Steve Seabrook, personal trainer and life coach, Brighton

“People get an idea in their head; they see a picture, something inspires them to get in shape, or they get some bad news regarding health. They get this great idea of how they’ll work out — but then they rush into it,” says personal trainer and life coach Steve Seabrook.

This all-or-nothing approach to going flat out with training, often paired with changing the way you eat, is not the best way to approach your January fitness plan, he says. “First, choose some basic exercises to learn, and commit to a certain amount of time in the gym each week.” The key is to make slow but steady progression.

Easing yourself into your workout plan by getting your form sorted — because nothing stops a would-be workout regime quicker in its tracks than an injury — and finding time to stretch and recover are also a crucial part of any new plan. “When I show my clients the training first and then slowly drip feed the nutrition side, I see so much more progression,” he says. “So don’t take on too much at once!”

That said, making sure you have a plan and don’t just go with the flow is also key: “Set some goals out, and if you don’t hit them, really think about why and then look to improve the following week.”

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