, conversation requires a lot of effort.

RPE8: Very difficult, conversation requires maximum effort.