IN JUST four weeks we’ll all be sitting down and eating our Christmas dinners; all the trimmings followed by pudding with rum sauce, washed down with mince pies and a big tin of Quality Street. Then on Boxing Day it’s more of the same but the turkey is cold.

I know in my business that soon after Christmas many people’s thoughts turn to New Year’s resolutions, and quite often this includes getting fitter and healthier and losing weight. So, lots of people trot off to the gym, sign up for a year and never go after February 1.

Normally I find this is due to poor guidance and advice. Many people go hell for leather for a few weeks and really don’t enjoy what they’re doing so give up.

Then the following year they go through exactly the same process: resolution, join the gym, go half a dozen times and forget all about it.

I see lots of Personal Trainers online and on social media boasting about ‘beasting’ clients and making them ache for days after a session.

Whilst there is a place for this kind of workout and session with some clients, for the vast majority of people it doesn’t work. It’s demoralising for the client, and unpleasant.

So just what should you do and how hard should you work when you’re first starting out?

I like to gauge effort using Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE), or what’s sometimes known as the Borg scale. This is basically a measure of how hard you think you are working. I use 0 to 10, where 0 is laid down and 10 is a level of effort that no one can sustain for more than a few seconds.

To get yourself going you really don’t need to go above seven out of 10. At this level you know you are working but you can also sustain a conversation – well, just about. It doesn’t matter how fit/unfit you are, everyone can work at seven out of 10. The only difference is that as you get fitter you will work harder than when you first started.

To demonstrate this let me explain:

I teach a spinning class each week; this is hard-core exercise where we work up to 10 out 10 for short periods. The vast majority of the session is spent about eight out 10.

When people first join the class it’s very hard. Those who come every week and have done for some time complain that it never gets any easier. I point out to them that it doesn’t get easier but they are working harder.

The point is your perceived effort is exactly that –YOUR perceived effort.

So when you make your resolution this year, bear that in mind. Start working at six or seven out of 10. As you get fitter, stay at that level but you will notice you have to increase your intensity to work at that level.

Have a great Christmas and a healthy 2015.