Gift your spouse a fitness package

It is a great idea to gift a fitness package to your husband. It's a good way of giving that much-needed push and encouragement.

Weight loss must be one of the main goals of the fitness programme. So your husband's first step should be to get a basic health assessment at the fitness centre and work closely with the trainers to understand his body better. He also needs to modify his eating habits.

Most fitness clubs now have nutritionists on board. It will be useful to seek their advice. Some basic principles that he should follow are to cut down on carbs and avoid fried, refined foods as far as possible. He should take up his intake of fruits and vegetables and pay particular attention to protein in his diet.

His ideal fitness package
Find a gym close to his place of work or home. Alternatively, you can hire a personal trainer which may involve setting up a home gym. His routine should include:

Cardio sessions five days a week
Cardio exercises help one burn fat and work out the heart to boost circulation. The cross trainer or cycle is ideal to start with. Fifteen minutes of cardio is good to start with, but he should progress gradually and take it up to 45 minutes in a month or so. After he reaches this goal he needs to increase resistance (on the cross trainer and cycle) and speed. He can also opt for brisk walking outdoors and graduate to a run within 40 days. In fact, the two of you can do this together.

Strength training thrice a week
The goal of this is to improve muscle mass, muscular strength and endurance. He should focus on all the muscle groups. It's ideal to start with lighter weights and more repetitions and proceed to heavier weights and fewer reps gradually.

Flexibility sessions twice a week
A yoga/ Pilates class is a great way to improve flexibility and balance. Just two days a week is good enough and can be added on after the first month of only doing cardio.