TG4 presenter Daragh Ó Tuama tells Patricia Westonthat he suffers from a common male phenomenon called "man boobs"
Do you exercise regularly?
I'm afraid that I'm a man with great intentions, I always intend to start exercising regularly, but unfortunately I don't get much done.
I try to go for walks as often as I can but, in fairness, with the lack of walking I do, it's definitely not proper exercise!
I occasionally get into a fitness buzz and it can sometimes last about a month but then I break the cycle for a couple of days and I just fall out of the routine.
Do you reckon you're fit?
I don't think I'm the most unfit person in the world, but I have a fair amount of work to do before I can call myself fit.
Do you worry about your appearance?
To be honest I have to say yes. I think everyone does but not everyone will admit it. It's not the most important thing in the world to me, but sometimes if you look good, you feel good.
Is there anything about your body you don't like?
One word . . . man boobs. (Or should that be two words?)
Any bad dietary habits?
We all have our bad days - I occasionally order in but, believe it or not, I gave up ordering in for Lent.
Have you ever dieted?
I once did a cabbage soup detox diet that was painful: the soup was disgusting. I lost a stone in a week, but because of the lack of proper food I ended up putting the stone back on within a fortnight. I'm on a WeightWatchers diet at the moment, so nearly every morning I have a bowl of Special K.
At lunch I have a wrap with chicken and I usually eat very healthy dinners; last night I had spaghetti bolognaise, mainly made up of vegetables and tomatoes, and not too much meat.
Watch out for Daragh on TG4's new car show MPH, which airs every Monday night at 7.30pm.
Patricia Weston's exercise prescription:
Daragh says he suffers from a common male phenomenon called "man boobs". Toning and strengthening the chest or pectoral muscles can easily rectify this problem:
Along with chest exercises, combine your specific workout with regular aerobic exercise and lots of stretching.
Posture is also an important part of improving the appearance of the chest. If you sit at a desk for work you may suffer from rounded shoulders that can make your chest sag even more.
Pull your shoulders back and down, squeeze your shoulder blades together, tighten your abs and stick your chest out.
Also try this quick pec-tightening workout to banish those unsightly mammaries.
Using a Swiss ball or a bench, perform Swiss ball push-ups. Place both hands on the ball as you balance on your toes with your legs outstretched. Bend at the elbows slowly and then straighten, but do not lock out the elbow joints. Repeat for three sets of 15 repetitions.
Lie on your back on the ball or a bench with your feet hip width and your knees bent. Hold a 5kg dumbbell in your cupped hands outstretched over your head at shoulder level and gently lower the weight back to the level of your head. Repeat slowly for three sets of 12 repetitions.
Repeat the same position, but place a weight in each hand and hold together over your head, bend your elbows and lower out to the side to shoulder level. Repeat slowly 15 times for three sets.
Remember that breathing is important. When you are weight lifting, breathe in at the start of the move and breathe out on exertion.
Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates teacher.
pweston@eircom.net