Editor's note; It seems everyone is feeling a little less healthy at the moment which is why two of our regular bloggers have independently blogged about weight and exercise today. Do you think the problem is the weather, perhaps unhealthier eating due to finance problems or something completely different? And which of you savvy savers has the magic solution?

Work commitments have meant that I've not been exercising as much as I'd have liked to of late. I do manage to pack exercise in each Saturday on the rugby field but, at the moment, getting down to training has been tough and work has kept me from going for a run for a long while.
As the weather takes a turn for the worse and winter begins to set in it can be really difficult to get out and go running; a far more appealing scenario for most of us is to head to the pub for a few pints after work or head home to a nice warm house to eat dinner in front of our favourite TV show.

The weather has an important part to play in how active we are in the UK and is no doubt why people living in California and Australia are in general healthier and thinner than us wobbly Brits. One thing I've noticed about myself is that when I do tend to lay off the fitness for a while, bad
habits really kick in. And these bad habits are often really bad habits.

Bad habits like smoking cigarettes (I quit 10 years ago!) stuffing bacon butties down my throat en route to work; lunch at any 2-4-1 participating meal deal voucher restaurant with work colleagues; and an evening meal that maxes out any recommended weekly guidelines for salt and alcohol consumption in one go. I have to admit that while I'm a self-confessed frugal shopper, I am a sucker for any wine offers in supermarkets like Asda and Tesco - even if I only popped in to buy some milk!

Not exercising regularly has a double whammy on my health; not only am I exercising less but bad health traits kick in. I think it's natural at this time of year to suffer a little from the back-to-work-blues after the summer holidays and to want to comfort eat/rest. So if you are feeling lethargic at the moment, don't beat yourself up too much about it.

However, as an amateur sportsman I know I need to get fit – and soon – if I'm to enjoy my weekend game of rugby. And I think I've found the secret weapon in getting out of the house to go running: dance music!

Anyone growing up in the UK in the 1990s will be familiar with dance music; the scene was at its zenith during that decade and the pinnacle of the 'superstar DJ'. Like many thirty-somethings I've not been near a nightclub for years but I do still like this kind of music and find that dance music helps me get in the zone for exercise.

All I have to do is plug in my iPod and I'm away. So this week I'm looking online for music discounts and intend to buy up old school dance anthems in readiness for a winter spent pounding the pavements. Any recommendations for albums to help me exercise with would be greatly appreciated.