95 ways to slim without the gym

With The Biggest Loser for X Box you can have your own BL experience. Or even better the Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout for kinect. You’ll train with personalised routines using little or no equipment (your choice), and can even record your own video diary to talk to the 'audience' about your progress. This program also includes 50 healthy recipes, diet tips, calorie tracking and body scan analysis in order to measure and speed up your results. Our favourite part? There is no controller. The Kinect sensor simply scans and monitors your form to ensure a safe and effective workout.

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Become a member of the iVillage community and get advice, inspiration and support along with access to your favourite articles, recipes and community message boards to help you stay accountable and inspired. Sign up for iVillage’s free weekly diet and fitness newsletters and receive expert tips on workouts and weight loss. Bonus: The site also features Matt Whitmore's free exercise videos to help keep you in shape.

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This gadget is great for anyone wanting to get and stay fit, but it’s also a very effective tool for weight loss. By taking the guesswork out of calorie tracking and burning, the Body Bugg® can give you genuine feedback on how much or little you are moving daily. Attached to your body by an armband, this £199 gadget uses a patented process to track your calorie burn through the use of an 'accelerator' - a device that measures your body’s motion from various angles, and a thermometer that monitors your heat expenditure. Complete with a built-in pedometer, online food logs and menus, plus smartphone apps, the ‘Bugg’ offers big fitness benefits.

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Developed by Navy Seals, TRX® Suspension® Training (can be brought from Amazon for £92.50) enables users to execute over 300 exercises using just their bodyweight for an extremely effective workout. It’s worth the investment because it's three tools in one: You can use it for strength training, cardiovascular training and flexibility training, explains Amy Ross, fitness expert and owner of NRG Fitness in Mahwah, NJ. Purchase price also includes your own Pro-Pack, complete with a suspension trainer, training DVD and workout guidebook. Bonus: The entire system fits into one tiny pouch, so it’s easy to tote around.

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Sleuth out a spot at home and designate that area to do daily fitness. To make your space extra inviting deck it with plants, motivational photos and shelves filled with easily stored fat-fighters like resistance bands, dumbbells or gliding discs, all the essentials you’ll need for a great workout.

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Blogging about your personal fitness story is a great way to connect with like-minded people online that can help support, share and join in on your journey. 'There is a huge community of weight loss bloggers online, and writing your own blog is a great way to stay inspired and accountable as you move towards your goals.

'If you stumble, there is a group of people out there ready to help lift you back up and find the strength to keep moving forward. And reading other people’s blogs helps normalise your struggles, and may help you find a better way to deal or overcome your own challenges,' says Carla Birnberg, certified fitness expert, blogger and creator of MizFitOnline.com.

Write about your workouts, create an online food diary or simply share your motivations about why you want to get fit. Not sure where to start? Check out some of the blogs already online.

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The Supreme 90 Day System (available to ship from the US) is an intense at-home workout program that promises to get you “ripped in 90 days.” And with a set of 10 DVDs that includes 90 days of extreme workouts, phased nutrition plans and 24-hour support, they mean it - all with a no-questions-asked money back guarantee.

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Probably the least expensive and easiest-to-use equipment available, resistance bands (£2.38 and up) offer a variety of options for your strength training routine. “Resistance bands are my absolute favourite for training busy celebrity clients. The multiple function, easy to pack, bands sculpt and tone the upper and lower body with limited space and varied resistance. This simple band can be a total workout or a great addition to any training program,” says Madison Chase, a celebrity trainer in Los Angeles, who works with such celebs as Robert Pattinson and Will and Jada Smith. Plus, they fit under the bed and in suitcases with no hassle.

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Got an iPad? Workout with it! The Fitness Class App (free) for iPad allows you to choose from a workout video library of over 200 titles with the world’s top fitness instructors. Choose from options based on how much time you have, equipment you want to use or your training goal. To start, download the free app and try out seven classes for free, after that choose from a la carte options or subscribe with their 30-Day Class Pass option.

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There is no shortage of great fitness apps available and many are free. One we love: The free NIKE Training Club App. It offers more than 60 custom built workouts (designed by NIKE trainers) that allow you to listen to your own music while sweating to audio instructions and video demos. Current options include 15, 30 and 45-minute workouts.

