Shortcuts to fitness

Thanks to this workout-anywhere guide you’ll never have to worry about missing an exercise class again.

More often than not exercise gets shoved down our ‘things to do’ list because we’re just too busy or other people get in the way. Maybe its children, your partner or work that’s made you give up some of your exercise time recently. Perhaps your aerobics class was cancelled at the last minute or traffic stopped you getting there on time.

These simple steps should help you keep in shape no matter who or what tries to stop you.

Make sure you have some form of exercise that doesn’t require a gym. By investing in a stationary bike you will be able to work out at home whenever you have time to spare.

If this is out of your financial reach don’t panic! If you have stairs then you can do step ups, vary your workout by climbing the stairs one, two or three steps at a time or by altering the speed at which you run up and down them. A skipping rope will set you back around £12 and will give you a great aerobic workout. If you can afford a set of dumbbells, which start at about £14 then that’s great but if you can’t filled water bottles or cans of beans will do the same job just as well. As far as flexibility goes, as long as you have enough room to lie on the floor you can do stretch work, abdominal work, press-ups and other mat exercises.

Turn your errands into exercise. If you find your workout has to go amiss because of errands then brisk walk to the bank, Post Office or supermarket to keep your legs and cardiovascular condition going.

If you have children take them for a walk in the park or if they are in infancy, modern sporty pushchairs can make sure you don’t miss out on your workout while baby gets some fresh air. If you are taking children to the swimming pool, don’t just watch from the sidelines, get in and have a splash around.