Fight the flab with new friends this New Year

The festive season has, as usual, been and gone in a flash, leaving only half-eaten Christmas cake (does anyone really like the stuff?) and a few extra pounds around your waistline in its wake.

If you made the usual New Year's resolution to shape up and get fit, you might have fallen off the wagon already. After all, it's cold and dark in the evenings and the lure of the sofa and leftover chocolates are just too tempting.

But what if you had a group of people spurring you on? What if these people were pleasant enough that you actually - *gasp* -  wanted to get out and about, getting fit and making new friends, all in one neat package?

Kingston has loads of group activities on the go, perfect if the thought of flying solo is less than appealing. You could make like Wayne Rooney at 5-a-side football (paycheck not included, sadly), or get your pins in shape with Women on Wheels. You could even try your hand at learning a new dance - what about jive or salsa? Or, if that all seems a bit much at this tentative stage, how about some nice and simple group exercise classes in the calming, peaceful surroundings of Mother Nature?

Granted, these classes won't give you Arnie-worthy muscles or a waist as worryingly small as Lindsey Lohan's, but they will improve your overall fitness and get you out of the house. After all, that sad-looking Christmas cake won't be sat there forever, so you'll need something to do once it's gone.