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If you have sky, sky sports has a programme called Aerobics OZ style, where Australian fitness fanatics take you through the paces, and you can almost convince yourself it's free...considering you're already paying for it.

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Each Fit Deck (£15.99) set contains 56 cards that describe how to perform over 50 exercises through illustrations, training tips and movement details. It’s not only a fun way to workout, from a training standpoint, ‘shuffling’ your workouts is a great way to keep your body challenged and get solid results. Choose from 37 different ‘decks’ (including Prenatal, Pilates and Travel) you don’t need any special equipment or technology to fit in a great workout anytime, anywhere.

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Sick of the gym scene? Trade in your sneakers for a uniform and a big dose of discipline. Martial arts is 'intelligent training for the entire body and mind, both working as one unit,' says Sensei Guillermo Gomez, a fourth-degree black belt and star of the 'Martial Fusion: Rockin’ Body' DVD. Learn self defense techniques and life skills that will bring fitness to a whole new level. You can also find a martial arts school in your neighborhood just have a look on the internet.

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Just like it sounds, a treadmill desk allows you to walk and work at the same time. Plus, spending around three hours on a treadmill desk can have you reaching your recommended dose of 10,000 steps per day, without having to take time out of your busy schedule. You can purchase one to be shipped from Amazon.com.

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'Set a goal to run in a charity race and join a running club,' recommends Tracey Mallett, fitness expert and star of the '6 Minute Quick Blast Method' DVD. Find a cause that’s dear to your heart, and then get to work training for it. Mallett suggests checking out your nearest sports supply store for information on local running clubs.

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Sprinting is the best fat-burning exercise you can do, says Jini Cicero, a certified strength coach in Los Angeles. Bonus: It’s very versatile. You can sprint on a track, on the grass, with a skipping rope, in a pool, or on a bicycle, she says. Add in 5 to 8 high intensity, full-force bursts (lasting anywhere from 15 to 45 seconds) into your favorite cardio activity to triple your calorie burn.

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Plank exercises are a great way to work your entire body, with an emphasis on building your core, which is important for lower back strength, explains Jini Cicero. There are numerous plank exercises that target the entire body including basic plank, elbow planks, side planks, leg lift planks and reverse planks. Bonus: You don’t need any equipment to perform them. The daily mail and youtube both have good guides on how to do the perfect plank.

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Download a free mix from MotionTraxx.com. Designed by Fitness magazine’s expert trainers, these motivating mixes will help you keep the pace during workouts. And 'every interval has 'audio-cues' that prepare you for the next interval,' explains founder Deekron, 'The Fitness DJ.' A 'boxing bell' sound alerts you when the interval is about to end, and verbal instruction comes in to prepare you for the upcoming interval.' Choose from several different routines, for various fitness levels, on iTunes available via the Motion Traxx podcast.

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Backpacking works 'your entire body - legs and bum from hiking, arms from lifting, and core muscles from balancing the additional weight,' explains Melanie Webb, an Adventure Travel Preparation Specialist for Sol Fitness Adventures in Mammoth Lakes. Plus, you could burn up to 4,000 calories in a 7-hour day, depending on the difficulty of your terrain.

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Netball is making a comeback among adults, and for good reason. This cardio-based game engages your core and works your arms. It's not only a good workout and is fun and sociable too.

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Check out the Mi Coach Pacer Bundle from Adidas (£120). This compact system provides unique training programs that you can match to your goals and creates a calendar that maps your workouts and tracks your progress. Best of all? It hooks up to any mp3 player. It also tracks your heart rate, offers real time coaching programs and workout timers.

Join a fitness social network, for easy to access workout videos, diet plans and fitness programmes, and they're all generally free.

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Designed for Wii, the EA Sports Active 2 (which can be brought for as low as £12) comes equipped with both a leg strap, motion sensor and heart rate monitor to help you get the most out of your workouts.For less than a months membership you can get and entire training system that creeates challenging workouts for your unique needs.

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Boot camp training tops the list of ACSM’s fitness trends for 2011, and it’s no wonder! The intense workouts led by the trainers are a great way to get fit, and are offered across the county both indoors and out. Join a local boot camp.

