Creator of 5:2 diet shares two easy exercises to aid weight loss

Dr Michael Mosley has shared two key key exercises that can help with weight loss – and you can do them from the comfort of your own home.

The award-winning health guru and TV presenter, 65, is known for creating the revolutionary 5:2 diet, where you can eat what you want for five days a week and cut down on calories for two.

In a recent appearance on This Morning, he stressed the importance of physical activity in weight loss and shared tips on how to lose fat and not muscle.

To lose weight effectively Dr Mosley said you need to do exercise "and that really means doing press-ups and squats".

He also said that losing weight is most effective if you combine good diet with exercise together.

Sharing his nutrition tips on this, he said, "One of the things you want to do, and this is the importance of protein – you need at least 50g of good-quality protein a day. That preserves your muscle."

He warned, "The things you want to do when you lose weight is lose fat and not lose muscle and that was the danger of going on a really low-calorie, low-protein diet – tea, juicing – is that your body needs protein and if it's not getting it from your diet it's getting it from your muscles."

"So you need decent protein and exercise and that really means doing press-ups and squats," he added, combining his key elements of successful weight loss together.

Read more: A man's guide to doing battle with belly fat

It seems Dr Mosley practices what he preaches as his advice to others comes after he revealed what he was trying out himself, discussing the benefits of press-ups and squats in more detail.

Speaking his BBC Radio Four podcast Just One Thing, he said, "I'm doing something I try to do every day – press-ups. We all know aerobic exercises like running, walking, swimming, cycling is good for your heart and lungs."

But, he added, "On top of that, there is just one thing I recommend you add to your daily routine; resistance exercise like press ups. There's fascinating new research on the benefits of strength workouts, how a few minutes of daily resistance exercises – where you don't need any special equipment – can boost your brain as well as your muscles."

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Detailing exactly how his top recommendations can help, he said, "There are two forms of strength exercise that I find particularly effective and easy to fit into my life. The first is press ups, one of the best-low cost ways of building upper body strength.

"Not only do press ups keep you toned, but there is evidence resistance training can improve your sleep.

"The second form of resistance exercise I recommend you try doing on a regular basis is the squat. As we discovered it is one of the best exercises around for improving your brain function in surprising ways."

Dr Mosley said he tries to do 40 press ups most days. "I do them first thing when I get out of bed, because if I don't do them, I'll probably forget to do them later in the day," he said. "They give you a full body workout, help your heart, and may even boost brainpower."

He also loves walking and cycling, and makes himself go on the occasional run.

There are different types of press-ups you can try depending on what works for you, as detailed by the NHS. A 3/4 press-up involves placing your hands underneath your shoulders with your arms fully extended, palms flat and fingers facing forward, and knees resting on the floor. You then bend at your elbows, lowering your chest no more than 5cm from the floor, before pushing up and repeating.

A full press-up, however, involves keeping your legs straight and knees off the floor, bending your arms at your elbows, lowering your chest until it's 5cm above the floor and your elbows reach 90 degrees. The aim is to try and keep your back and legs straight and not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up.

To do a squat, you need to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, feet facing forwards and hands stretched out in front. You then lower yourself down by bending your knees, going as far as feels comfortable, with the aim to get your thighs parallel to the floor. You then rise up again, and repeat.