We all know that exercise is good for us.

Those of you who exercise regularly already know how great it makes you feel so you can skip this write-up and go straight to choosing from our specially selected fitness supplements, those who don't should perhaps read on and get some inspiration.

You need to think of exercise as something that will benefit you and not as a tedious chore. It can take some time to adjust from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one, but once you’ve been exercising for 6-8 weeks it’s very likely that you’ll carry on for the rest of your life (even if you don’t like the idea of exercise now). The difference it will make to your weight loss and to your general health will be so tremendous you won’t want to stop!

It can be a great help if you actually think of what your body is doing as you exercise. Try to imagine the blood coursing through your veins and arteries, burning up fat as it goes through your body. As you warm up and then get hot, think of the fat literally melting away. Picture this in your mind and think of yourself getting slimmer and leaner.

If you haven’t exercised for some time you will probably get a ‘rush’ from the extra oxygen intake during your 3rd or 4th session. Breath deeply and enjoy this as much as you can. It’s free and it feels great! When you get this feeling, reinforce the pact with yourself to carry this on for at least 4 weeks. The longer you exercise, the easier and more effective it will get.

Once you start slowly and notice how much better exercise makes you feel, you’ll soon start to really enjoy keeping fit (especially when you see the benefits on the scales!). One of the key factors in choosing effective exercise is finding something that you actually enjoy doing. Exercise should be fun, not a chore. Many people find cycling, tennis, swimming, jogging, or aerobics classes are great fun. The more you enjoy an activity the more often you will do it, and it is regular exercise that will provide the greatest benefits.

If you are really not very fit you should start out by just going for a walk for maybe 20-30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a week (longer if you can manage it) you’ll soon notice the improvement. As you become more accustomed to this, try to increase the length of the walk and the number of walks each week. You can also slot exercise into your daily life without it seeming like exercise. By walking to the shops instead of taking the car, walking up stairs instead of using the lift etc. you will burn extra calories without even knowing! And you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can adjust to this new life-style and start to enjoy these little walks, especially if you think of the good they’re doing you while your walking.

If you fancy it after a while then maybe you could join an evening class to help with fitness. Most areas have Adult Education classes which are much cheaper than going to the gym, and probably a lot less intimidating (though you might actually prefer the convenience of using a gym whenever suits you). Whatever you choose to do just enjoy it!