SO, you are 40-plus and constantly fighting the flab. You have creaky joints and muscles that complain when you stretch them.

You know you're badly in need of a regular brisk work-out, but the thought of perspiring at a gym filled with super-fit, nubile 25-year-olds in pink Lycra does little for your self-confidence.

A personal trainer could be the answer.

Ann Morgan, who grew up in the Outer Hebrides and has lived in Swindon for 28 years, specialises in boosting the fitness levels of individual clients who are past the first flush of youth.

The 51-year-old mother of two sons puts her clients through their paces at their own homes (no house or flat, she says, is too small).

And she insists that exercise should be a pleasurable experience. "If you don't enjoy it then maybe you shouldn't be doing it," she said.

Ann gave up a career as an administrator to become a personal trainer. Her previous job was as PA to a director of Bristol Zoo. "I had always been interested in fitness. I have done body building and tai kwon do, and I think I'm in pretty good shape. So I trained with a company called Lifetime Health and Fitness in Bristol."

Now she's encouraging those of mature years to get fit and stay shapely. "It's my one woman mission," she said.

Most of her clients are in the 40 to 65 age group. Her oldest in the three years she has been a trainer was 76, but she also works with people in their 20s. No-one is allowed to mention the f-word, the one that means pleasantly plump - "it's such a horrible word".

"Older people, overweight people and people with joint problems often feel more comfortable with someone my age," said Ann, who is 5ft 5in tall and admits she knows what it is like to carry excess pounds. "I'm very small-boned, but at one time I weighed 12 stone," she admitted.

Her exercise routines are designed primarily for strength and fitness rather than weight loss.

"Muscle weighs more than acres of fat," she said. "So you can lose inches without losing pounds. I use exercises like squats and lunges, which are great for the leg muscles.

"My equipment includes resistance bands and large soft Swiss balls. I can just about get one ball and myself into my car at the same time!" she laughed.

A typical one-hour session includes 20 minutes spent concentrating on legs, 20 minutes on arms and upper body and 20 minutes on abdominals. Between exercises, Ann and her clients chat about everything, from what's in the day's news to celebrity gossip.

After all, Ann says, fitness has to be fun.