16 ways to get fit without the gym

Skipping

Maybe you haven't tried it since school, but skipping is the easiest way to shape up... and it's free. It's a great way to burn body fat – and it's particularly good at shaping your legs, abdominals, arms and shoulders. There's a good reason why boxers use this exercise as part of their training. You can burn up to 450 calories in a in a 45-minute workout. 

Skipping can be completed anywhere, so get outside in your garden or a park.

Running

Anyone can put on a pair of trainers and start running – and it has the added bonus of being free. Running is a great workout for the heart and lungs. It’s also effective in burning calories, and it's a great way to lose weight. 

Swimming

Swimming exercises all the major muscle groups of the body as well as the heart and lungs, making it a great activity for overall fitness. It builds lung capacity, endurance and strength. It's also a great alternative to high-impact exercise like running and aerobics. Use this six-week swimming plan to get in shape. Thirty minutes of steady swimming can burn up to 200 to 300 calories. 

Try running in the water, climbing in and out or water aerobics, which is very popular especially for women swimmers. All are good fun and great calorie burners.

 

Cycling

Cycling increases aerobic fitness and tones the muscles of the legs and bottom. It’s a non-impact activity, which means that it places no stress on the joints of the knee, ankle, and back. 

Try cycling to work, which is kinder to the environment, instead of taking public transport or driving. Get fit with our six-week cycling plan for beginners.

Taking the stairs

Recent research shows that the average British adult is so unfit that they feel breathless after running up a flight of stairs, while 31 per cent are left gasping for breath after rushing to catch a bus. Walking a flight of stairs is an excellent way to prevent health problems that come with inactivity – including obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. 

It's easy to go a day without any physical activity, so incorporate taking the stairs in your daily regime rather than taking the elevator.

Walking

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise because it’s cheap and accessible to everyone. It's a great cardiovascular workout. You also don't need any equipment, and it can be incorporated into your everyday life. 

Try walking to the shops instead of driving. If you get a pedometer it can help to keep you motivated. Count how many steps you take and measure the amount of calories you burn. Try our six-week plan for beginners.

Exercise DVD or computer games

You can now get fit in the comfort of your own home. Exercise DVDs and games are a great way to get exercise-phobes off the sofa. The positive is that you can get a specific DVD to target those troubled areas, such as your abs, arms, back, bottom or thighs. 

There are now also keep-fit computer games available, on the Wii or Xbox Kinect, which allow you to choose from yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games, depending on your goal. Both methods are good for beginners or mums stuck at home.

Circuit training

Circuit training is a great way to exercise because it incorporates cardiovascular fitness and bodyweight training at a level that you can choose yourself. 

You can devise your own circuits – a simple circuit routine might consist of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, chin-ups and lunges. So start by setting yourself some consecutive series of timed exercises indoors or out in the park.

Bootcamp

Bootcamps have become increasingly popular over recent years. These sessions are known as 'bootcamp workouts' because they're similar exercises to those that military employees adopt to keep recruits in shape. Bootcamps are great calorie burners – the calories burnt depends on the intensity and duration – and it allows you to get aerobic and strength training done in a single workout.

Signing up for a bootcamp will prove to be challenging – but the strict regime will show quick results and will never be boring.

Join a team

There are many physical and social benefits of team sports. They're especially beneficial because they promote team work and group cooperation. They will also increase your cardiovascular health, muscle performance , coordination and balance, whilst lowering lower blood pressure. 

Join a local netball or football team or see if your work will sponsor some kind of group activity.

Pilates and yoga

Pilates and yoga are now easily accessible to everyone. There's an array of different classes offering different styles of yoga from Bikram, Iyengar, Kundalini and Ashtanga. And no matter which style you choose, regular practice can improve your physical and emotional health. Pilates is especially good at strengthening the core abdominal muscles, which can improve posture and ease back problems. 

Learn the basic principles of yoga and Pilates, either at a class or from a book, and discover how these can continue to be practised at home when you have free time.

 

Roller skating

Roller skating is one of the most enjoyable free exercises. It's also provides a complete aerobic workout and involves all of the body's muscles, especially your legs and bottom and puts less pressure on your joints than running. 

Get outdoors and enjoy this activity with the family or friends.

Have sex

Sex is a great way to exercise and to maintain a healthy weight. Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more depending on the effort you put in. This may not seem like much. But the more sex you have, the more you burn. 

There are also many other health benefits of sex, such as stress relief, boosting your immune system and self-esteem and it can even help prevent prostate cancer in men.

Dancing

From ballet to ballroom, dancing is one of the most enjoyable and fun ways to work out. Different styles offer different benefits, such as ballet improving posture and flexibility or ballroom helping coordination. It's also great for your sense of wellbeing because it is a social activity – socialising with friends contributes to high self-esteem and a positive outlook. 
Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps to: 

• increase energy 
• reduce stress
• improve strength 
• increase muscle tone and coordination.

Find out if a style is suitable for you by joining a beginner's class. Use our guide to look at the different styles and dance your way to better health.

Household chores

Household chores may seem dull, but they also count to the amount of exercise you do. The harder you clean the more calories you will burn. 

• Washing the dishes for 15 minutes can burn up to 50 calories. 
• Ironing for 15 minutes can burn up to 22 calories. 
• Dusting for 15 minutes can burn up to 49 calories. 
• Vacuuming for 15 minutes can burn up to 30 calories.

Housework will not get you fit by itself. So combine it with something else, such as gardening or walking. And every little bit of activity helps to improve fitness.

Gardening

Gardening is also a great way to exercise, so mowing the lawn or weeding can contribute to what exercise you do. While gardening, you also work all the major muscle groups: legs, buttocks, arms, shoulders, neck, back and abdomen. It can also increase flexibility – like reaching for weeds or tall branches, bending to a plant and extending a rake. For older gardeners, especially women, gardening can also help reduce problems with osteoporosis. A physical activity like gardening or weight lifting has a positive impact on bone health. 

Consult your doctor first if you're older and haven't been gardening for a while.