As the days get shorter, the evenings get darker, and the weather gets chillier, heading outside for a jog isn't quite so appealing, is it?! 

There’s no getting around the fact that for some of us the gym can feel like an intimidating place when you’re first starting out. Our latest research shows that 50% of non-gym members say they find the idea of going to the gym scary, with one in five saying they would find it very scary. But don't worry, because we have found the best ways of overcoming this.

Here are six things you should never do before hitting the gym.

It doesn’t have to mean sweating it out in the gym, get outdoors and make the most of the weather.

If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your results, the answer could be simpler than you think. Recruit a training buddy!

Here are a few benefits that you can enjoy when you work out with a friend instead of going alone.

Changing your body can often mean changing your mind too. It can be an uphill battle at the best of times, but without the right mindset, you may never get to your transformation peak.

By building ‘mental muscle’ and training the mind to support your exercise, you will be well on your way to achieving your goals. Here are a few tips to get you started:

You’re getting up early, putting on gym gear and heading out to train… yet nothing’s happening. It’s very demotivating when you’re making the effort and you’re not seeing results, but sticking on a pair of runners and joining your local gym doesn't automatically equal better fitting jeans. If you’re struggling to reach your goals despite doing all the right things, check this list out and make sure you’re not being held to ransom by self-sabotaging habits.

No doubt you will have heard about interval training. There’s also quite a strong possibility that you haven’t yet tried it out. Horrible nightmare images of you sprinting every 30 second, gasping for breath? Visions of yourself pedalling on level 20 of your bike, legs burning and feeling like they’re probably going to drop off? Most people I speak to about interval training are put off because they think it involves sprinting like a madman, and they just don’t think they’re capable of holding out at that level of intensity, even for 30 seconds.

Sometimes we have to re-discover our love for running. In my case it’s been coming in waves over the past few months, but I can finally honestly say that I’m enjoying it again.

I had a forced few weeks off pretty much all exercise last month, and when I came back running and cycling were the only options. Now I’m REALLY not a fan of bikes (although I know spin is an excellent workout and I do try to fit it in semi-regularly), so running was pretty much the only option.

When I first got into running, I encountered everything from difficult rankles to scraping to unsupported chests — no big surprise I loathed it. I wish somebody had sat me down and let me know these essential tips and tricks to smooth my move from non-runner to runner. In case you're simply beginning all alone voyage beating the asphalt or treadmill belt, here are things you ought to think about running.

Running a 10K run it's not so easy as it sounds. Requires a lot of preparation, more than average health and and a plan, in order to succeed and avoid injuries. You may think, ‘I can run 5k, I don’t need a training plan, I just need to run a bit further’. Which, yes, is true to an extent but a proper training plan will get you running further and faster better than if you just tag a couple of extra miles onto your long runs now and again. 

Everybody’s bodies are different and require trial and error to determine what will have it functioning at its optimal level.
With this in mind, to figure out whether you should be stretching or not is entirely up to you!

Stretch tip #1: Focus on your breathing as well!

Personally, I love stretching before, after and even during my workouts. The reason I like to stretch a little beforehand?

Investing in the services of a personal trainer may have crossed your mind if you are committed or seriously considering making a commitment towards improving your health and fitness. Many questions are likely to come to mind, mainly whether it will be worth the prices involved per session or if they can offer something you cannot achieve alone or alongside an equally enthusiastic friend. This kind of questions depend on the quality of trainer you decide to hire, this is not a decision to made quickly and a bit of research is often required.

A quick Kettle Bell session you can do in your lunch break for less than 15 minutes!

Most of the trainers love Kettle Bell. Perfect for all days where we’re short of time or space. So we thought to put together an all-over body session to do at home, in the gym or a park.

Push-ups aren’t as easy as they look and while their benefits are well known performed incorrectly they can cause shoulder and/or lower back injuries. Push-ups build muscle by working your chest, shoulders, triceps and core muscles. They can be done almost anywhere at any time; however, if your technique is off push-ups can cause trouble.

Pallof Press

The pallof press is the excellent anti-rotational exercise that puts great demand on the trunk to stop it rotating in a transverse plane. To perform, assume an athletic posture with knees bent, pelvis and lumbar (lower) spine neutral, and shoulders relaxed.

As you push the cable in front of you, focus on engaging the core, stopping the rotation of your trunk. Keep it as rigid as possible, hold for 2-5secs and pull back into your center.
You can perform the Pallof Press in various stances, kneeling, split stance on floor or off and lastly parallel.

Summer is pretty close to the end and when at the thought of exercising, you begin to potter around, clean the house and look for food (and discover there is none, so you buy some junk food).  Well, you need to stop, and ask yourself – WHY AM I AVOIDING IT?! If you’re anything like me, the answer may be, ‘I’ve had a bit of time off and I know I won’t be at the same standard I used to be, it’s going to be painfully depressing.’ Well, guess what sweetheart, procrastinating and procrastibaking aren’t going to help you and really, who cares if you’re not as good as last time?! Exercise should be about having fun, see it as a healthy challenge to reach those goals again.

Improving power, or explosive strength and speed is a big deal in soccer. Ask a player what he feels he needs to work on and 9 out of 10 the answer will be: "get faster and more explosive"

And they are right, these qualities are definitely very important for a dominating performance in soccer and many other sports. Note: I am not a scientist, and I do not know much about research, so I would like to simply give you my personal take on this based on experience and logic.

This advice comes straight from the trenches. Theory is good, but it has to be backed by practice, in my opinion. I do a lot of work with association football (soccer) and my approach has proven effective over and over again: for myself as many others, applying the same strategies.

Do you talk to yourself while you're working out? Serious question! Or would you rather not be the person everyone avoids on the gym floor as they're worried about the mental state of someone happily having a conversation with themself?

Do you respond better to motivation? Could you push out a few more reps or go just a little bit faster with someone there to encourage you? I'm guessing most people would say yes - which is perfect as it keeps us Personal Trainers in a job! So if you respond to someone pushing you to the next level, getting the very best out of you, motivating you to try those last few movements - why can't you be your own cheerleader?

Many women are turned off from training as they have the wrong impression that lifting weights or any kind of gym activity is something men want to do to build muscles. How your body adapts to working with weights is determined by your genetics.

For women there are numerous benefits for doing resistance training and I promise you won’t end up looking like Arnie! Resistance training is good for anyone of any age or ability. It offers the benefits of gaining strength, improved co-ordination, better posture, a serious kick to the metabolism and heaps of self confidence. Heart problems, fat and a series of other conditions may become better by time and self-confidence can be boost as never before.