Health Gem

If you do one thing this week... Exercise in a pack

IF YOU usually work out solo and find you are coming up with ever more inventive excuses to avoid donning the gear and getting going, how about joining a pack?

Exercising with other people can offer a social element and might give you that final push of motivation to get out the door and keep enjoying the benefits of regular physical activity.

Perhaps you could train with friends to run a mini-marathon. How about joining a cycling club or signing up for martial arts classes in your area?

Try checking out nearby gyms for group exercise sessions like spin or circuits where instructors guide and encourage you to challenge yourself that little bit more and improve your fitness.

Or if it’s your kind of thing, dance classes can be fun and social while getting you up off the couch.