Over the past few weeks we’ve been running a series of articles designed to help you shape up for summer. If you’ve been following the plan, by now you’ll have a range of exercises to do at home to help start you on the road to buff-dom.

Let’s assume you’ve been following all of our advice. Your arms are starting to tone up and poke proudly from those short-sleeved designer T-shirts. The same T-shirts are stretched taut against your new-found pecs. Your tummy is flatter than ever before, and your bum is peachy perfect. Well, almost. You like the changes that are happening and you want MORE!

Exercising at home without weights and machines has got you this far, and it’ll maintain you if that’s as far as you want to go. But if you really do want to keep improving that bod - and thus feel better, fitter and healthier - then the best and safest way to do that is to join a gym.

“Oh my GAWD!” I hear you cry. “I can’t do that!” And I understand where you’re coming from. In your mind gyms are either vast concrete spaces full of steroidal hulks with no necks and no personalities, or gleaming white and chrome studios full of the world’s perfect people, all converged into one room with the sole intention of making you and you alone feel inadequate and downright unattractive. Right?

Well, okay, some of them are like that. But the simple answer is, don’t go to those gyms! Most gyms are friendly places, full of all sorts of people with all sorts of bodies and all sorts of goals. Every gym has its beautiful people and its hulks, but the majority are ordinary folk trying to get and stay fit.

You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on, and the same applies to gyms. The best thing to do is visit a few gyms in your area to find the one that best suits you. Most will offer a free trial membership of one or two sessions. This will help you to get the feel of the place. Ideally, visit the gym at the time of day you intend to work out. That way you’ll see how busy it is and be able to judge the atmosphere and the clientele. Take a look at the equipment to see if it’s new or well-maintained. Ask about assessment programmes and the presence of qualified instructors.

A good tip is to choose a gym that is on your way home from work. A fatal mistake that some people make is to go home after work and then go on to the gym. You get home, you get distracted, and before you know it you can’t be bothered to make the effort to go out again! Exercising for an hour after work will also stop you thinking that you don’t have the time to fit it in. Pack your kit and take it to work with you. Basically, eliminate all your excuses NOT to go.

If you work from home, or have no gym on your travel route, be sure to choose a gym or fitness centre that’s easy to get to. If travel is a hassle, you’ll end up not going.

Another good idea is to get a friend to join with you. As long as that person is keen to do so, you’ll then be able to encourage each other to actually go to the gym, as well as support each other during the work out. You’ll also feel less self-conscious in a pair than if you walk in alone.

To recap, when choosing a gym, choose one that is convenient, has a good range of well-kept equipment, is properly staffed and has membership that will not make you feel the odd one out.

At this point you’ll tell me I’ve missed out one key element - MONEY. Well, the answer is this: if you have a choice between a cheap gym that you don’t feel comfortable in, or a more expensive one that is just your cup of Earl Grey, you’ll be making a false economy in choosing the cheaper one, because you simply won’t go and your monthly fees will be wasted. The more expensive option, as well as having the right atmosphere for you, will also encourage you to go more to ensure you are getting your money’s worth!

Okay, so you’ve decided to join a gym and have chosen the right one. (If you have any history of illness or medical problems, you should also have checked with your doctor that you’re okay to work out. The gym WILL ask you about this). Next week, we’ll talk about what to expect once you get there, and dispel a few more myths.