Why wait until the New Year to get fit. If you want to improve your health and get the motivation to stick to a fitness regime our new weekly fitness columnist Julian Bynoe can help.

Hi, and welcome to my new column. My name is Julian Bynoe and I am a personal trainer. In the coming weeks my aim will be to help encourage you to lead a more active, healthier lifestyle by offering you some practical advice on fitness and nutrition. So if you have been waiting for a sign to commence your training, this is it!

We've all tried at least one diet or exercise regime that didn't quite work for us for one reason or another and in an ideal world we'd all like to have more time to exercise and look after ourselves better. The festive season is hectic for most of us and trying to stick to a healthy diet as well as exercise is tricky at best. The reality of it is our busy lives often get in the way of us achieving our physical goals. So before you embark on a crazy new years diet and rush to sign up at the gym follow my column over the coming weeks and I'll be giving you some fresh ideas and advice on how to become more active and improve you own fitness and well being.

When starting any new plan I find it is best to try and work out exactly how much time you can commit each week to exercise. If you only have a couple of hours to spare I would recommend breaking this down into 20 minute or 30 minute windows to spread evenly throughout your week as opposed to a long two-hour slog in the gym. Encourage friends and family to join you in anything from a power walk to a game of quick cricket on the park, and remember ENJOY IT!

Let's get started!

Dad vs lad

This week I have just started working with a father and son who have made that big first step towards a healthier lifestyle. Each week you'll be able to see what we have been up to and follow their progress. I am inviting you to get involved and track your own progress by filling in the chart below and challenging yourself to be a healthier, fitter you.

Week 1 week 2 week 4 week 6 week 8 week 10

Weight --------- ------- --------

Waist

Hip

Challenge 1

Challenge 2

Challenge 3

This weeks challenge- 12 minute cooper test.

Equipment needed- stopwatch

Aim- walk or jog as far as possible in 12 minutes. Then record your distance and try and better your distance next time.

Tip of the week- Don't stand on the scales during the first month of your regime- focus on working for longer and improving your fitness. Often weight loss is the last in a long chain of changes that occur in the body when we start to exercise. A change in body shape can sometimes be the first visual sign of progress with a reduction in waist and hip measurements.

Contact Julian with all your fitness and nutritional questions at jtbynoe@yahoo.co.uk or call 07903 192726.