1. Skipping

Ideal for: Cardio-vascular system, fat burning, lower-body toning and warm-up sessions. And it's not just for girls - boxers use skipping as part of their workout. In fact, on its own skipping is a fantastic method for burning fat as you use a variety of muscle groups. It's totally exhausting and makes you realise how fit you must have been as a child!

If you're skipping as a warm-up try 1-5 minutes (depending on your fitness level) of gentle skipping to raise your core body temperature and prepare your body for more exercise.

Beginners: Build-up gradually when trying skipping sessions for the first time - over exercising can leave you feeling sore and you won't want to continue with your exercise plan. On the first day try doing 1 minute. You can then build on this by adding 10-20 seconds to your time each day. It's also important to keep your speed up.

Intermediate: Skipping for longer times can only be done with practice. If you're already good at skipping, you can do longer sessions at a gentle pace. Skipping for 3-10 minutes is probably more suited to this level. Alternatively, you can speed up the skipping so that you do a harder workout in a shorter time.

You can try other other skipping techniques, like alternate one footed take-offs or backwards skipping.

You can also try power skipping for short periods at this level. Try fast skipping for 30 seconds then resting for 30 seconds and repeat the process 3-5 times depending on your fitness level.

Advanced: For an advanced skipping session increase your time to suit your fitness level. Alternatively try power skipping for 30-45 seconds (as above) but jog gently for the resting period to get a maximal workout.

2. Speed walking / Jogging

Ideal for: Cardio-vascular system, fat burning, body toning and suitable for warming-up sessions.

A great way to combine keeping in shape and socialising! Power walking or gentle jogging with friends can be done almost anywhere and without costing you a penny. The first 10 minutes is a killer but try and get through it by aiming for targets, a distant tree for instance.

A 20 minute daily walk or run should fit into anyone's daily fitness regime and can be done on the way to school, work, at lunchtimes or with the dog in the park. Instead of meeting a friend for a lunchtime coffee, why not meet up for a walk? Try a slightly longer walk or jog (30-40 minutes) once a week or include some hills on your route for maximum benefit. If you're worried about showering afterwards at work, facial wipes can double-up as body wipes.

Now you've warmed out, see the next page for Scott's exercise suggestions.