Dr Michael Mosley has shared two simple exercises which can help you lose weight. The health guru, who created the 5:2 diet, has been helping people lose weight for years and his methods have proved increasingly popular – winning him multiple awards in the process.
A regular guest on ITV's This Morning, he recently appeared on the daytime show to discuss the importance of exercise in losing weight. Explaining to viewers how to shed belly fat without losing muscle, the doctor explained that combining exercise with a healthy diet was the best way to go, NorthWalesLive reports.
"I don’t think exercise alone is going to help you lose weight but it improves your mood if nothing else," he said. "The data suggests if you combine [diet] with exercise that’s a great way [to lose weight]. One of the things you want to do, and this is the importance of protein – you need at least 50g of good-quality protein a day. That preserves your muscle.
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"The things you want to do when you lose weight is lose fat and not lose muscle and that was the danger of going on a really low-calorie, low-protein diet – tea, juicing – is that your body needs protein and if it’s not getting it from your diet it’s getting it from your muscles."
Dr Mosley went on to reveal the two best exercises to help with losing weight. Sharing tips with viewers he added: "So you need decent protein and exercise and that really means doing press-ups and squats.” Get the latest health news and advice here.
It comes after the health guru appeared on an episode of the BBC Radio Four podcast Just One Thing. During his appearance he talked about how he had started doing press-ups and squats – which can be done anywhere around the house – to improve his health.
He said: "I’m doing something I try to do every day – press-ups. We all know aerobic exercise – like running, walking, swimming, cycling – is good for your heart and lungs.
"On top of that there is just one thing I recommend you add to your daily routine – resistance exercise like press-ups. There’s fascinating new research on the benefits of strength workouts, how a few minutes of daily resistance exercises – where you don’t need any special equipment – can boost your brain as well as your muscles.
“There are two forms of strength exercise that I find particularly effective and easy to fit into my life. The first is press-ups – one of the best low-cost ways of building upper body strength. Not only do press-ups keep you toned but there is evidence resistance training can improve your sleep.
"The second form of resistance exercise I recommend you try doing on a regular basis is the squat.As we discovered it is one of the best exercises around for improving your brain function in surprising ways.”
Dr Mosley mentioned that he tries to do the exercises early in the morning as he tends to forget if he saves them for later in the day. He added that he works them in around other exercise including running and cycling
“I try to do 40 press-ups most days," he said. "I also love walking and cycling and I also make myself do the occasional run. [For press-ups and squats] I do them first thing when I get out of bed because if I don’t do them then I’ll probably forget to do them later in the day. They give you a full-body workout, help your heart, and may even boost your brainpower."