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'Line dancing offers one of the most enjoyable exercise sessions you can find,' says Edie Driskill, creator of Line Lessons.com. It improves your cardio fitness, stamina, coordination, balance and range of motion and can even help reduce stress, relieve depression and joint pain, explains Driskill. You can burn up to 350 calories in a 30 minute session, so cave in to a little country to get fit and try a lesson in your area, you can have a look at lessons at linedancing.co.uk or have a look online for some instructional videos.

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This classic american game is less know by us Brits but it combines core exercises with coordination-building aerobics for a fun and interactive way to get fit. This game engages every muscle in the body, with an emphasis on your ‘throwing muscles’ - including muscles in the rotator cuff (shoulder), chest, back and abdominals, with your legs acting as your body’s prime movers. Plus, you’ll burn an average of 7 to 10 calories a minute (or up to 600 calories an hour).

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Try kayak surfing, salsa dancing or horseback riding. These types of active experiences engage your whole body, and mind too! There are many fitness adventures out there, one being the adventurecafe.com, but there are many more with good deals.

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This is a great option for anyone who is too busy to make it to the gym. Instead of going to them, have them come to you - and share the cost with friends. 'My clients form a group of 10 coworkers or friends who want to take Pilates,' says instructor Marcia Polas, owner of Polas Pilates in Denver. Polas trains her group twice a week in one of their company’s conference rooms. 'The cost is low, they know what they are getting and they know I'm going to show up so they don't have an excuse,' she says. Talk to your employer about setting this up at your office, or create a group class in your neighborhood.

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Exercising with your dog is a great way to stay in shape, but simply walking your dog may not be enough to keep you, or them, in shape. Now you can ride your bike safely, with your dog in tow, with the Springer Dog Exerciser (£28.70, available on amazon.co.uk). This low mounted dog harness has a heavy-duty steel spring, allowing bike riders to keep their balance when Fido decides to stop and smell the roses.

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Get fit by working out with common household pieces like your sofa, coffee table, even bar stools, recommends Karyn D. Klein, founder of Do or Die Fitness in Pasadena. Sofas are perfect levels for moves like push-ups and dips, while coffee tables can double as squat or chest press benches and bar stools can serve as balance aids for leg moves like back kicks. Set up a circuit in your living room - no gym equipment necessary!

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Originally developed as a method of self-defense in ancient China, Tai Chi is known for its graceful postures and meditative quality, but it’s also a great way to get fit, says expert Scott Cole, who trained Christian Bale for his role in The Fighter. Tai Chi is also great for building muscular strength and endurance, says Cole, as well as everyday movements. 

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Surprise: Experts now say simply imagining yourself getting fit may actually make you physically stronger. How? A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research determined that visualising muscular contractions was enough to significantly increase strength.

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Make mother nature your gym! Hike in the autumn, ski during winter and bike during the spring. Get in shape this summer by swimming - this total-body, calorie-burning activity is perfect for warm weather.

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With websites like exerciseclassesonline.co.uk, bodydoctor.com and fithaven.co.uk you don’t even have to leave your house to experience a live fitness class. These online “studios” offer unlimited classes that you might find on your local gym schedule like Pilates, power yoga, boot camp and sculpting -- all available (in either live or pre-recorded format) for instant download on your computer. Pay by the class or try their subscription.

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Kayaking can have you burning up to 450 calories an hour, explains Jennifer Galardi, a certified fitness expert in New York City. This sport works your back, abs, and arms and it’s much more exciting than a boring treadmill workout!

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“Juggling is an exercise that doesn't feel like exercise,” says Heather Wolf, certified personal trainer and founder of Juggle Fit. Plus, it burns 280 calories an hour, engages core muscles and tones the upper body, she says. Wolf recommends practicing with tangerines, or buying your own set of three professional juggling balls (ranging from about £2.75 upwards).

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It may not be the sexiest form of exercise, but according to Dr. Deborah L. Neiman, medical director of Step Ahead Weight Loss Center in Bedminster, walking is the best way for people to lose weight and keep it off. Neiman recommends using a pedometer to track daily steps, and increasing your intensity by adding resistance with weighted vests or walking poles. 

