Post your questions for our fitness expert here by Wednesday 6th Feb. We'll post up Matt's answers on Saturday Feb 9th.
Hilly Janes
Body&Soul editor

Hi Matt
I am female/50, 5'4, 64 ish Kg and trying to increase my fitness/stamina and strength whilst toning and keeping weight in check. I have a healthy balanced diet .
My problem is that I appear to have a strong muscular imbalance especially in quads. Left leg often feels heavy and I find myself doing a bit of 'John Thaw' leg if that makes sense.

I have a tilted pelvis which has only recently shown itself through a short term lower back problem. Waiting to see an Osteopath but want to try to strengthen lower body.

I currently walk 2 5 miles quickly (about 4.1 mph) at least three times a week) and do a home programme of core strengthening and gentle weights most days. I also play some tennis. I have your 'Fitness for Life Manual' GREAT! so could follow specifics if suggested.

What can I do to balance the leg strength?

Thank you

Carol Shea

Hi Matt,

What's the best way to lose fat from your thighs? I'm following a beginners running programme at the moment but just wondering if I should also include some other cardio work or weights to help speed things up.

Also any idea why I get back pain the day after I've been on the cross trainer? I don't suffer from it when I run on the treadmill just when I use the cross trainer. I'm not very tall (only 5ft 1") so I'm wondering if it might have something to do with that - perhaps I'm overstretching to reach the poles and so not keeping good posture.

Thnx
Carol

Hi Matt
Can you advise me as a novice runner how to build up by interval training.
I am currently walking for 2 minutes and running for 2 but need to increase gradually. Advice also on warming up and cooling down would be good. I am 5ft 2, female and 47 with over 3 stones to loose.

Thanks
Pippa

How to keep those Good Intentions?

I always start off really well then I either get bored or lose time. I have a job that requires me to be quite active and I'm also at University (I have to climb four flights of stairs every day). My main problem is at mealtimes I'm working, so I usually don't get a break until about 9pm (I start at 5pm) and so I usually have to resort to a ready meal for tea.

Can you reccommend quick foods and tips for staying on that Healthy Eating diet/exercise regime?

Thanks
Tracey

Any advice as to training around achilles tendonitis in both legs?

What sot of exercise would be safest?

Hi Matt

I pulled a muscle or a ligament in my left arm over a year ago and it is still painful, especially if I use it a lot. Can you recommend any exercises that I can do to strengthen it and allevite some of the pain.

Also can you advise me on the best exercise to get rid of fat from the midriff.

Many thanks

Hannah

Hi Matt

I regularly run on the treadmill and outside as well as doing other cardio exercise - when I run at any decent pace my heart rate goes up to rather worryingly high levels (in excess of 180).

I am 30 and although I am a few stone overweight I am quite fit and healthy. Should I be worried?

Doing other cardio like the cross trainer my heart rate is around 160 which is I think where it should be.

I have also been told in the past that if you are a bit on the heavy side that running is bad for you, especially your joints - what is your feeling on this?

Thanks
Diane

Matt,
I would absolutely love to be able to enjoy running, it's a quick, effective and cheap way of getting fit, but after a few minutes I get very bored and my enthusiasm dwindles hopelessly so I usually end up walking. Any good tips?
Emma

Matt ,Hi I'm Pete ,a soon to be 55 years old male,who's similarly senior wife has recently acquired a gym ball which she has no idea how to use.Could you possibly suggest a Yoga/Pilates?style routine I could spend 15-20 minutes a day on to prepare me for the day she finds out and I become her guinea pig

c
Can you tell me why when I do sit ups I get a pain in the small of my back after every seven or so. I stop for a while and then go on again, I'm very conscious of using my stomach musles to bring myself up while trying to keep my back on the floor. Obviously doing something badly wrong!

I've tried some gym classes - but keep coming across same problem - i get tendonitus in my wrists so can't do press ups or weights or go on the vibro machine,
can you reccommend an alternative exercise that will also help strengthen my wrists

I'm also interested in how to build up to being able to run comfortably for a few miles. I am just starting out and and am walking till I get my breath back when I feel the need. Should I follow a stricter run walk routine? What is the best way to build up distance and speed

What are your top tips for losing weight again once you have hit a plateau? I have lost two stone and have about half a stone left but it's not budging even with exercise 5 times a week and a calorie controlled diet (about 1400 cals a day). I'm 5 ft 4 and weigh 9 stone 5.

Additionally, after a run my stomach muscles ache on the sides of my torso. Is this normal? Am I not running correctly?

Thanks, Samantha.

I've had to stop running on knee consultant's advice (had microfracture in 2006 for lesions/holes in articular cartilage and may need another on other knee). I really miss my running, not necessarily the marathons I used to do, but the shorter distances/races (eg 10miles or 10km), adn definitely the actual freedom of running. I don't like gyms, and have discovered alongside this that I'm an outdoor person. I'm trying power-walking but I obviously can't get so far in the time and so it's getting repetitive as I live in the countryside so haven't choices of different roads etc. I'm missing competition and/or having targets to aim at and so am also losing motivation. Any ideas for a new/different sport or fitness regime or how to keep motivation with the walking would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Matt,

Does breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth when running really improve your lung capacity? I've been told this, and that it also helps oxygen circulate better throughout your body and therefore make you less likely to get stitches or cramp. Is this true, and if so why is it different from breathing in through your mouth? (Which feels so much more satisfying when you're gasping for air like a goldfish out of water!)

I am 5 stone overweight (46, female) and currently don't exercise - I would like to walk but am suffering with plantar faciitis, so every step is pretty uncomfortable. Any ideas? Perhaps ones that don't involve a swimming costume? I would also love find a pair of comfortable shoes, I have orthotics which make the shoe shallower and so toes are pressing on the top side of shoe, I also wear a brace at night to keep the foot in a flexed postion. Any advice greatly appreciated.

Emm