As a personal trainer and healthy living coach for the last 10 years I have been asked so many very strange questions, but the following questions are without a doubt the top five. So read on to discover the facts and myths about exercise and weight loss.

1. If I exercise at a lower intensity for a longer period of time will I burn more fat?
Well, let's think logically here. Have you ever watched The Biggest Loser? Do they do long walks where they don't elevate their heart rate too much? Are you wondering why? It's simple. With weight loss we need to focus on total kilojoules burnt and the faster you walk, run, step, swim or cycle, the more kilojoules you will burn.

The target heart rate of 65 percent of your max (for example: 220 – age × 0.65 = target heart rate) will ensure that you burn fat but it's a slow way to increase your fitness and decrease your weight. So in short, the more exercise you do at highest intensity you can handle, the better.

I suggest starting with four 45-minute walks a week for the first two or three weeks to get your body prepared to build the intensity.

The primary concern is to start slowly at a lower intensity to ensure safety and your health and wellbeing.

2. If I exercise I don't have to worry about my diet, do I?
Exercise plays a huge role in weight loss but nutrition can never be forgotten. It's true that if you exercise but continue to eat badly you will achieve some of your goals. As much as 75 percent of weight loss is about nutrition and remember we spend as much as 21 hours a week eating.

My philosophy has always been to get your eating under control so you have total control of your weight. A complete weight management programme must include nutrition, training and stress management.

The other consideration is genetics. Your genetic structure determines a lot about what foods you should eat and what type of training you should do and this is why consulting a qualified personal trainer is more effective than just completing a training programme you find in a book.

3. I have been told not to do weight training as I will bulk up rather than lose weight. Is this true?
Weight training is an excellent way to help lose weight but every exercise regime needs to be tailored to the individual. Building lean muscle mass is the fastest way to burn body fat. But believe me when I say your genetics and the right choice of exercise is vital to your success.

4. Am I wasting my time if I am not pouring with sweat?
No, not at all. One of the most common reasons people don't start exercising is they believe they are not getting anywhere if they are not lathered in sweat. But every little bit of exercise helps. Research shows that even an hour of gardening per week will reduce your risk of heart disease, which is one of the biggest killers in the world today.

Try these two things this week: get off the train one stop earlier than you need and walk the extra five or 10 minutes each way. That's 20 minutes extra exercise a day, five days a week, which adds up to one hour and 40 minutes extra exercise per week or 80 extra hours of exercise per year!

Or instead of watching the kids play sport from the grandstand, walk the sideline. That could be the equivalent of more than 4km of walking.

Incidental exercise is great for you and is easy to do. Everything we do counts but remember the higher the intensity the more kilojoules we can burn.

5. Are carbs really bad for me?
Well, this is a big one. It seems everyone thinks carbs are the worst thing in the world. Well, they are not. They just need regulation just like everything in our diet.

Carbohydrates come in many forms. Vegetables are high in carbohydrates but they are great for us because they are natural and unprocessed therefore the body breaks them down and uses them effectively. White bread is also high in carbohydrates but is heavily processed and requires huge amounts of energy to break down. But being a high-GI (glyceamic index) food, the sugars in white bread are readily available almost immediately. Even so, the gluten and yeast sit in the gut and take up to four hours to break down fully. So in short eat more fruits and vegetables to get all the good carbs you need.