Seeing is believing – reversing the negative spiral

This profile suggests that you are very sedentary and do no exercise. You will find that this can become a bit of a negative spiral as exercise is a great source of energy, so by not doing any you will probably feel tired all the time. This has a knock-on effect on your self-esteem, motivation and so on. If you feel tired, bloated, overweight and unfit, life becomes a struggle.

Believe it or not, the more you exercise, the more energy you will have. As well as boosting your energy, regular exercise helps reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat. Try going for a walk after work or during your lunch hour, even it's only for five or 10 minutes. Walking is a fantastic form of exercise as it's one of the most natural movements you can do. It's low impact, so very safe and soft on the joints, and is great for a beginner.

By simply adding exercise into you life, you can create a positive spiral where you feel re-energised, have higher self-esteem, feel fitter and look good. You are the most important person in your life; it's now time to make exercise play its part in your life.

• Every little bit counts. Exercise does not have to mean going to the gym for an hour or running til you're bright red; it can be fun and take less time than you might realise.
• As this is the beginning of the new you, start off gently by going for a walk. Put on some good walking shoes (trainers are preferable if you have them) and don plenty of layers if it's cold. Aim for 10 minutes for your first walk, and as you get fitter increase the distance.
• Buy a pedometer and wear it every day. It will tell you how many steps you've taken and is a great motivator as you see the steps mount up!
• If the weather is bad and you can't bear to go outside, here's a good indoor substitute. Put on your favourite CD and march on the spot for two minutes. Then march up and down the first two steps of the stairs for two minutes. Repeat both exercises, first for one and half minutes of each, then for one minute of each, and finish off with just 30 seconds of each. Before you know it, you've done 10 minutes of exercise. This is a nice and easy way of gently increasing your health and fitness.