I want to help you to get fit and healthy! Last week I talked about goal setting and demonstrated a fitness test video to give you a starting point and measure the results that you get from exercising.

For me two of the key factors in exercise and fitness are; in no particular order, safety and achieving results.

Firstly, exercising unsafely and training with poor technique can lead to poor inter-muscular balance, dysfunctional posture, increased bodily wear and tear and at some point probably injury.

My advice; take the time to learn exercise techniques and don’t exercise too far beyond your current capability.

It is true that your body’s response to exercise slows and plateaus without a regular change in exercise stimulation (the type of exercise you do, the duration you do it for, the frequency or intensity of your sessions).

So while progressively pushing your fitness boundaries is good, be sure to do it gradually – you only get one body – so look after it!

Secondly, if you are not getting results from your training you are unlikely to continue long term! The more you measure, the more positive facts you will build, take a picture of yourself from the front, both sides and the rear, use the monthly fitness test in last week’s edition to assess your fitness performance, weight and size.

With a bit of effort you can notice a huge difference in just six weeks if you are exercising correctly. To be a real fitness winner though you need to be in it for the long game – six weeks of exercise and 46 weeks of laziness does not cut the mustard!

Start now and after three to six weeks look to review your programme and make some changes to keep you motivated, prevent boredom and give your body a new training stimulus! Don’t worry I will keep writing and giving you video tips to keep you moving in the right direction.

The war on getting in great shape often means changing some of your eating habits as well as exercising. In most cases it is a war you can win! The basics are; exercise on a minimum of three days a week (five is best), limit/avoid sugary, fatty and processed foods, ditch all soda drinks, limit/avoid pasta, potatoes, and most cereals, eat the best quality fresh food that you can afford and get to sleep before 10:30pm.

To help you on your way below are step by step exercise guides for beginner and intermediate fitness levels – if you are a complete beginner it may be a better idea to go back to fitness mission one. Some of the exercises do require a kettlebell, if you don’t have one you could use dumbbell or suitable household object (like a laundry liquid bottle) instead.

How to do the workouts If your goals are to lose weight and tone up, then try a high number of repetitions (15-25) at a fairly quick speed of each exercise after you have become competent in the techniques. You should be looking to complete one to three sets of exercises with less than 40 seconds break in between, but do whatever you can manage even if it less than 15 and build up.

If you are a bit more advanced and your goal is still weight loss you can make either routine into a circuit by adding in some high knee jogging on the spot, half jacks or sprint start exercises.

If you are looking to add a bit of muscle to your frame you will need to use a slower exercising speed and where the kettlebells are involved, lift a heavier one for between eight and twelve repetitions and two to five sets with a minute rest between exercises.

With breathing the general rule of thumb is to exhale on exertion and inhale on the easy part – make sure you keep breathing throughout your session – or you will find you get very breathless! Remember to keep a bottle of water close by and take small sips to stay hydrated.

Let’s give the workout a try!

These videos contain general ideas for fitness and healthy living, but they are not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice for you as an individual. You must take personal responsibility for your own safety and well-being. Performing exercises can pose a risk to the exerciser, so before exercising check any equipment you are using is in good condition and be sure to know your own limits. You should consult a doctor if you have any questions regarding your health or the suitability of any fitness programme.

Make sure you warm up before exercising

Beginner's workout video

Intermediate video

Well done – I hope you made it through the exercises and are feeling good after your workout.

If home exercise is not for you but you are keen on getting in shape then find my website and contact details below and get in touch for a range of exercise classes from ladies’ and men’s boxing to strength and HIIT classes as well as bespoke five star personal training.

Please remember to exercise safely, effectively and enjoy it. I will be back again in three weeks with some more tips and exercise technique videos for you, in the meantime if you haven’t already - check out the other six fitness mission articles on the Echo website. Get fit and stay fit, till next time - YOU ‘CANN’ DO IT!