Celebrity personal trainer says Brits make common fitness mistakes at Christmas

If you're known as the "body engineer", it's probably fair to say you know a lot about health and fitness.

Luke Worthington, 45, from West Kensington, is a qualified sports scientist, trainer, nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach with over 25 years of experience. He's earned a great reputation in the industry, having had the privilege of working with A-list clients, and regularly shares advice on his @lukewtrainining Instagram account.

With his expertise in addressing the distinct challenges faced by those in the entertainment industry, Luke has helped numerous high-profile stars achieve their desired results. Now, he's willing to share his wisdom to help people get in top shape during the Christmas season.

Having spent 27 years in the profession, his advice is certainly worth considering.

He told us: "I was always fascinated by the human body, how it worked and how we could get it to work better. I started out in a local authority gym in 1997, then moved into commercial fitness with a small London-based chain.

"I spent several years freelancing in elite sports, managing to train World Champions across five different sports, then moved back into commercial fitness with a luxury gym group. Spent five years consulting to Nike on all training related matters and the last eight years have been focused on the film and entertainment industries, essentially preparing actors for film, TV and stage roles and musicians for the rigours of touring.

"I'm a big film fan, so getting to work in health and fitness in the film and entertainment industry really is a marriage of two passions."

When it comes to fitness, he said there are many ways people "go wrong". He claims a lot of people seem to take an "all or nothing" approach, which isn't beneficial in the long run.

This is something he sees again and again over the festive period in particular. He admits it can be a really busy time of year due to social events, late nights, party foods and the higher than normal consumption of alcohol.

According to Luke, any or all of these factors can lead to a person missing some planned workouts, or straying from their nutritional plan. The holiday period makes this all the more likely to happen.

He added: "One of the most common mistakes is if or when that happens. Then assuming that you have in some way undone all of your good work, and just giving up altogether.

"I would encourage people to zoom out a little and understand that this isn't something you can get wrong - that living a healthy (and hopefully therefore longer) life is a long-term goal.

"Bumps in the road at some point are inevitable. The important thing when that happens is to accept it for what it is, and get right back on plan when you can."

When it comes to food, he said there are a few rules to follow too, but there's no need to overthink matters either. Luke admits he's a great believer in moderation, so you don't have to eliminate all tasty foods from your diet.

Luke said: "In general, I am a believer in moderation, and that long-term adherence to a nutritional plan is far more probable if it includes things that you enjoy. So, in that sense, I wouldn't make a sweeping statement of one particular food being off limits for everyone.

"However, most people have what we call trigger foods. This is the food that you just can't have in moderation - having one means having the whole packet. For me this is Dairy Milk Buttons.

"In this case, your own trigger food is the thing you should stay away from - as it can then lead back to the 'all or nothing' approach."

You can find out more about Luke at his website.