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Working out with your children is a great way to stay fit. Not only does it help you stay in shape, it sets a great example for your kids by showing them you value the importance of physical activity. Interested? Sleuth out a local class or find a DVD that parents and kids can do together.

Paddle boarding is a smart way to get fit, which is why many celebrities are now crediting their toned physiques to the sport. Standing on a board and paddling your way through water “is great for the entire body including the legs and core,” explains fitness expert Patricia Friberg, star of “The Belly Beautiful Workout” DVD. “You’ll get stronger, leaner and improve your balance.” If you are experienced, you can buy your own board, or rent one by the hour with an instructor who can show you how to use it in a nearby lake or ocean (when the waves are calm).

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Try hollow sprints, recommends Michele Olson, Ph.D, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University in Montgomery. To do: Start by strolling moderately over natural terrain, and then sprint up any hills or inclines you encounter. Sprinting uphill burns up to 50 percent more calories than traditional flat road sprints - which means you’ll see results even faster without the need for a boring treadmill.

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Want to get fit fast, without any equipment or a DVD to follow? Try to get through this ‘300’ workout from celebrity trainer Jackie Warner, star of the “Xtreme Timesaver Training” DVD. Simply do 10 sets of 10 squats, curls and push ups, all in under 10 minutes. Available for shipping on amazon.co.uk.

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Why is it a great way to stay fit? “No equipment is necessary and you'll get the best ab movements under your belt in less than 10 minutes,” says Michele Olson, Ph.D, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University in Montgomery. Olson tested numerous ab exercises in the lab, and moves like the Pilates’ hundred, double leg stretch, and yoga side planks and boat pose topped the list of the most effective.

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Husbands across the country, rejoice! Golf can be an effective way of staying in shape...if you walk the course. According to a 2008 study done by the Rose Center for Health and Sports Sciences in Denver, test subjects who walked 36 holes per week burned 2,884 calories, making it a legitimate way to stay in shape. Just be sure to supplement your golfing with additional methods of aerobic and strength training for greater fitness gains.

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According to research done by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, leaner folks are “greener” folks. Biking or walking instead of driving, eating locally grown food (walk around the farmer’s market to pick out your produce) and composting are all great ways to stay fit and help the environment at the same time.

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Doing your own landscaping (digging, planting, raking, weeding, shoveling, etc) can burn over 300 calories an hour while giving you a total body workout. And depending on the kind of landscaping you are doing, almost every muscle in the body will be used, says Jeff Dolgan, an exercise physiologist in Miami. So, save some money and stay in shape at the same time by doing your own lawn work.

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Horseback riding can have you burning up to 400 calories per hour (with galloping burning more than trotting), explains Jeff Dolgan, an exercise physiologist in Miami. Why? Just to stay in the saddle, your inner thigh muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings and abdomen are constantly engaged plus the cardiovascular system is hard at work - meaning you are getting a cardio, core and lower body workout in one, explains Dolgan. And, the best get-fit benefits surround the caring for the horse. Pitching hay, shoveling stalls, feeding and brushing the horse. Together, these are all a total-body circuit workout.

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“Surfing is one of the best workouts,” says Jennifer Galardi, fitness expert and star of the “Dance off the Inches: Cardio Hip Hop” DVD. You’ll burn tons of calories paddling and trying to ‘pop up’ (transitioning from lying on the board to standing) and develop core strength as well as the muscles in your chest and triceps. And, if you can get (and stay) up, your legs are working double time - it’s almost like holding a consistent squat, she says.

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Not only can shimmying around a pole build your body confidence and spice up your sex life, it’s also an extremely effective total body workout. “It promotes muscular strength, muscle endurance, cardio-respiratory stamina, flexibility and body composition and coordination,” says Cynthia Muniz, owner of Kitty Kat Pole Dancing in Miami. Google “pole dancing” and your postcode code to find a class or private lessons available near you.

