TV doctor Micheal Mosely has revealed his key exercise tips to achieve your weight loss goals.
Dr Mosley, whose guidance is based on his own experience struggling with with type 2 diabetes, insists you don't have to be spending every free moment in the gym - instead suggesting that all you need to burn belly fat is a good amount of walking each day.
However it's not always about how much you walk, or even how many steps that you get in according to the doctor. While these factors are important, Dr Mosley reveals that when you walk is equally important, reports the Express.
During his podcast Just One Thing, Dr Mosely said that that 10,000 steps is a good target to hit, but you should think about how you are hitting that target
Dr Mosley said: "There are loads of benefits for going for a walk at any time of day or night, but getting out and about in the morning really could have some added benefits. It’s about the time you go for your walk and the briskness of your pace.
"The advantage of an early-morning walk is that you get out there and get exposed to light. It'll reset your internal clock and we know that light is a powerful suppressor of melatonin and gets you going."
Melatonin is a hormone that makes people feel tired and is associated with controlling the sleep-wake cycle. But by being outside and being exposed to sunlight, people get a serotonin boost that helps improve their mood.
"The briskness seems to be important, too," Dr Mosley added. "It's a good idea to make your walk as brisk as possible because when you do that it increases the impact by about 50 percent.
"You get more benefit if you’re doing more than 100 steps a minute than if you’re doing under. If you can aim for 120 there seems to be something optimal about that."
According to Nature Scot, a brisk 30-minute walk can lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20 to 30 per cent as well bowel and breast cancer by 30 and 20 per cent respectively.
A recent study looking at postmenopausal women found that those who walk slower may actually burn more belly fat.
Another study from last year suggested that walking can help with mental health and muscle building on top of belly fat loss.
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