I DON’T know about you but I cannot even consider anything Christmas related until it is December.

But from December 1st anything goes.

Christmas music, whether 17th century carols or 80s festive pop classics can be cranked up and the Christmas spirit ignites and burns brighter as we progress through the month. And this December, after they year we have all had, we need as much yuletide cheer as we can muster.

It is fair to assume that the last thing Tivyside Advertiser readers need is a health and fitness professional telling them how to be full of boundless health and fitness this Christmas and the sacrifices that will require. So you’ll be pleased to know I am not going to do that. In fact, borrowing a phrase, I would encourage you to have your Christmas cake and eat it this year.

What I do think we can all do though is lessen or even eradicate that looming New Year feeling of regret and guilt when we look in the mirror, stand on the scales and cringe at the road ahead during the coldest and wettest month.

It can’t be any surprise that New Year resolutions are dominated by weight loss, fitness and health themes, and we all know what happens to the vast majority of these.

According to a YouGov survey in 2019 the top three UK resolutions were: 47 per cent improving fitness/more exercise, 44 per cent lose weight, 41 per cent better diet. The three are of course fundamentally connected and very much after the same goal..

The problem is that good, proper and genuine intentions tend to dissolve in the cold light of a January day as we all get back to work, ponder our December debts and try to stave off winter bugs. Then, before we know it, we’re moving into Spring and those unwanted kilos and extra inches have gone nowhere and might even have multiplied. Along with very poor muscle condition.

So what’s the answer this Christmas? In two words - tick over. When it comes to exercise, a little and often really does work.

Take the dog for a couple of good daily walks, if there’s no dog, take yourself, and don’t let the West Wales weather be an excuse.

Think of boosting your muscle density. After the age of 30, our muscle mass reduces every decade between three per cent and 5 per cent. That can mean a massive decline of 20 per cent by the time we are 70. No wonder the fat creeps on while the muscle slips away.

Spend a few minutes each day doing strengthening and mobility exercises at home - no equipment or significant space necessary.

Set yourself a simple task of three exercises, to perform three times throughout the day. And just do them! It needn’t interfere with the day and there’s no need to get the right kit on

• Vary the exercises over a three day period. For instance leg moves on day one, upper body exercises on day two and mid sections abs on day three.

For legs for instance Jumping squats x 12, hopping, Kick and curtsey

For upper body try tricep dips, shoulder press jumps and press ups

For the abs straight arm crunches, rotating the obliques and planks with a hip raise

• For help with these, take a look at my youtube video this week www.youtube.com/joeybull Preparing for Christmas.

So here you’re ticking the boxes of building muscle, raising metabolism by frequency of movement and using a worthwhile calorie expenditure.

This will not impinge on your Christmas. In fact they will increase your energy and bring a sense of wellbeing this festive season, while ensuring you reach January 2021 crisis free when it comes to deconditioning and weight gain.

www.joeybull.com