Welcome to my advice column. I’m here to offer my years of experience and knowledge to anyone with a fitness question, either general or very specific, without the cost usually associated with personal trainers. Let me be your personal trainer by answering questions you have about fitness.

    By way of introduction, I am a certified personal trainer and have been in the fitness profession for more than 20 years. During those years I’ve instructed and continue to instruct people of every age and background, from the fitness novice to advanced athletes.

    My course offerings are as diverse as the people I teach, including  aerobics, physio-ball, BOSU and regular floor aerobics, kickboxing,  striptease, ZUMBA, sword workout, pilates, kettlebells and strength training.

    I have spent my life learning new and fun ways to bring fitness to my students and clients. I believe there is an exercise program for everyone—whether you do it on your own, take a class or hire a trainer. This belief, along with the many questions my students ask me, prompted me to participate in this publication, as there is a lot of information circulating on exercise and fitness and it can be very difficult to process it all to find what works best for you.

    I hope you will take this opportunity to ask me your questions by emailing me at cihla@newsofthenorth.net. I’ll answer your questions as soon as I can. All questions will be treated confidentially, and if you don’t want your name used, we will respect that.

    We’ll begin with questions that have been asked of me recently.

    Q. Is there a time of the day that is best for exercising? ~Jared, Rhinelander

     A. Although there is no point in the day that will give you increased results for your time spent exercising, there is significant evidence that people who start their day with their workout will be more likely to stick to it for the long term and on a daily basis.

    Even with this evidence though, it really is a personal choice. If you prefer to sleep in, and have time available in the evening for workouts, then that would be the time that’s best for you. The most important thing to remember is that you need to make exercise a habit, and the best way to do that is to set aside the same time each day for your workout, regardless of when in the day it happens to be.

    Next week: Advice for how to get outdoor exercise in the winter, and how to burn calories if you're a chair potato at work all day.