Need help to get fit, but are worried about using a personal trainer?

Plunging straight from your sedentary lifestyle into a sweaty nightmare of pushups while being screamed at by someone standing over you with a six-pack is certainly off-putting.

Thankfully, the reality of training at PhysioExtra is a different story.

“You can’t go from doing nothing to HIT [high-intensity interval training] exercises,” says top trainer Johnny Crook. “If you’re going to get fit, you have to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Trying to blitz it by going to the gym for an hour once a week is not going to work.”

His technique is to start easy.

“We begin with what you are able to do and repeat volumes of these exercise,” says Johnny. “We then gradually tweak them as basic mobility and strength improves.”

This ‘linear periodisation’ technique feels light and manageable, “but you will be amazed at what you have achieved after a few weeks,” he adds.

(Not a bad metaphor for life in general: break a task into small steps to make progress.)

“Most people don’t come to us to get the perfect body. We work on longevity, so you are going to be able to play with your grandchildren,” concludes Johnny. “But once you’ve built a strong base platform, you can go on to do those HIT classes without injuring yourself.”

Hmm. Seems pain may be unavoidable further down the line after all!