Did you have too many baked goods over Christmas? You’ll feel all of that when you start to hit the gym again. But good on you for contemplating the latter, it’s important that we all try and stay in shape – whether we try to make one meal healthier each day, or if we just go into a workout regime.

Staying in shape helps our minds and bodies. It’s a great way to let off steam and live a more fulfilled life. It doesn’t even mean you have to have rippling washboard abs either – you can still enjoy life and light exercise isn’t going to hurt anyone at all.

It’s good that you are trying to keep in shape, but don’t neglect everything else. Would you allow your house to fall into disrepair? Even inanimate objects need fitness, whether it’s a good spring clean or a lick of paint.

That goes for your trusty car as well. If your car is as worn out as most, it’s likely that it hasn’t had the pleasure of some much needed TLC to get it back in shape. Your car is doing a lot for you, especially if you live out in the sticks. How would you manage without it? No-matter the age or reliability of the model of your car, it’s important to keep it in good health so we can nurture it back from the point of disrepair or make sure it doesn’t get to that point in the first place.

It’s very easy to keep your car in good shape. You’ve just got to take the time to assess it, find issues and resolve them. Are the tires worn? Get them changed! Your tires are keeping you gripped to the road so why would you rely on worn rubber to keep you safe?

Is the car overheating? It might be an issue with the coolant or engine oil. Oil lubricates the workings of the engine and if it gets dirty, it is going to be spreading grime around that will clog the engine. If all these issues build up, it’s going to cause a hell of a headache. It’s also going to eat your savings up.

It’s a good idea to educate yourself on the workings of your car. It doesn’t just move because you will it to! Find out about why your car works the way it does, research common issues and faults, purchase items before you need them. You can buy brakes online, so there’s no excuse for not having the basics ready and available. Chances are that your car will end up in the care of a mechanic at some point, but there is still plenty that you can do to make sure it is running. Keep your car in the shape of its life, through its life and you likely won’t have any major problems!