I’ve been a personal trainer for over 30 years, and I still know exactly what it’s like to say “I’ll start again on Monday” whilst finishing a massive pouch of chocolate buttons! Most of us have been there but the problem isn’t really us, it’s just how we are planning. Because it always goes the same way. Every Monday, you promise yourself this is the week you’ll get back on track. You’ll eat better, exercise more and cut back on the wine. Then Wednesday arrives. Work is manic, you slept badly, something comes up with the kids, and the gym kit you got ready on Monday is still in the same place. Before you know it, you’ve decided you’ll start again next week, and this cycle just keeps repeating week in, week out.

After all these years, I can tell you the issue usually isn’t willpower, it’s that people are following a routine that doesn’t fit their life and they’re making fitness harder and more complicated than it needs to be.

One of my clients, a mum of three, had restarted her plan every Monday for years. The week we agreed she would just drop her sessions to  three of my 15 minute online classes, she didn’t miss one for six months. It really was quite incredible.

So, here’s what I’d suggest instead.

Aim smaller. If your plan involves training six days a week, overhauling your diet and giving up everything you enjoy, it literally won’t last. Two or three manageable strength sessions a week, plus everyday movement, is a far better start than an elaborate plan you abandon after ten days.

Short sessions count. A focused 15 or 20 minutes is well worth doing. You don’t need an hour a day to make progress, and waiting until you have more time is often just another way of putting it off.

One bad day isn’t a bad week. A takeaway, a missed workout, a weekend where you overdid it: none of it undoes your hard work, and you don’t need to punish yourself with a strict diet or “de-toxing” on Monday morning. Just pick up your usual routine the very next day.

Motivation comes and goes. It’s fab when you feel super motivated, but sometimes motivation just isn’t there, especially if you don’t really enjoy exercise in the first place. So a routine that fits realistically around your life is so much better than just waiting to feel enthusiastic.

Judge progress by more than the scales. Feeling stronger, fitter and more energetic, and finding everyday tasks easier, all tell you it’s working. Especially as we get over the age of 40, keeping our muscle and strength matters for far more than how we look. (Although looking good IS an added bonus!!)

Your one thing this week: Pick two days and put a 20-minute session in your diary, or if you don’t know where to start, I can send you over one of my 15 min online sessions, and treat it like any other appointment or work meeting, and do it!

Hope that helps!