We’re all guilty of over committing to New Year’s resolutions on January 1 only to give up a few days later. January is a huge month when it comes to fitness and weight loss but often we bite off more than we can chew.

With the closure of gyms and level 5 lockdown restrictions still in place, it’s easy to get discouraged when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

But apparently we actually don’t need a gym - or anything - to slim down. The legs can be a big problem area for a lot of us, and while you can never spot reduce fat from one area, there is something you can do to help slim legs, and it’s so easy.

We all know that walking is a great way to get fit, and getting out and about, even if it is once a day, is great for our mental well being too - it’s a win win.

Just by walking, you improve the muscle tone in your lower body and use up cal­ories – a 45-minute brisk walk can burn 270 calories.

It’s also safe and low impact and so easy to incorporate into our daily routines. Of course, right now, make sure you do your walking within 5km of your home.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends 30 to 60 minutes of brisk walking per day to get in shape.

A great way to stay motivated is to use a pedometer and challenge yourself. If you’re working from home, a great way to feel connected with your colleagues is to challenge the office to a step off. You’d be surprised how much people stay on track when you throw in a bit of competition!

The ideal number of steps, according to heart experts, is 10,000 (which works out to about eight kilometres) a day.

While we obviously can’t travel 8km right now, pick a nice route close to your home and walk that as many times as you need to build up your steps.

We know what you’re thinking, there’s no way walking can make that much of a difference, but try hit your 10K goal every day and tell us your legs aren’t shaking by the end of it!