Q: My father says that if I stop going to the gym the muscles I have built up will turn into fat. Should I worry? I visit the gym thrice a week. I am 19 years old and have been swimming since the age of six.

FS, Calcutta

If you are working out at the gym and using weights which help you to define your muscles then stopping may cause lack of muscle definition and also you do accumulate fat there. It is like stopping any exercise and not doing some other exercise to keep fit.

If you are swimming regularly, that is an excellent form of overall fitness. If you stop exercising, you’ll gain fat and put on weight. But I do not think you need to be worried or be paranoid about it. Be flexible in your fitness regime but be regular and be disciplined in your diet. Using weights and keeping your muscles toned can be done at home too.

Q: I have lost a stone through diet and using an exercise bike. However, my stomach could do with some toning, but I have to be careful due to spondylosis of the cervical spine. Can you suggest any exercises that would help?

DB, Calcutta

There are only a few exercises which you can do for stomach toning without raising and curling your neck. They are as follows:

Leg-overs-tuck: Lie on your back with legs straight and together; stretch arms sideways at shoulder level with the palms facing down. Raise both legs from the floor, bending at hips and knees until you form a tuck position. Lower legs to the left, keeping knees together and both shoulders on the floor. Raise legs and lower to the floor on the right side. Raise until you reach perpendicular to the floor and return to the starting position. Keep knees close and pressed to the abdomen throughout. Returning to the starting position completes one round. Repeat it for 20 to 30 counts.

Rocking sit-ups: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on floor and arms extended above the head. Swing arms forward and simultaneously thrust feet forward and move to a sitting position. Move forward, trying to reach your toes with your fingers. Return to the starting position. This completes one round. Repeat 20 to 30 times.

Cycling on floor: Lie down with arms on your side. Bring your knees to the chest and start cycling on the floor. Bring one knee close to the chest, pressed to the abdomen, while the other leg is completely extended.

The above are excellent exercises for overall fitness too. Diet also plays a vital role in toning the stomach. So maintain a low-calorie and high-protein diet rich in green vegetables and fibres. Avoid fried foods and drink a lot of water. Regularity in exercise programme plays a vital part in toning a particular area of your body. So do cardio exercises four to five times a week and toning thrice a week.