Bear in mind that the order of the day is: MOTIVATION!

• If you are tight on budget, check out university gyms, which are often open to the public, and have all the facilities which other gyms have, minus the price tag. They have nothing fancy about them, the changing rooms are a bit shit, sometimes there are not enough lockers and you need to wait a bit to put your stuff away, rubbish music but hey, £35 a month in central London, totally flexible, no-subscription attendance, with all classes free, access to gym and weight areas + saunas, you can’t really argue with that. I go to the Saddlers Sports Centre which is the gym used by City University students and staff, and that does the job fine.

• Always check that the Pilates and Yoga classes are included in your subscription. Same as swimming pool, steam room, etc., otherwise you’ll end up paying lots of extra.

• Think about motivation first and foremost. Sure, going with a good mate will be more fun and you’ll be able to have a chat when swapping machines etc., but will this not distract you from your workout?

• Check that the machines have a TV screen. Especially if motivation is running low, it helps to go at times when your favourite programme is screened, it makes it all less tedious. It’s like exercising while watching TV rather than watching TV while exercising.

• Every now and again, treat yourself to a personal training session, as the instructor will usually show you how to put your usual exercise regime up one level – you’ll end up doing more next time you’re on your own too, or trying out new things.

• If you like exercising in groups, make sure that the gym you are planning to go to has a variety of classes, a variety of instructors, and times when you can do them (not the instructors, the classes…). Then try out as many classes as you can. I’ve always found that the instructor made a huge difference to how much you enjoy or get out of a class so you should check this out.