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Just 20 minutes of heated sex can burn up to 160 calories, improve circulation, improve cardiovascular function, and keep you flexible and strong, says Dr. Lynn Anderson, author of Sex Matters so...Get Sexually Healthy the Natural Way. Sex also relieves stress and brings about relaxation, calmness and a balanced mood, making it a great (and free) way to stay in shape

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Take 10-minute time outs during the day to go for a walk, do a quick set of push-ups or squats, or simply do some jumping jacks. You don’t have to spend a lot of time to get fit - and recent research shows short, 10-minute bursts of activity really add up. "A quick shot of exercise is far more beneficial physiologically than scientists once believed. A 2010 Massachusetts General Hospital study found that even 10 minutes of exercise does a body good regardless of the shape you’re in, because it allows exercisers to tap into both stored and blood-borne fats. Make it work for you by fitting in four, 10-minute exercise sessions four to five days a week," recommends Liz Neporent, faculty member of the American Council on Exercise and author of the book, Fitness for Dummies, 4th Edition.

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It may be full of video clips of cute cats, but YouTube can also be an effective (and free) tool for getting fit. Log on and search for whatever type of workout you are in the mood for - and you’ll have a variety of different options to choose from. Just be sure to find clips from certified and reputable sources  to avoid injury and maximise your results.

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“The foam roller is an excellent tool to enhance range-of-motion, correct alignment issues, reduce aches and pains, and make for faster recovery time between workouts,” says Manhattan-based certified fitness professional Amira Lamb, creator of www.holistichottie.com. Use it to give yourself a deep tissue massage after or before your workouts, as a balance training tool or to make your abdominal workouts more challenging. 

Climbing is an extremely effective total body training exercise. Whether you are climbing indoors on a rock wall or rope, or go for the real thing - you will develop muscular endurance and flexibility in your hands, arms, back, core and legs.

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This fun, low-impact form of exercise has been proven to have the same beneficial aerobic effects as jogging. You can burn up to 900 calories with a 55 minute workout.  Mini trampolines start at £40. Bounce while you watch your favourite TV shows or talk on the phone.

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Turning off the TV may help you become more fit. One recent study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that subjects with fewer televisions in their home were more active, ate healthier and maintained their weight. “Not only does TV watching encourage a sedentary lifestyle, but viewers are also being bombarded with ads to eat! For many, the television and snacks go hand-in-hand. So, turn off the tube and take a walk, garden, or find an active hobby,” recommends Rick Richey, a certified personal trainer and owner of R2Fitness in New York City.

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A subtle form of exercise with profound results, yogic breathing helps to tone your core muscles, relieve stress, combating excess belly fat that can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, says Desi Bartlett, a certified fitness expert in Los Angeles. To do: Inhale and fill your chest with air, then slowly exhale. As you release the air, take a small pause and hold. This helps to strengthen and tone the abdominus rectus and the transverse abdominus, leading to a stronger, slightly more defined belly, says Bartlett. Aim to practice this technique daily, and be sure to pair this with a healthy diet for best results.

Are you a frequent flier? Take advantage of your points and book hotels with well-equipped gyms (some even offer fitness classes) and fit in workouts during your stay. 

Want to invest in a treadmill for your home? Why not buy a used one for a fraction of the price? Better yet, rent one instead to make sure you’ll use it regularly, available from places like fitnessforhire.co.uk.

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Replace your office or dining room chair with a balance ball (£15 and up) to encourage spontaneous workouts (try crunches or wall squats) throughout the day. You’ll move more often on a stability ball than you would on a stable chair, so even without an added workout, you will burn more calories while sitting. Just sitting on a stability ball also engages your quadriceps, abdominal muscles and usually results in a greater engagement of your upper body musculature, explains Jeff Dolgan, an exercise physiologist in Miami. “For instance, an average [11.5 stone] woman would burn an additional 50 to 75 calories an hour sitting on one as opposed to a chair,” he says.

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Offer your time to someone who truly needs your help, and enjoy the added benefit of some extra exercise in the process. Take a wheelchair-bound friend for a walk or run errands for someone who is house bound.

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With pumping Latin music, major hip shaking and foot stomping, Zumba is a total-body calorie burner. Plus, you’ll make friends and have fun with weekly classes. Find a location near you on www.zumba.co.uk.

“Just 15 minutes of hula-hooping burns off approximately 100 calories,” says Carla Birnberg, a certified personal trainer. Not only does hula-hooping torch some major calories, but it’s also a great way to work your abdominals cheaply. 

