Despite Government warnings we are turning into a nation of couch potatoes and risking obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, our health is deteriorating and our waistlines growing.

To look good and feel great it is essential you eat well, drink in moderation, rest, train correctly and balance your stress levels.

Today we are looking at the most effective way to exercise.

People’s activity levels are at an all time low, with only 3 per cent of women and 8 per cent of men participating in regular exercise.

To get the most from your exercise programme, and to avoid injury, it’s important you understand how to train properly.

Functional exercise is the best way to train, which means, to trainwith purpose.

So functional training can be described as a purposeful system of exercises. They focus on multi joint movements which integrate muscle groups which will burn more calories. The more muscle the body has, the faster your metabolism will be.

Functional training involves integrating weight-bearing exercises that activitatie the abs and back, and outer unit muscles, ie the ones you can see.

These exercises include squats, lunges, step ups and swiss ball exercise.

Functional training attempts to adapt or develop exercises which allow individuals to perform the activities of daily life more easily and without injuries.

Functional training will lead to better muscular balance and joint stability.

Craig and Natasha are directors of Excel Health and Performance and Health Idol. For more information visit www.healthidol.net