Kit.

It’s a good idea to invest in a few pairs to suit the weather and the conditions. If you are planning to walk, jog or run, a good pair of running shoes is essential. If you are not a running specialist a pair of trail shoes from a reputable brand is a great investment. You might want to stretch to waterproof pair to avoid wearing soggy shoes if you’re running on consecutive days. A separate pair of indoor training shoes is also a good idea.

If you’re going to be exercising outside, particularly in the west of Scotland waterproofs make a lot of sense. With a good set of waterproofs you can exercise outdoors in the worst of weather. It’s another investment of course, but they will last you a long time. It was Alfred Wainwright who wrote “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing” in his 1973 book Coast to Coast.

If you’re not planning to take out a gym membership, buy a couple of sets of hand weights/dumbbells for the house. Better still, treat yourself to two weighted bars - one heavier than the other. By incorporating bodyweight exercises and dumbells into an exercise routine you can have a pretty good resistance workout in the comfort of your own home.

The downside of these devices is that they are not that accurate. Yes they are good for monitoring steps but the heart rate functions are not precise and in particular they don’t cope well with providing accurate readings for high rates. That said, they are really good for recording your activity and providing you with trends. They help to motivate your step-count and encourage you to do that bit more. The advantage is that results can be shared with your trainer so, for those that want, the trainer can monitor daily performance.