Leader: Fitness starts in 6 seconds

Nothing inspires us more to exercise than the sight of athletes in international sports – and with the Commonwealth Games on our doorsteps and Scottish athletes swelling their medals tally by the day, it can a wonderful inspiration for life change.But taking the first few steps to a daily exercise programme is a challenge for most of us and particularly for those who need to shed a few pounds – or quite a lot of pounds.

Talk of half an hour or more of regular exercise carved out of busy lives each day can leave us feeling defeated before we even start.

But you don’t have to resort to the punishing regime of Usain Bolt to start feeling better.

Many exercise regimes do recommend a minimum 30 minutes exercise, and for those truly serious about getting and staying fit, there supposedly should be a further 45 minutes of weight-training. But it’s the talk of “minimum” numbers that can be a deterrent to most.

In truth, many of us would be better discarding the idea that we must start with a 30-minute a day regime.

A more practical approach is to start with much smaller numbers – spells of just six seconds. Given that, there are few who could not find the necessary time to begin the business of losing weight and getting fit.

The critically important point is to start with a realistic target and build this in to a regular daily habit.

Just maintaining an initial programme can boost our self-confidence and lower blood pressure. Advances help our sense of achievement and boost our commitment to go further. So now’s the time: go for it.