All right, I'll admit it. When it comes to exercise, I lean towards the hardcore. I'm one of those people who tend to get a little grumpy when I miss a planned workout.

"Can I run later?" I remember asking the nurse just before they ran what seemed like 25 metres of hose through my innards.

"Runners," she snorted, "you're all nuts."

Well, my little black toenail was a tad out of joint when I came across this study recently. A Danish sports scientist and his colleagues have concluded that soccer burns more fat than jogging.

"Does not," was my first reaction. "No way." Then I took a closer look at the study.

Heat got you down? Maybe you've abandoned your exercise program as temperatures across the country tickled record highs?

If you have, and you're feeling a little guilty, don't worry. Your body may still be benefiting from what you were doing — even if you were barely breaking a sweat while you were moving.

A study published in the latest issue of The Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that a "modest amount of moderately intense exercise is the best way to lower the level of a key blood marker linked to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes."