To shape up!

a jog, you can watch TV on your own personal screen, listen to music, or even take a simulated peddle through the Languedoc or a run through the streets of Paris.

Next, I was shown a rowing machine — something I hadn’t seen since high school. Even the few minutes I spent on it made me a bit breathless, but Margaret said this was completely normal.

She said: “The rowing machine can be one of the toughest pieces of equipment in the gym if you use it properly.

“It really is a whole body workout, if you make sure you are really pulling back and pushing with your legs.”

I was then shown the different weight machines that I could use to work out every part of my body.

These were the machines I was most interested in as, although I don’t have a lot of excess weight, I would love to tone up.

Margaret advised that although not everyone may be interested in weight training, it is incredibly important.

“Everybody starts to lose muscle from about the age of 30, so working with weight machines is important to people of all ages,” she said.

Leisure and Culture Dundee offers four levels of membership packages that can be used in centres across the city, including Olympia, Lochee, DISC and Harris Academy.

Silver membership gives unlimited access to fitness studios, pools and sauna suites at restricted times, while platinum membership provides fitness fans with unlimited access to all of the above and all adult fitness classes throughout the month.

After enrolment, new members are invited to attend an induction event where a fitness instructor shows them around the fitness suite.

The induction ensures that members can use all the equipment safely and effectively, while feeling confident they know what they are doing.

Following my induction, I feel a new spark of excitement about getting fit and can’t wait to get back in the gym — something I never thought I would say.