What about joining a gym or health club?

Few of us have the discipline to exercise alone, so joining a health-club or gymnasium has obvious advantages. You can go along for your weight loss exercise with your partner or a friend and make it a social occasion, and you don’t have to worry about the weather. If you can get to the club at off-peak times, the membership fees are usually very reasonable. Most of the larger health-club groups have trained physical instructors who will show you how to use equipment and design a personal exercise programme to suit your needs.

If you have a heart condition you must let the club know at the time of joining. They will normally ask you to obtain a letter from your doctor confirming that it’s OK for you to start exercising.