Find time to stay fit

If you're reading this in despair, wondering how you can fit yet another thing into your time-starved life, take heart. Studies are increasingly showing that lifestyle activities are just as instrumental in keeping us fit and healthy as formal exercise. In fact, one landmark study at the University of Maastricht found that people who were sedentary most of the day but went to the gym regularly burned fewer calories than people who were generally more active in their daily lives but didn't do any structured workouts.

Another study, from Loughborough University, concluded that with regard to weight loss and health, 10-minute bouts of exercise were as effective - if not more so - than prolonged sessions. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends we aim to expend 200 calories a day on moderate activities - a target that's easier to achieve than you might think. For example, walk briskly to appointments, run up the stairs, carry shopping bags to the car, chase around after the children, clean the windows? The take-home message? Fit in fitness where you can.