Q: I'm not sure whether I am doing the right amount of exercise to actually be beneficial. I'm trying to lose weight and get fit and healthy. Monday, Wednesday, Friday I do one hour consisting of cardio, strength and core training. On Tuesday and Thursdays I do 20 minutes yoga stretching and 30 minutes on a stationary bike. On Saturdays and Sundays I do 20 minutes of yoga stretching. Please can you tell me if it's too much or too little?

A: The volume of work that you are doing seems to be enough. The telling factor is what intensity you are working at as well as what you are doing in those sessions (it is said that to burn fat you should exercise at 65-75% of your maximum heart rate).

Also by combining your cardio, strength and core on the same day you are not allowing enough time for cardio (even though you probably feel like you worked out, but that will be because of the strength work). I think you should be doing about 40 minutes of cardio alone especially if your goal is to lose weight, but still have the strength/core component within your program.

This is what I suggest:

Monday: 40-45 minutes cardio (swimming, cycling, running, rowing) and core training.

Tuesday: Strength and yoga stretching.

Wednesday: 35-45 minutes stationary bike and yoga stretching.

Thursday: Strength and yoga stretching.

Friday: 40 minutes cardio (swimming, cycling, running, rowing) and core training.

Saturday and Sunday: Yoga stretching and rest day.

You need to have a rest day. This is where the body recovers and where the physiological differences take place. It works out nicely to have your rest day on the weekend, however if you prefer to have rest day during the week that is also fine. Keep at the fitness program; keep following the healthy eating plan and you should start seeing results!