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Kangoo Jumps (available for shipping from kangaroojumps.com) or “rebound exercise shoes” can be a safe and effective way to reap the fitness benefits of rebounding, without needing a trampoline. Not to mention, it’s pretty hard to don a pair without laughing (which makes for great ab exercise too).

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If you look hard enough you can find free fitness classes, for instance, Nestle offer free fitness classes if you collect enough coupons. You can also try out a lot of fitness programmes for free, such as with British Military Fitness.

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Use this American made website: SELF Magazine’s Workout Builder tool to create your own custom workout video or choose from their expert video library. Signing up gives you access to SELF’s free workout and food logs, and allows you to save your workouts so you can do them again anytime.

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“Sounds funny,” says yoga expert Kristen Eykel, “but an old ripped pair of stockings can become resistance bands.” How? Tie the legs together where the knees would be, and slip this loop around your ankles (if the loop is too long, simply re-tie a smaller opening). Use it for standing moves like lateral walks, side lying leg lifts, or even rear kicks. It’s a great way to tighten and tone your lower body by making use of something you may have otherwise thrown out, says Eykel.

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Ballet workouts are a great way to get fit, and work your entire body from head to pointed toe. Find a dance studio in your area or try a ballet DVD. Or take classes online with 'Black Swan' ballet expert Mary Helen Bowers at www.balletbeautiful.com.

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Circus workshops can be found around the UK, and are a great way to increase strength and flexibility and improve balance, coordination and focus. Learn to uni-cycle, wire walk, juggle or try the flying trapeze to get fit while having lots of fun!

Indoor wave machines at water parks around the globe let you surf and paddle board in all kinds of weather. Deep core ab muscles then fire up to keep you balanced. Water resistance works all the muscles in your arms, back and legs, making this a great total body workout. “You’ll also improve your strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination and burn up to 560 calories an hour,” explains Jari Love, a certified fitness expert and star of the “Jari Love’s Get Extremely Ripped! Revved to the Max” DVD.

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Not quite ready to jump out of a plane? You can experience simulated sky-diving where you learn body flight, or flying in a controlled way in indoor wind-tunnels. “You’ll engage every muscle, move your spine in ways you didn’t know you could, and get an amazing adrenalin rush”, says Tannis Kobrinsky, Owner of Health Habitravels, a California-based company that specialises in eco-retreats, spa vacations and cultural adventure travel.

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No, not a boost bar. A chin-up bar! “Put it in the laundry room, rec room, home office, wherever you will see it and use it often,” suggests Sharon Mann, a fitness expert in Vancouver, British Columbia. “You will see major gains in strength lifting or pushing your own body weight! The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.”

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Spice up your pedometer pacing with a little friendly competition. “Compete” with a friend or a group of friends and see who can take the most steps within a pre-set timeline (a day, a week or even a month), suggests fitness expert Patricia Friberg.

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Frisbee Golf is much like it sounds, players follow a course much like traditional golf, except the “putt” is a Frisbee! Select several trees as your targets and work your core muscles and upper body as you throw your Frisbees until you hit them, suggests Patricia Friberg. This fun workout could have you burning up to 400 calories.

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Grab some friends and head over to your local school’s track, and put together a track and field style workout, recommends Patricia Friberg, a fitness expert in Southern California. Hold relay races, long jump competitions, shot put throws and sprints. You’ll work your entire body and you could burn up over 900 calories an hour with this type of training, she says.

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Gliding Discs (around £35.50 on amazon) are two flat round circles that you can use to add a sliding motion to exercises such as squats, push-ups or lunges. “The added benefit of the sliding disc is additional muscle activation without the need to add heavier weights, which means you can burn more calories and get a better workout than using just your body weight alone,” explains Rick Richey, owner of R2Fitness in New York City. “Plus, they are easy to travel with, easy to store, and an inexpensive investment for your home fitness program.” Discs are available for both carpeted and hardwood floors.

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“The hypervest (about £90 + shipping and up) is made to feel like you aren't wearing anything yet it adds a load to your body, making your workout much more intense,” says Rachel Cosgrove, a triathlon coach in Santa Clarita and author of, The Female Body Breakthrough. Wear it during your regular workouts to increase your results, or while walking to increase your calorie burn.

