Keeping fit has always been important for maintaining a healthy life with slimness a prerequisite for looking attractive. With many jobs purely desk-based, a wide section of people get little or no exercise. It is hard to get motivated to push yourself to do exercise because sometimes we just don't have the energy.

However, as the weather gets warmer, and winter tights get thrown to the back of the underwear drawer, it is time to tighten those abs and flatten that tummy.

Being more active in your daily life is a good starting point; so think about how you can increase your daily activity levels. It might be as simple as putting more effort into the housework, walking rather than driving to the corner shop or parking further away from the supermarket entrance so you have to walk further.

"For the best slimming results, you should take planned exercise for four hours and 30 minutes a week," says West Yang, assistant fitness manager of Hyatt on the Bund.

Your body needs to be continuously pushed in order to burn fat and tone muscle so it's important that you keep pushing yourself.

Yang suggests dividing 90-minute exercise sessions into a 45-minute cardio workout and 45-minute weight training.

According to him, cardio exercise helps to decrease the level of body fat, which helps improve the muscle definition by thinning out the layer of fat that obscures the muscles, but weight training is what improves the look of the muscles.

In order to achieve a balanced physique, one should include both aerobics and weight training in the routine.

There are an infinite number of aerobic activities that one can choose from. With a 45-minute cardio workout, you can burn some 400 calories.

Yang recommends inclined fast walking on a treadmill instead of running, as it has less impact on knees and hips. "Fast walking on the treadmill at an incline increases intensity, burns more calories, and tones your lower body. Establish your basic heart-rate level, which is usually between 60 and 70 percent of target heart rate.

"Resistance training can help maintain lean body mass, important for individuals attempting weight loss," he adds. "By using free weights, a person will achieve greater overall muscle mass as compared with aerobic exercise."

However, any foods that lead to weight gain and hunger - such as saturated fats, trans fats, sugars and refined carbohydrates - are going to be torpedoes to any plan.

Yang stresses the importance of protein which helps promote lean muscle building, fiber that helps keep one satisfied to avoid overeating and calcium which has been linked to weight loss.

Consuming protein is important for other reasons. Protein provides the amino acids necessary to rebuild muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise. It can also increase the absorption of water from the intestines and improve muscle hydration.

The foods that have substantial amounts of protein include meat, fish, chicken, duck, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts and seeds.

Besides tackling exercise and diet issues, a slimming spa treatment can help you on the road to summer pins. The latest craze in cellulite wraps is green coffee. Green coffee beans are said to help break up cellulite molecules, redistribute fats and increase circulation.

"Green coffee is the latest ingredient to effectively dislodge cellulite accumulation," says Tania Corkin, spa manger of the Spa at the Hilton. "Naturally rich in chlorogenic acid, it helps stimulate the skin's metabolism to eliminate water stagnation and toxin retention to transform fat into energy."

The spa is offering a green coffee body wrap treatment with a complimentary eye cryo. Long-term, these slimming treatments only work in conjunction with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, so there's a way to go before you are beach-fit. But the soothing, smoothing wraps are a good place to start.