Most of us have weight-gain trouble zones. If yours are your tummy, butt or thighs, you're in good company - 84 per cent of women cite these as their problem areas.

It's often difficult to burn off fat because we follow the same exercise habits - including the same routine, pace and distance travelled. But it takes only a bit of variation to your normal routine to make the most of your daily walk to help shift weight from those trouble areas.

Change of pace

Start out on your regular walk or run and after 10 minutes, steer yourself toward a park bench. Then spend 10 minutes doing this simple park-bench workout, without resting, before finishing your daily walk or jog.

Plank extension

Place your hands on a bench and walk your legs back until your body forms a straight line, with your wrists beneath your shoulders. Without letting your back sag, raise one leg leg half a metre off the ground, pause and then lower. Do this
15 to 20 times before switching legs. Continue for one minute.

To make it harder Do the exercise on the ground in a push-up position.

Tricep dips

Sit on a bench with your palms on the edge and your elbows straight, knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your body weight up and out, bend your elbows and then straighten to dip your body down, then up again. Keep your back close to the bench, pull your belly button towards your spine and try to use your arms, not your legs. Do 10 to 15 repetitions.

To make it harder Straighten your legs, keeping one foot crossed over the other.

Toe dips

Sit on the bench with straight legs. Clench your tummy muscles and lift your legs off the ground, before alternating your feet in a cycling action. Don't let your feet touch the ground. Aim to do 30 repetitions.

To make it harder Lift both knees towards your chest, then lower them towards the ground.

Step-ups

Keeping your back straight, face the bench, and step up with one foot then the other, and down again. Make sure your heels don't hang off the edge of the bench. Park benches are usually pretty high, which makes this exercise quite a challenge, so don't worry about stepping up and down too quickly. Switch your starting leg halfway through. Aim to repeat this exercise for one minute in total.

To make it harder Continue doing the step-ups for a further two minutes.

Tip

Going for a fast-paced 45-minute walk at least four times a week can help you lose weight and tone up without altering your diet.

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