My tip today is about training at home as I have had many people ask me for help on this issue. I'll give you 'MY TOP TIPS' on how to succeed in training at home.

1/PLAN it! Make the time & make it YOUR time! Say to yourself "today I will train, I may have to slip it in between cooking dinner or finishing that report for work, but I will do it today"!

2/Have a SET ROOM OR PLACE that you can move in, about the length & breadth of your body. A place you can shut yourself off from other house mates, children, spouses, partners etc. Make it known that you won't be available for trivial questions or chit chat and lock them all out! Be strong!

If you are a mum like me, you will know that quite often we spend a lot of time fielding trivial questions and refereeing squabbles that really don't require our immediate attention.

Dads you need your wind down time and space as well! So make it known you will be a lot happier to answer questions deal with homework discuss world topics after you have had 20-30 minutes to yourself to de-stress through your home work out.

3/Keep it SIMPLE! Body weight exercises. Train your biggest muscle groups first - chest, legs and back.

4/TIME it! That way people who want or need you will know that for 20-30 mins, you are not to be disturbed and tell them this is your time.

5/MUSIC - something that will make you want to get active! If you are having a 20-30 minute stretch session something slow but uplifting!

6/ START WHERE YOU ARE! If you have a treadmill but have never ran on it start by walking briskly and I mean as fast as you can for 1 minute then dial it down and walk at a comfortable pace for 30 seconds then increase your speed again so you are uncomfortable and puffing . Keep the working pace up for 1 minute then take it back to your resting pace for 30 seconds. Do this for 20 minutes the first 3 alternate days, then increase your time to 30 minutes and your working time to 90 seconds the next week. This way you will be easing your body into training and reducing your risk of injuries and your training will have a continuing GOAL and not be BORING. You will enjoy your training a lot more and be more inclined to CONTINUE!!!

The problem is that we have all these good intentions and yet sabotage ourselves by trying to commence our training where we need to ultimately take it/finish it. Unfortunately, all this does is make exercise a CHORE and you SORE! It also keeps you inactive when you know you need to be active. (This is why having a good personal trainer is valuable, as they help to pace you through and get you where you need to be).

7/LOG IT! Write down your training sessions - what you did, how you felt and what your ultimate goal is. This will make SLOGGING IT OUT in the LIVING ROOM worth it!! It's exciting too - trust me!

8/NO EXCUSES!! If you want the darn results DO IT! I'd say make a specific time every day "bla bla bla" this in today's world does not happen and many of you fail because as soon as you lose a day where you couldn't keep your exact training time -YOU QUIT! So don't set yourself up for failure - plan to train and do it! As for a set time, sometimes we have to MAKE THE TIME! I normally train after work in the mornings and during school holidays. However, this does not always work. Therefore, in order to train that day, I might need to do it after my last shift of the day, which means 8.30pm at night! Not my favourite time, but I go to bed knowing I trained that day and more importantly, I get up the next morning feeling good about having done it! I might just as easily squeeze it in between clients in the 6am shift or gaps throughout the morning. It's "Do or do not, there is no try" for me with my training, to quote Yoda.

Once you get used to adhering to the first 6 tips you will find tip 8 easier and easier! You will be MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY STRONGER and excuses can't cling to people who are on the success train.

9/ EQUIPMENT keep it basic! At first you just need a coffee table, a towel and water bottle. Then perhaps a non slip yoga mat and some light dumb bells, though success at home will come from tip 3.

10/ ENJOY! Tell yourself this is fun and fantastic and that this effort will get me closer to my goals and will help with my stress etc. Whatever your reason it's important enough for you to want to start! Always keep that in mind -better still, write it down and stick it on the bathroom mirror or on your desk at work with an inspirational quote underneath it. At sometime during the day you will be reminded that you MUST MAKE TIME TO TRAIN AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED FOR HAVING DONE SO!

Well I hope that this helps and at the same time challenges you to start your home training.

The CHALLENGE will be in TAKING ACTION! I'm sure you can do it and remember.....

"TO BEGIN -BEGIN!"