Indoor rowing is the best exercise for toning the upper arms, according to fitness training expert Tony Gallagher.

"Rowing helps greatly to tone the biceps and triceps," said Mr Gallagher, a fitness trainer for more than twenty years, writing in the Telegraph.

"In the pulling phase of the stroke you contract your biceps: in the return phase the arms are pushed forward, away from the body, by the triceps until the elbows reach full extension," he explained.

For more specific arm toning, Mr Gallagher - who also advises the London Academy of Personal Fitness Trainers - recommended performing tricep dips.

"Face outwards on a step, bench or chair and with your arms straight, lower yourself towards the floor and then straighten your arms to return to the start position," he said, adding that two sets of eight to 12 repetitions performed slowly and accurately should suffice.

Push-ups are also good for boosting biceps, either from the floor or using a wall for variation, by standing in front of a wall with arms out straight and then leaning into it bending the arms.

Health charities have recently highlighted the importance of regular exercise in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease.