Who wants to be stuck indoors running on a treadmill when you could be outside on a boardwalk. Summer’s to short to spend it at the gym. So with the temperatures soaring and the beach beckoning, I’m left asking the age old question do I walk or do I run?

Why run…

• Running burns more calories per minute than any other exercise.
• Running is a highly effective cardiovascular exercise.
• Running 30 minutes a day will get you quicker results than walking 30 minutes daily.

Why walk…

• Walking is easier on the joints. Running is hard, especially when it’s down on unforgiving surfaces like concrete.
• Walking and running primarily works the same muscle groups.
• When done briskly walking can be an effective cardiovascular exercise.
• While walking burns less calories than running, walking burns more calories from fat. (With running, you need to run for at least 15 t o 20 minutes before you start burning fat. The quick bursts of energy running requires initially comes from carbs.)
• For beginners a brisk 30 minute walk can be hard enough.

In the end walking and running are both effective, according to ‘Cross Training for Dummies’ when it comes to weight loss running appears to be the better exercise because the more calories you burn, the more weight you’ll lose (regardless if they come from carbs or fat). But, in the end consistency is the key. Walking 30 minutes a day, seven days a week in the long run will do more for your waist and heart than running 30 minutes two days a week.

For me, I think I’ll walk for ten minutes, run for five minutes, walk for five minutes, run for ten and then hop in the lake for a quick swim before it gets cold again and I’m back exercising within four walls.

What does JLo, French women who don’t get fat and those girls at Curves have in common? They all maintain their physiques by eating six mini-meals a day.

The premise behind the six mini-meal plan is simply a matter of nature. Before we had electricity, freezers, mega-supermarkets and pizza delivery, eating wasn’t always guaranteed. So in order to survive the body became an expert at calorie preservation.

Essentially, when we consume a large meal our body goes into storage mode, thinking we are filling it up in preparation for an extended period of starvation. The same thing happens when we haven’t eaten for an extended period of time. Our metabolism slows down and when we do eat again, any excess calories are stored as fat. The problem is, unlike our ancient ancestors, we’re not really is any danger of starving, we’re just in danger of becoming obese.

So how do we regulate our metabolism and get our bodies to start burning calories again? Instead of eating two or three larger meals, eat six mini-meals. The goal is to eat something (whether it be a granola bar, an apple and bit of cheese or a sandwich) every two to three hours.

One study even found that when rats are put into a cycle of starvation and refeeding, their bodies increase production of lipogenic enzymes. These enzymes, which are also found in humans, are responsible for the creation of body fat.

While if you have any kind of an outside life, eating six times a day is harder than it sounds, if you plan ahead it’s entirely possible. After all, who wants to look like a bloated grizzly just before it goes into hibernation.

Bathing suit season has arrived and sadly after a winter of crunches and hours of stability ball sitting, my abs are no where near bikini ready.

Frustrated, questioning what I could possibly be doing wrong (the muscle is there, but the fat won’t budge), I sought the help of a trainer friend and learnt that if I wanted to trim my waist, I needed to increase my cardio and forget about the crunches.

In fact the University of Massachusetts even conducted a study on the effectiveness of sit-ups and found that these moves did nothing to decease waist size. This is because abdominal exercises burn hardly any calories (just a few more than lying on your back). So even if you do 5,000 sit-ups a day, like the men in the University study did, you’ll only end up with a six-pack hidden underneath a veil of fat if you’re not doing sufficient cardio.

Furthermore, sit-ups, crunches and Pilates can even be harmful to your health. Overworking your ab muscles can lead to an overloading of the spine and overtime could create permanent damage to spinal discs. I learned this the hard way. After a month of daily 30-minutes Pilates sessions, I ended up in the emergency room with debilitating back spasms.

So to get great abs, simple make a conscious effort to engage your core (pulling your belly to your back) while doing your cardio routine. Arm and leg strength exercises (pushups, squats and biceps curls) are also great ways to strengthen the core. Try doing them on a stability ball for even greater results.

My final belly busting tip is to cut down on your starch intake (especially white pasta, bread and potatoes) and increase your fresh produce and protein consumption. Starches are stored around the waist.