After a brilliant fortnight away on holiday, I’m back in the office routine. Sadly, the same can’t be said for my workouts. My hard-won running habit appears to have jogged off and left; I can’t even summon the motivation to do exercises my physiotherapist prescribed. And as for sensible meal planning and a weekly shop full of healthy food... forget it.

I know that many of my friends are having exactly the same problem. ‘Work has piled up since I’ve been off and I can’t get to the gym,’ says Susie, a 55-year-old account manager. Teacher friends are slammed by the new term; parents are trying to stay on top of schoolwork, new uniforms, optician appointments... eating well and exercising have dropped way off the to-do list.

So, what can we do about getting back on track? Beth Mason is a fitness coach for women aged 40+, and her down-to-earth approach has helped hundreds of women get back to exercise. ‘With the best will in the world,’ she says, ‘getting back to eating well and moving more can feel really difficult after a lovely holiday. Even if you’re happy to be home, returning to a routine can feel like an absolute drag.’

Her first tip? ‘You need to stop beating yourself up for finding it hard. Expect it to feel harder than you think it will. Sometimes getting back into a routine is easy, but sometimes it isn’t – and making yourself feel bad about that only makes it worse.’ And here are the other golden pieces of advice that Beth shares with her clients... ready to take notes?

Don’t try to do everything at once. ‘When people come back from holiday, they often think they have to go at it like a bull in a china shop: go all in and suddenly snap back into their old routine. That’s totally unrealistic. You’re better off starting at a pace you can maintain, rather than going 100% at everything. Start slowly and concentrate on building momentum.

You want to create a routine that you’ll still be doing at October half-term and Christmas. Ideally, you want lifestyle habits that mean you never feel as though you’re starting again after every holiday.’

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Go back to the boring basics. ‘You have to drag yourself back into it, and return to the boring basics. Get organised with a meal plan, do a big food shop and schedule your workouts. Once you’ve taken the time to get organised, concentrate on taking action. You have to be okay with not being perfect at the beginning because you’re not going to snap straight back into a great routine.’

Be kind to yourself (but still do the work). ‘It sounds contradictory because I’m very blunt about what you have to do, but sometimes you have to be gentle with yourself in order to get there. Getting back into a routine does require self-discipline. But it might take a few days or a couple of weeks to rebuild your habits, so give yourself a bit of time.’

Put structure in place around your meals and workouts. ‘Accept that it’s hard. Of course it’s hard: we live in an obesogenic environment, we’ve all got busy jobs and responsibilities, and there are endless things competing for our attention. You do have to force yourself to do it, but I think it’s pretty cool when you’re able to do something that other people don’t do. That’s something worth harnessing.’

Keep your workouts realistic. ‘For working women with responsibilities – particularly women over 40 who may also be navigating perimenopause and changing hormones – you don’t need to be doing endless workouts. Three 30-minute workouts a week is enough. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym or make exercise your entire life.

‘Most of my clients work out at home with dumbbells, sometimes in their pyjamas. You don’t have to join a gym. Going to the gym can add another complication, whereas squeezing in half an hour at home is much more achievable – perhaps while dinner is cooking, before the family gets up or during your lunch break.

Stop wasting time on things that aren’t moving you forwards and concentrate on the things that are.’

Think about the future you. ‘Focus on the actions that will make you feel better tomorrow. Ask yourself: ‘What can I do today to make tomorrow easier?’ That might mean not having a glass of wine tonight. It might mean doing the food shop or fitting in a workout. Think about tomorrow, next week or next month – whatever helps you make a better decision today.’

And talking of alcohol... Beth recommends cutting right back if you can. ‘Reducing alcohol will make everything easier, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. Having a few dry nights during the week is a good starting point.’

If you always have a glass of wine while you’re cooking dinner or after the children have gone to bed, try adding something more positive in its place. Go for a walk. Do something that feels like a more positive form of self-care, rather than something that simply soothes you in the moment... remember, the aim isn’t to make your life miserable! It’s to choose the things that will genuinely make you feel better.'