“A body weight circuit at home is always a great way to give your metabolism a boost,” says Rachel Cosgrove, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and owner of Results Fitness in California. To do: Try doing countdowns, starting with 10 repetitions of each squat thrusts and body squats, then nine of each, then eight of each. This won't take long but it will get your heart pumping and get your metabolism revving for the day, says Cosgrove.

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Instead of calling your girlfriends to catch up, set up weekly walking dates. You’ll get some face-to-face time, but you’ll also burn calories and bond on the go.

Are you a member of a book club? Why not start a fitness club too? “Gather at a friends' house (rotate homes) and do a workout together,” recommends Suzanne Forbes Vierling, a certified fitness instructor in San Diego. Research shows that people who work out with friends are more likely to stick with a fitness program because they know others are counting on them. And, a recent university study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that people who had three or more friends (or relatives) help them with their plan lost more weight (and kept it off) than those without a support system.

Remember the library? That place with all those free books? Despite the cuts many still do exist, check out some of the latest exercise science and workout plans for free with your library card.

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Always wanted to learn how to kite board or swing on the trapeze? Then do it! Mastering a new sport or skill is a great way to get in shape without even realising it. Your brain is so focused on learning that you won’t even notice the effort your body is putting into it. Plus, it helps keep you motivated to keep going back and improve.

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Devotees of Naked Yoga love it for its ‘liberating’ quality, but we say doing a forward bend in the buff is either going to liberate you or send you running (either way it will help you get fit). Thankfully, you can practice in the privacy of your own home with DVDs or online with the Naked Yoga School.

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If the thought of canceling your gym membership has you already sweating over missing your favourite cycling class, consider joining a cycling studio instead. Specialised cycling studios like thepedalstudio.co.uk offer all the cycling you want, and often for less than your typical high-end monthly gym fees.

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The 90 Second Fitness Solution “Vook” by fitness expert Pete Cerqua is an interactive book (combining video and text) that shows you how to get fit in as little as 15 minutes a week following this program - no gym membership required. Sounds good to us! Check out www.90secondfitness.com for more info.

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What is the one exercise that will work your entire body, uses no equipment and gives you strength, cardio and flexibility benefits? Burpees! Because of their pushing and pulling nature they give you a total body work out, with their combo of squatting, the plank and jumping. Not only does it increase strength and flexibility, it also offers cardio conditioning benefits, and can be easily adapted for all fitness levels - from walking out into a plank and standing up to advancing into a plyometric push up and squat jump.

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If you are looking for a hardcore piece of home workout equipment, this is it. The Tower 200 (for as low as £54) attaches easily to any doorframe (no assembly required) and offers over 200 pounds of resistance. The best home version of a gym strength cable machine we’ve seen, the Tower 200 comes with a free DVD demonstrating the 200 exercises, plus handgrips and ankle straps.

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Invented by a physical therapist, the Body Blade (£83.50 and up) is a workout system designed for muscle toning, strengthening and stabilisation. Shaped like a large blade, its oscillating motion supposedly forces the shoulder muscles, as well as hundreds of other muscles, to contract 270 times a minute without impact or heavy lifting. Body Blade users say it helps with everything from weight loss, enhanced athletic performance and improved muscle shape and definition.

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A kettlebell (£26.20 and up) is a cast iron weight with a small ‘handle’ on it. It's used for ‘ballistic’ type of movements such as snatches, swings and jerks. A 30-minute kettlebell workout could have you burning upwards of 400 calories. “Kettlebells are by far the best way to incorporate power and cardio together. You can sculpt every muscle in your body with one piece of equipment that incorporates unique training elements like momentum and ballistic training,” explains Paul Katami, a certified kettlebell master instructor in California. We love that you don’t need pairs of them (like you do with dumbbells) and they store easily on a shelf or under a bed. Good form is key to a great kettlebell workout, so be sure to have a professional show you how to use them or follow an instructional DVD for safety. We love Paul Katami’s“Kettlebell Kombos” DVD (£19.95 from amazon).

When it comes to getting fit, remember that you often don’t need more than a chair or a towel to get the job done. Try some of ‘the Godfather of Fitness’ Jack LaLanne’s vintage workouts. Watch free, full-length episodes of “The Jack LaLanne Show”, complete with Lalanne’s exercises and inspirational health tips that are still relevant today.