Prime Time has teamed up with Fitness Wales to launch a monthly column to encourage you to fit vital exercise into your daily life

EXERCISE - the word is enough to instil fear, dread and guilt into the hearts and minds of most of us.

We all know it is essential and yet so few of us heed the advice.

We asked director of Fitness Wales, Mary Sheppard, for some tips on getting started with a new exercise regime.

This energetic 54-year-old admits to not always being the sporty type.

"I was picked for hardly any of the school teams because I'm not very co-ordinated," she laughs.

"I could run up and down the wing during a hockey game, but stood no chance of skillfully doing anything with the ball, so no-one ever passed it to me!

"In netball, I was a butterfingers."

However, a move to London at the age of 18 gave her the boost she needed.

"I found a keep-fit class run by a young teacher who was fun, worked us hard and from then on I was hooked and I've never looked back."

She says that often the hardest thing to do is to "get started" if you feel you don't do any exercise at the moment.

Mary's advice is to list all the activities you enjoy doing or would like to try and then choose something enjoyable.

This can be anything.

Gardening, DIY, walking, dancing or going to a gym/classes, and sailing are all forms of exercise.

Once this is done, Mary gives the following tips.

* Choose an activity you find enjoyable and motivational - so it doesn't feel like a chore and you'll look forward to it.

* Start with a very small goal - no more than two sessions a week. Maybe a walk for 15 minutes; more ambitious targets will, invariably, not be met!

* Try to 'red mark' the activity in your diary. Treat it as an engagement that cannot be missed.

* Use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator, walk to the paper shop/local shop/pub instead of taking the car.

* Enlist the help of friends and family.

"If you decide to use a gym or attend a class, choose a venue near to your home or work," adds Mary.

"Check out the facilities available. Could you learn a new skill? Some centres have special sessions for the more mature which include activities like table tennis and badminton.

"Ensure the staff are fully qualified, and if at first you don't find a class you like, try something else.

"There are now a wide range of activities such as Pilates, Exercise to Music, Yoga, Gentle Circuits and Aqua that might appeal.

"Exercise in the water is great for bodies that are becoming stiff or have a touch of arthritis, as you feel almost 'weightless' in the water. Lots of centres have 'healthy hearts'-type groups where you can share experiences and make new friends.

"Remember thinking about exercise is harder than doing it - remind yourself why you want to improve your health and fitness and take just one small step at a time."

Helping to get active

FITNESS Wales was set up nearly 40 years ago to encourage more people to get active.

Working closely with the Sports Council for Wales, Fitness Wales also trains people who want to work in the industry as instructors in a whole range of disciplines.

Contact Fitness Wales on 029 2057 5155 or email on: enquiries@fitnesswales.co.uk

The benefits EXERCISE makes you more energetic and lively Improves your health Helps with weight control Reduces anxiety and depression Improves self-esteem and confidence