Dear LPG,

Here starts the beginning of yet another new year, well it started yesterday but, if making a New Year’s Resolution and turning over a new leaf is one of your usual New Year’s habits, I am guessing that you might have started the turn yesterday, although we all recognise that as a day for getting over the last week.  Today however, the page has finally finished its 180-degree journey and made contact with the one on its left.

So, once we have eliminated all those who never make resolutions so they don’t have to break them, I am guessing that the holiday is finally over and the youngsters will be returning to work or school, while we older folk will either be settling into our old routine or planning to attack that New Year’s Resolution in earnest today.

Did you know that the most popular New Year’s resolution in the UK is a variation on getting more exercise and I am one of those that promises to do that every year?  The predictably disappointing news is that resolutions connected with getting fit are also statistically the first to be broken, although I have to say that I am good at keeping my daily exercise routine going.

This has a lot to do with one of my grandsons who just happens to be a personal trainer.  He extends his services to me free of charge every time he comes to visit with his comments and observations on my personal progress or lack of it.  Whatever the reason, he always seems to find himself with a lesson or word of advice on the subject of keeping me fit, although I draw the line at taking lessons from him.  Perhaps the fact that I have a few muscles left at my time of life is due to his continued emphasis on keeping me fit.    

Today is also one of national importance though, according to the internet.  This is ‘National Personal Trainer Awareness Day’ and if you have a family member who does this job and visits you regularly, I suspect that you are also regularly made very aware of the importance of a resolve to keep fit longer than most.

So, while I celebrate my grandson (perhaps more because he is who he is rather than for his somewhat annoying occupation), I invite any reader who has a close family member doing the job, to stop being annoyed with the continuous comments and advice about all things healthy and celebrate the healthier outlook on life that they force on you when they visit. Because when their visits are over you will most probably be among the few that don’t give up on your exercise routine resolution quite as readily as the rest.

MA, Deptford

MA shares a little information about the celebration of the day…

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… and a few statistics resolutions at this time of the year…

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