The urban workout

At the supermarket
How many of us gently stroll around the supermarket at snail's pace? The next time you shop, be aware of your posture.

1. Posture
What it does
This workout combines cardio and muscular movements to help strengthen your joints and burn fat in the process.

How to
Walk down your first aisle and collect your food as normal. When you reach the bottom, turn around and walk much faster right back up to the top of the aisle. Increase your stride, heel to toe and don't forget to breathe.

Perform this power walking technique up every aisle. The trolley will become heavier as you shop, so the workout will then become harder.

Your goal is to do more work in the same amount of time you would normally spend at the supermarket.

1. Dynamic tension - three to five lots of 20-second static muscular contraction holds

What it does
This simple exercise requires concentration. Your aim is to contract every muscle in the human body with one hold.

How to
From a seated position, make sure your shoulders are back and you are in a neutral spine position.

Raise up on your toes and clasp both hands together with your palms facing inwards, making sure your elbows are bent at 90 degrees.

With a force of 70% of your maximum, apply equal body pressure through both hands, squeezing them together. At the same time push up on your toes to contract your calves. Also, focus on your thigh muscles pushing upwards.

Hold this overall muscular contraction for 20 seconds, rest for 10 and do it again. As you become stronger, so does the force of that muscular contraction. This effective exercise will help to condition your whole body.

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