It is easy to pile on the excuses for not exercising: “It's too cold”; “I'm too tired”; “It's too dark”; “It's the Christmas holidays so I'm bound to pile on the pounds anyway”.

At this time of year you are probably feeling exhausted.

However, you could actually do with maintaining rather than reducing your efforts because you are going to need all the energy you can get to cope with the demands of the new year.

I'm too tired

Although it feels like the last thing you need, exercise increases the levels of oxygen in your body and stimulates the nervous and digestive systems which, in turn, will raise your energy levels significantly. While intensive training will make you feel tired, moderate levels will give you a positive boost. Focus on cardiovascular exercise in 30-minute sessions, and try to stay within a relatively comfortable zone, say seven out of ten - on a scale where 1 equals being totally at rest and 10 is being completely exhausted.

For your resistance training, try changing your routine a bit if you have been doing heavy-strength work, and focus on circuit training- type sessions, which give you a general workout.

Too cold, too dark

If you can't summon up much enthusisam for exercising outdoors, perhaps you can use the daylight hours, in your luncbreak if necessary. If you usually exercise for 60 minutes, it's fine to cut it back to 30 for now. Or why not try exercising at home? You can do the latter with a simple routine that alternates between the upper and lower body in a circuit, such as press-ups, squats and lunges. This approach to exercise raises heart rate and works the entire body well. Or you might concentrate on key areas, such as your tummy. It's not always easy to do a full routine at home if you don't feel motivated or your surroundings don't feel quite right, but you could focus on doing a 10 to 15-minute routine for the stomach, combining exercises for all parts of the waist. For more on the exercises, go to timesonline.co.uk/dietandfitness .

Try something new

If you usually run or cycle or play tennis, try a new activity that can be done throughout the winter, such as swimming. The change in routine is good for mind and body. If you swim now, you could enter a duathlon (swim and cycle, or swim and run) in spring and build towards a triathlon later in the year.

Get on with it

If you procrastinate until the new year, you are making your task harder when it arrives. Stop-start exercise plays havoc with your metabolism and nullifies any gains. The increased calorie intake and partying are all the more reason for building some form of routine.

We are all fighting our own recessionary battles, but if you feel fit, healthy and focused enough you can win them faster and be more than ready for when things get better.

For more on Matt go to www.mattroberts.co.uk

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