High - including athletics, general sport and housework, Moderate - including cycling and walking and Low - which is standing or sitting.

The results showed that going all out and doing a high level of exercise once in a blue moon is not an entirely effective way to keep fit. Activities in the Moderate category, however, can be far more effective if done on a daily basis. Not only does this kind of exercise use up more energy but it uses it in a more efficient and effective way.

The key is to try to cut down on daily inactivity. Try to find ways of altering your daily routine so that you can incorporate gentle activity like walking and cycling. For example you could walk to work or if that is not possible park a little further away or get off the bus a few stops early. Start with small steps to begin with - even parking at the back of the supermarket car park even if there are spaces at the door!

Increasing the amount of walking you do on a daily basis, in this way, raises your metabolism far more than occasional bursts of High level exercise. Also this means that those of us who are very over weight or are older and so less fit, can exercise in a safe way by doing a Moderate level of exercise. We have already seen that pushing yourself to achieve High levels of exercise may be ineffective, but it can also be unsafe for many of us.

We all know that exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, however we need to realise that it should not just be a way to lose weight, but also to stay fit and well throughout our life. Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, improves lung function, helps to keep you feeling good and alert mentally and improves our general overall health. If we need further proof, the results of a 22 year study on the effects of regular exercise in middle aged men, were published in 1998 and showed that you can definitely increase your life expectancy if you are active as a regular part of your routine.

So although we may feel that our one visit to the gym is fulfilling our fitness quota for the week - we may have to think again! Doing smaller amounts of exercise on a daily basis will keep us fitter for life!

Try a few of our suggestions today;

• Leave your car behind on shorter journeys
• Cancel your newspaper delivery and walk to the shop to pick it up
• When doing housework take only what is necessary for each task so that you are forced to keep on walking up and down those stairs!
• Talking of stairs - pick up the pace and don't dawdle!
• Park the car further away from your destination or get of the bus a few stops early.
• When walking around the supermarket or shopping mall, walk purposefully - you would be amazed at the miles you can notch up on a good shopping day