It may not always be the most appetising prospect but experts say if you can manage to do a little extra exercise as part of your day, it will be worth it in the long run.

If early morning jogs are not for you, walking rather than taking the car can do a lot of good.

Doctors say walking to the station, walking the children to and from school or making your way to the shops on foot can make a lot of difference if done as part of a daily routine.

Many people find it difficult to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. With cars on the increase, 70 per cent of all adults are inactive enough to be classed as sedentary.

Many people are put off physical activity because they believe that only vigorous exercise or playing sport counts as healthy activity but substantial health benefits can be achieved from regular activity without the need for special equipment, sporting ability or getting very hot and sweaty.

There is now strong evidence that moderate intensity physical activity - a 30-minutes brisk walk every day - is enough to bring about real health benefits.

Regular activity can improve the way you look and feel. In combination with a balanced diet, regular activity can help to maintain a healthy weight and boosts self-confidence and reduces the risk of depression.

If 30 minutes per day sounds a tall order, the good news is sessions of ten minutes can count towards the total.

It's also possible to achieve your 30 minute target by making fairly simple changes to your routine, without joining the gym or running a marathon.

Walking up stairs instead of using lifts, walking up moving escalators, doing the housework at "double time", DIY and gardening, such as painting or raking leaves, can all help you hit that magic 30.

The ability to keep up a physical activity such as jogging, racket sports, cycling or swimming, is related to your aerobic fitness - or stamina.

Generally speaking, the greater your stamina, the greater the health benefits.

If you want to improve your stamina, it's important to start gently, increasing the frequency of your activity before increasing how hard you exercise.

The key to keeping up with a resolution to get fit is finding an activity you enjoy.Try out new sports or activities until you find something you like.

The improvement to your social life will also help.