If your new year's resolution to get fit and stay fit lasted, like most do, until February at the latest, maybe this summer's festival of sport will be enough to inspire you to get off that sofa and change your routine.

First up is the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, and with all the matches taking place in the evening, you have your days free to go down to the park for a kickaround with your mates. After that comes the London 2012 Olympic Games, and if watching the likes of Usain Bolt and Jessica Ennis in action is not enough to provide you with fitness inspiration, there is no hope for you!

In anticipation of the summer of sport, you'll need to invest in a few pieces of clothing you can work out in.

Jeans may feel comfortable to walk in, but you'll soon realise how restrictive and stifling they can be when you start trying to run around in them, so a good pair of tracksuit bottoms is essential. These have got themselves a pretty bad reputation in recent years through association with 'chav' culture, but there is no rule that dictates they must be tucked into sports socks and worn with a pair of battered Nike Air Max trainers.

A good way to steer clear of the chav look is by selecting cotton trackpants, rather than polyester tracksuit bottoms. The usual sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas carry a number of different styles, many of which carry a discrete motif rather than the brash branding you often find with sportswear. Alternatively, high street chains such as JD Sports carry track pants from manufacturers Duffer and Brookhaven which, with an understated design, could actually work as a casual trouser, as well as something to exercise in.

Mix these trousers with a T-shirt for a relaxing day in the park, but look to specialist breathable athletic tops if the bug bites and you start taking on serious exercise. Cotton shirts do not wick away the sweat from your body like modern man-made fabrics do, and heavy exercise in these will soon leave you wearing a heavy, wet T-shirt that is quite uncomfortable. A breathable fabric will leave you enjoying your exercise a lot more, which in turn will mean you're more likely to stick with your new regime when autumn comes around.

Guest Post by: Marion Sebbage