THE party season is well and truly over and for many, the thought of climbing back onto the wagon after over-indulging at Christmas is a difficult prospect.

For all the good intentions of healthy new year resolutions, the truth is that many people do not like exercise — something that is reflected in the fact that more than one in four UK women and one in five men do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week, so are classified as 'inactive'.

Because of this, January is a very busy time for award-winning personal trainer Chris Bramah, whose calendar is booked up with clients all wanting extra help and support to get fit in the New Year.

The good news is, the dad-of-one, who runs Hit Your Fitness Target in Bolton, says that it does not have to be about spending hours sweating in the gym — it's about pairing nutrition with exercise that fits in with a person's lifestyle.

Research suggests that three-quarters hit the buffers within nine days of the new year — but Mr Bramah says it is about setting realistic targets, not crash dieting.

He reveals his advice for those who do not want to be part of the estimated 88 per cent of New Year's resolutions — most of which are linked to health improvements — that fail very quickly.

He said: "January is the busiest time when people are likely to sign up for a personal trainer because everyone is going into the new year thinking that they want to start a new lifestyle.

"The first thing is not to make it a short term diet — it's about setting realistic targets that are not just for the next four weeks. Everyone goes for it hell for leather but it's a life style change, so be realistic.

"Set a short, medium and long term goals and take it step by step. People that crash diet and put everything into the next four weeks and by February or March people get bored of it."

Mr Bramah, who lives in Kearsley with his wife Sara and their two-year-old daughter Lyla, focuses on not only exercise, but nutrition.

He said: "It's about tackling both, otherwise it doesn't work. If you don't eat properly then you won't lose the weight. If you are dedicated and determined then you can healthily lose a couple of pounds a week, but if you crash diet then you are likely to put it all back on at a later date.

"The first thing to do is start a food diary to look at your current food patterns and make realistic choices — don't just cut out all the chocolate and junk food straight away. Just limit it to twice a week and do some exercise around it.

"Everyone will have different targets. If someone has just fallen off the wagon over Christmas it probably won't take too long to get them back on track. But if someone is completely overhauling their lifestyle then they need to be patient — it won't happen overnight."

The good news is, you can drink alcohol if you wish — but only as a treat.

Mr Bramah said: "Regarding alcohol, my personal advice is not to drink it at all, as it's just empty calories. People don't think of taking drink into consideration when they're calorie counting. But you can drink as long as you only do it as a treat and remember what you're having.

"What people don't think about is after a few beers you normally have the munchies afterwards too, so it's not just the alcohol you'll be consuming."

Mr Bramah helps a wide range of clients and tailors their plan to their personal goals.

He said: "I have got customers as young as 14 and as old as 65. Everyone is different and everyone comes to me for different reasons.

"I help a lot of pre- and post-natal women and I have been doing it for about 18 months now. I don't base myself in a gym — I get people to move about a bit more running around carrying weights, or doing cross training, for example. But if people are looking at a gym work out I can do that too.

"My life is health and fitness. When I was younger I played for Salford Reds academy and then I went to college to get my qualifications. I was in retail for 10 years so I have always had a good customer relationship and I look to build a one-to-one rapport with all my clients. It's much more rewarding."

To arrange your own healthy fitness plan for the new year, contact Chris by calling 07933 779858 or visit hityourfitnesstarget.co.uk.