pounds and get into shape. Of course, you made the same resolution in 1992 without succeeding but this time you mean it. Really.

New Year's resolutions mark the triumph of hope over experience, but it is possible to make experience win for once.

And experts say it doesn't even have to hurt.

A person beginning an exercise programme on their own should be able to progress without getting sore. The trick is to start slowly and go easy.

If it's taken 20 years to get out of shape, it's going to take more than 20 days to get back into shape. The surest way to create muscle soreness is to create an unaccustomed activity and do it too hard.

Making yourself sore is not necessary for making yourself better. No pain, no gain is a myth.

The point, if you've been doing nothing, is to do something, even moderate walking.

"A lot of people don't realise that much of their weight gain is purely because they are so inactive in daily life,'' fitness instructor/trainer Miss Karen Adams said. "Weight gain is primarily the result of inactivity. Also, people who are heavier are likely to be more inactive because they tend to take the easy way out.'' Miss Adams went on to explain the relationship between inactivity and one's metabolism.

"Metabolism is the rate at which the body burns calories,'' she said. "If you have a large amount of fat and low active muscle, then your body will burn fewer calories during the day than someone who has a much higher metabolism, because it is your lean tissue which burns calories. It really is a case of becoming active and therefore increasing your metabolism.'' But initial over-enthusiasm is a good way to kill your exercise resolution, experts say. You won't stick with something you don't like.

When you do too much too soon, exercise becomes more of a chore than a pleasure.

A good way to keep your motivation from flagging as your endurance builds is to start with gentle walking, then progress to fast walking and then -- if you want -- jog.

"I would suggest walking briskly for 20-30 minutes each day because your body doesn't begin to burn fat until 15-20 minutes into the walk, so if you want to burn fat you should do at least 20 minutes five days a week,'' Miss Adams advised. "If you are going to walk three times a week, I would say 30 minutes or more each time is required to make a difference. And three times a week is the minimum you have to walk in order to see any improvement in your fitness.

Of course, anything above that means you will see quicker results, but keep aerobic exercise moderate because it is so easy to over-kill.'' In defining the term "brisk'', Miss Adams said that meant walking at a speed great enough to cause harder breathing than normal, but where a person could still converse with someone else.

"If you are strolling, you are not working hard enough either to burn fat or improve your fitness,'' the instructor said. "If you can improve your fitness, then you will improve your body's ability to burn calories.'' As the body becomes more used to exercise, the pace should be stepped up so that the body is always working harder than its normal capacity in order to build up fitness.

"As the body improves its fitness, you need to be able to either walk more briskly or keep walking at a reasonably high intensity,'' she said. "As you get better, you should keep increasing the intensity of exercise and not slack off at all. Either increase your walking time by five minutes, for example, or walk a little faster. And you should always reassess your workout so that you continually test your body.'' Of course, some people should not even start until a doctor has looked them over, to make sure the strain of exercise won't aggravate an unknown medical condition.

Doctors recommend an examination as a precaution against heart trouble for those with a strong family history of heart disease, and for people in the peak heart attack years -- men over 35 and women over 40.

If you feel chest pain and shortness of breath while exercising, stop immediately and see a doctor.

If you'd like some mechanical help, wear a pedometer to keep track of your miles, or get a pulse monitor.

You can also let your body tell you how hard to work by checking your training heart range.

The standard formula is to subtract your age from the number 220. Sixty percent of that number is the lowest heart rate you should shoot for.

Eighty-five percent is the most you should need. To count, place your first two fingers on the artery you can feel at the side of your neck. Count for a minute.

"When you get started, you want to be working the body towards the 60 percent end of the range as your body burns more fat when you are working at a lower intensity,'' Miss Adams explained. "At the 85-percent end of the heart rate your body does not burn fat as well. If you are working too hard fat cannot produce energy. You want to burn fat.'' The important thing is to keep going. Joint disease and weight increase as you get older, and exercise fights both.

FITNESS INSTRUCTOR Miss Karen Adams STRIDING OUT ... Walking is one of the easiest -- and cheapest -- ways to get fit. A good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing and a brisk stride are all that's needed to get benefits from this aerobic exercise.