Working up a sweat in the gym twice a week is all very well, but if you spend most of your time sitting at a desk you need to do a little extra to see results. Katie Gormley explains how to supplement your exercise routine.

So many of us today lead sedentary lifestyles due to sendentary jobs and (unsurprisingly) this has been linked with our current obesity epidemic, but you don't have to sign up for the marathon to get more active. You don't even have to join a gym...

At home
Hoovering & dusting
A little spring cleaning can create more than just a better looking home. A hard hoovering session can prove to be a great work out for you biceps, triceps, legs and upper back. In fact, take any household cleaning task, put some welly into it and you'll be surprised just how much you are exerting yourself. In fact I would argue that 20 minutes hardcore hoovering is far more effective exercise than sitting on an exercise bike in the gym watching the Simpsons.

Watching TV
In terms of energy exertion, watching television is tantamount to being asleep. Good reason indeed to incorporate a little activity into your viewing time. Hide the remote control, getting up and out of your seat to change the channel is a good first step. Using commercials to punctuate some physical activity is easy and doesn't mean you have to miss out on the programme. Mini sets of sit-ups, press-ups or dips are easy to perform and require no additional equipment. Start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions pr exercise and try and different one for each advertisement break. You'll be progressing and noticing a difference in just a couple of weeks.

Out and about
Getting from A to B
Cycling, walking, skating...changing your mode of transportation is one of the easiest ways to get more activity into your daily lifestyle. I converted my oyster card habit into a shiny bicycle and have never looked back. While cycling might not be for all, walking - a mode of transportation often neglected - is totally free and amazingly good exercise. If your journey is too far to walk consider walking only part of it. It's an oldie but a goodie - get off the bus a stop early.

Riding the Tube / train / bus Remember trying to ride your bike with no hands? Well this is a similar theory - kind of. Your core muscles make up the core of your body (abdominals, back, pelvic floor and hips) they sit underneath other muscles therefore cannot be seen. Their lack of visibility is perhaps what has lead them to be long neglected. They are however of crucial importance to posture and strength as any dancer or yoga teacher will tell you. For a far more entertaining commute see if you can make it from one stop to the next without holding onto anything, or anyone for that matter. This will force you to activate your core in order to obtain your balance. You might well struggle a bit with this one at first which could result in getting a little more up close and personal with your fellow commuters than you intended so make sure there is something stable within reach.

At work
Sitting at your desk
Do you have a fit ball gathering dust at home? It may well be next to the thigh master, up in the attic. Well dust it off and bring your ball to work. That all important core that I was talking about earlier can be activated while tapping away on your keyboard. As well as activating the core, using a stability ball will improve your posture (try sitting on it with crossed legs and you'll soon see what I mean). You will also be burning more calories as you utilize more muscles. Of course you must be prepared to receive some ridicule for this at first but I can guarantee you'll be surprised how quickly the idea catches on and before you know it the office will resemble a space hopper party.

Here are some more office active ideas to get you thinking and to get you off your seat (ball) as many times in one day as possible.

Leisure activities
Heading to the pub is a pretty standard activity. With summer well on it's way I suggest taking the beverages to the park and incorporating a bit more activity into your social agenda. Stick cricket, bowls or rounders are excellent comedy value and way more active than sitting around a table supping pints and eating peanuts.

If you give a little thought to your social plans and try substituting static pastimes with active ones you'll find your diary looking far more interesting. Switch a coffee shop rendez-vous for a walk in the park and move from the bar to the roller-disco. It takes just a little motivation to break those easy option habits.

Shopping - good news indeed
"Shopping is my cardio" claimed Carrie of `Sex in the city' fame. She was so wise. Sometimes I wonder how we survive without her weekly imparts of knowledge. Thank goodness for DVDs. She is of course correct. Sprinting from place to place in hunt of a killer outfit is most definitely a calorie burner. You can incorporate extra little things into your shopping trip to really make it worth your while.

My philosophy is about incorporating more activity when and where you can and not restricting fitness to the gym or sports club. It's about finding any little ways to get more active and if that means space hopper parties in the office or a hard days shopping, then so be it.