After a few weeks of festive enjoyment - more food and drink you can poke a stick at - its time to get back into the gym and welcome 2008.

It is always back-to-basics after taking an extended break away from any form of physical activity. Unfortunately the lack of movement often results into added weight and I am no exception. I would guess I have put on a few pounds over the holidays, but it was well enjoyed. The main thing is to get back into the gym and remove the jelly bits before they start to feel at home.

There is a basic formula that applies to most of us - energy in and energy out. If you eat and drink more energy than you use each day it has to go somewhere and for the most of us it manifests itself into fat, and the fat starts to build a home. For some the fat has already built a small town, which means its going to take a lot harder to get all the town's fat cells to pack their bags and leave town. The good news is that they will leave town but that depends on how motivated you are.

It is somewhat hard to motivate yourself to get into the gym in the first instance and even harder to give it your best. That’s why I take it one step at a time. Rather than jumping back into a set routine I will start out on a circuit of different exercises and weights for the first week. It keeps things interesting and it allows time for the aging body to realise its being kicked back into gear and stops my becoming bored.

It sometimes feels like you are trying to push a 250 pounds up a hill - its bloody hard work, but once you get to the top its alot easier to get the weight down on the other side.

Whether you have a few holiday pounds to lose or a few hundred – the philosophy is the same – one day at a time, one step at a time. The fitter and stronger your muscles get – even years later – the philosophy doesn’t change, it just gets easier to understand.