Barking up the right fitness tree

With the onset of 2004 many new year's resolutions will centre on getting fitter and healthier.

Around 27 per cent of Londoners will be embarking on a new diet and exercise regime in the next few weeks, according to a new survey, but shaping up doesn’t necessarily call for drastic measures.

Walking is one of the best exercises for overall fitness and banishing the sluggish feeling of one mince pie too many.

An hour’s walk can burn up to 200 calories - the equivalent to a hamburger (108g) or a portion of chips (100g). The benefits are cumulative and striding out regularly will boost your resting metabolism as well.

If your willpower is in need of a boost then you are not alone. Statistics show that 53 per cent of Londoners say that they would benefit from the support of a partner in their new lifestyle improvement regime.

If your partner or friends won’t give up their sedentary ways then you could always enlist a dog - either yours or a borrowed one - to give you that motivational boost.

There’s nothing like a canine friend to get you off the sofa and into the fresh air, according to a study carried out by Pedigree, the makers of dog food.

It recommends that both you and your furry friend can benefit from following these basic alterations to your lives - although you might want to wait until you are a little fitter before you start chasing after sticks.